By Stevie Corio — Staff Writer
The San Jose State women’s volleyball season has just come to a close with a bittersweet ending. Though they did not beat Wyoming, it was a very sentimental day for the Spartan’s five seniors as it was there last game on the court as Spartans and their senior ceremony.
The Spartans (10-19) fell Saturday to Wyoming, defeated in a very competitive three-set game. They finished ninth overall in the Mountain West Conference this season, surpassing the Air Force and Utah State.
While the unforced errors by the Spartans ultimately led to their downfall, they did not completely crumble. Good blocks were made, elbows and knees were bruised from hitting that floor and balls were killed.
The thing about volleyball is it’s very easy to beat yourself, and the Spartans beat themselves Saturday.
This game was a very emotional game for the Spartans, and it looked like a completely different team than the team that played Thursday. It was clear that the girls’ heads were not as into the game as in previous matches.
“I think they were a little emotionally drained,” head coach Jolene Shepardson said. “I definitely thought we could match up against them well you know when you saw our heads in it we were playing good volleyball, but we just didn’t sustain it.”
When the Spartans did have their heads in it, they played some very textbook, dynamic volleyball. Senior Thaliana Grajeda was second in kills for the game with nine, right behind freshman Makayla Lewis who led the Spartans with 10 kills.
It’s clear that the seniors make up a huge dynamic of the team, and with five of them leaving its a very hard pill for many of the girls to swallow.
“This entire team means so much to me,” senior Laura Parts said. “Coming from Estonia in 2016 I didn’t speak any English. “They were always helping me out, picking me up and teaching me new things. This team means a lot to me.”
The Spartans do, however, have a few of the seniors that will continue into this upcoming beach season, so it’s not over just yet for these girls.
“I can’t believe five years went by so fast,” senior Fernanda Vido said. “I’m so proud of everyone that stuck through this crazy ride. Being a D1 athlete is not easy, and there are a lot of ups and downs. I’m really proud of all of us.”
The next chapter for the Spartans now opens as they move into their beach season, and welcome fresh bodies onto their court next season.
“I think we can knock some people down next season, but we gotta earn it,” Shepardson said. “It’s all in our attitude if we want it.”
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