Senior night for Shawnee Mission West girl’s volleyball started out like any other night. Before any senior-related festivities began, they had to play two sets of volleyball.

Normally, a varsity volleyball game is played out of five sets. To win a set, a team has to reach 25 points and win by at least two. However, if they are playing two teams in one night, then each match is only three sets to save time. The amount of points needed to win a set stays the same. On senior night, they were just playing just one team, Olathe North.

The first two sets of the match didn’t go quite as they hoped. They lost the first set 23-25. The second set started out good. They took the lead seven to nothing early on. However, Olathe North quickly came back and ended up winning. The final score for that set was 22-25.

After the first two sets, the match was put on hold. It was time to recognize and celebrate the seniors.

Each senior was accompanied by family member and walked down the center of the court after their name was called. The players are: Sierra Miller, Athena Schnorr, Maren Burkhart, Kelli McMahon, and Rylie Barnum.

The senior managers of the team also got recognized. They are: Jaleah Cullors, Megan Biehl, and Ashley Riley.

After every name was called, there was always a flash of at least one camera capturing the special moment. For these girls, this wrapped up four years of playing at home for Shawnee Mission West.

However, there was a game to finish. Unfortunately, their fortunes didn’t change with the last set. They ended up losing the set 17-25. That meant that the match was over and they had lost 3-0.

Although their senior night game was rough, they played hard. After the match there was a ton of cookies near the exit for the girls and all of the west fans who came to watch. It was a night of celebration, even in defeat.