The ETSU women’s volleyball team closed out their final home game of the regular season on Nov. 16 against rival team Samford University.
Through a long and tough fight, the Bucs fell to Samford 3-1 (25-20, 25-14, 23-25, 25-23).
The Samford Bulldogs came through to win the first set 25-20. They also won the second set 25-14 closing out the Bucs immensely.
The Buccaneers came back strong to win the third set (25-23) giving them a fighting chance. Sophomore Sara Esposito (Venezia, Italy) gave the Bucs six kills with a hitting average of .750. The Bucs led from the beginning, but the Bulldogs came back to cut their lead by one. However, a kill from freshman Lauren Hatch (Homewood, Illinois) secured the set for the Bucs.
The fourth set was a back-to-back game with both teams giving it their all. In the end, the Bulldogs took the match winning (23-25).
“This program has meant so much to me, it’s made me who I am as a person, not even just a player,” said senior Kaela Massey (Brentwood, Tennessee). “Its taught me how to grow up, be an adult, be responsible and prioritize my time.”
ETSU will see Samford again in the Southern Conference Tournament.
“We want to come back and win the third time we see them,” said Massey. “That’s more important.”
Since this game was the team’s last home game, it was also their senior night.
“This has been a great run with such a young team,” said head coach Benevia Jenkins. “Being led by one senior on the team, I couldn’t ask for any other players. They work hard in practice. They love the game of volleyball and trust each other. I’m very proud of their performance, and we will try to get a championship at the SoCon tournament.”
Massey is the winningest player in this program’s history.
“That’s just crazy to me,” said Massey. “I mean obviously it wasn’t just me, it was my whole team. I’m just so blessed that I’ve had four great years here, and I’ve been so lucky to have the teammates I have.”
The Bucs go on to compete in the SoCon Tournament against UNCG on Nov. 22 in the quarterfinals.
