As my Hoban Girls Volleyball (HGVB) career has come to a close, my love for the team and gratitude towards the individuals that made it so special will live forever. My appreciation goes back to my freshman year when I was given the chance to join such an underrated program.
As a team that was filled with upperclassmen, I learned the importance of teamwork, patience, and, most importantly, how to take in every single moment of my high school career. My time on this team has given me countless opportunities and I never imagined a goodbye could be so hard. The people that I have formed unbreakable bonds with and the constant feeling of family make it so difficult to hang up my jersey.
I have collected a numerous amount of memories from the first time I set foot in Barry Gymnasium to the last time I represented Hoban on the court. As I come closer to switching my wardrobe from Hoban’s blue and gold to Mount Union’s purple and black, I have been able to step away from the emotions and allow myself to reminisce. There are so many individuals I want to thank with a few that immediately come to mind.
Coach Madeline Diestel ‘14, Director of Sports Performance and Strength and Conditioning, has truly turned me into the athlete I am today. I never imagined I would have a coach that would leave such a mark on my life. Her constant support encouraged me to keep fighting and get better. Before freshman year, I never touched a weight in my life. She saw something in me that I never saw in myself. Going into sophomore year, I tried to get stronger and work harder because she encouraged me. All those long hours of work paid off as it led to my best two seasons of my career: junior and senior years. My max outs were some of the strongest, my vertical was the highest, and I grew as an athlete, all thanks to Coach Maddie’s impact.
A huge thank you also goes out to Mrs. Corey Westover, Assistant Athletic Director. Although it is her job to watch all sports as best as she can, she never made it feel like it was just her duty to witness us take on the competition. Rather, she always looked forward to our next match, and was invested in the games she could not attend. Her constant support and love for HGVB meant the world to all of the players, especially to me. Every time I see her, she welcomes me with a hug and a smile, always ready to talk if I need to. Her encouragement made me fight harder to play the game to my greatest potential because I wanted to make her proud.
The hardest goodbye is to the girls that were along for the ride. Thank you to each and every one of my teammates who have made my years on this team so special. I am so lucky to be able to call them best friends and playing by their sides has been a dream come true. These girls made every practice, bus ride, and game so much more enjoyable.
Lastly, to my fellow seniors: it has been a rollercoaster but I would not want to experience it with anyone else. Mary Hottinger, Ava Norfolk, Ava Norton, and Amber Watson, I am so grateful to have been able to share these milestones with you. As seniors, it was our job to lead the team to greatness and we successfully left our mark on the program. Although our end goal was not achieved, this season was still one for the record books. Most can not say that their team had back-to-back undefeated seasons, but for us, that was reached.
I am so grateful that this is not the end of my volleyball career and that I will be continuing my next journey with my best friend, Norton, but HGVB is one of the hardest goodbyes. I could not have asked for a better school to represent and to hopefully make me proud.
Thank you HGVB, it has been a dream. #3 signing out.
