What do sun block, tears and every part of your body have to do with volleyball? To the senior players, it has everything to do with their senior season.
Seniors Chelsey Adams, Enjoli Ford and Mallory McInnis were excited after their wins last weekends against Texas-San Antonio and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, ensuring them a spot in the Southland Conference tournament.
“The games were great,” Ford said. “It felt like a dream that we won and it still has not sunken in yet. It was our accomplishment.”
McInnis said it was not just an individual accomplishment but also a team accomplishment.
“I thought we played as a team and not one person stood out,” McInnis said. “Even people off of the bench came in and helped. We still need to win our next two games for seeding for the conference tournament.”
Not only was the team happy, but also head coach Chris Laird was happy for their back-to-back wins.
“Getting two wins in a row on the road is huge for us and I think part of that is because we stuck to our game plan,” Laird said. “I couldn’t be happier or prouder of our girls.”
This is the first time that the team has gone to the conference tournament since these seniors have been here.
“It still feels weird that we are actually going,” Ford said. “We earned our spot and it felt great to mess up peoples senior nights. Both teams that we played had their senior game against us and it felt great to win.”
The team does not yet know their seeding in the conference, but they do know that they are not in last place.
“It has always been our goal and we finally did it,” McInnis said. “We are pretty up there in the seeding and are not last place.”
Adams was a transfer from a junior college where conference play was a regular occurrence.
“I was disappointed last year when we did not make it because we always went at my junior college,” Adams said. “We were projected to be last but it is nice to prove people wrong.”
The team is looking forward to the conference tournament, Ford maybe more than anyone else. “Of course I want to win,” Ford said. “I want to see a lot of tears from the other teams when we win against them.”
Adams, McInnis and Ford want to make their senior season their best, and show how much they want to win in conference play.
“It is up to us and what we want to do,” Adams said.
“We all want to prove ourselves to Nicholls,” McInnis said. “Some people are stunned that we are going to conference. We really want to win our senior year.”
Friday’s (Nov. 14) match against McNeese is being held as the Senior Night game, followed by the team’s last home game Saturday, Nov. 15 against Stephen F. Austin.
“We’re excited to come back to Stopher for Senior Night Friday vs. McNeese State and Saturday’s match versus Stephen F. Austin,” Laird said. “We’re glad to have gotten these two big wins on the road, and I definitely think we’re peaking at the right time with the conference tournament approaching.”
Even though the game Friday marks the point where their season starts to come to a close, these girls still have school and other volleyball involvement after.
“I’m basically a volleyball major with a focus on general studies and a Family and Consumer Sciences minor (laughs),” Ford said. “I have another year of school but I want to keep volleyball in my life. Hopefully I can coach at a school. I really want to keep playing but I do not know where. I will put on my sun block and play beach volleyball.”
McInnis hopes to also keep volleyball a pertinent part of her life.
“I am going to University of New Orleans for alternative certification classes but I would like to get a job at Chalmette High coaching volleyball there,” McInnis said.
However, unlike Ford and McInnis, Adams has other plans besides volleyball for her future.
“I’m old. I’m done. Everything hurts (laughs)!” Adams said. “I still have another year in school. I plan on getting a GA shift somewhere for Athletic Training.”
At this time it is not known what day the team will start play in the conference tournament.
