The end is near for the Lady Bisons Volleyball seniors.
With the Atlantic Sun Tournament on the horizon, there is a sense of urgency in the air for this year’s seniors.
Caitlin Dotson, Stephanie Rex, and Claire Peterson have played together the last four years, and they all know this is their last chance to leave their mark on this program.
“There is a bit of added pressure knowing this is my last go around, and it is the last chance I have,” Dotson said.
“I think, more than anything, that I love this team, and I love this group of girls, and I want the most for all of them, as well as ending my career on a positive note, as well as setting a standard for this program.”
Dotson has been a staple player for the Lady Bisons since her freshman year. She says that she’s seen a shift in the A-Sun over the past season. Despite the Lady Bisons’ recent success, Dotson says it’s important to treat each time the same.
“Conference has really leveled out, and it has been fun to see some teams rise up, and every game is a fun game. That is something that I actually really enjoy. We are getting hot right now, and the biggest thing is to stay hot and to not underestimate anybody and realize this is anybody’s game,” Dotson said.
The Lady Bisons know that their ultimate goal is getting to the NCAA Tournament, but to reach that goal, these seniors know they must take care of business in their own conference.
Stephanie Rex has made the transition from libero to a defensive specialist coming into her senior year. “These past couple of weeks, it has really set in knowing that this is our last chance to finish out conference with wins, and this is our last chance to get there and win,” Rex said.
“Us seniors have had two chances to play in the NCAA tournament, and we know what it takes and know how hard you have to work to beat these teams multiple times,” Rex said.
This year is a big year for these volleyball seniors, and the veterans have set big goals for this season, but they know they must take care of business first.
Middle Blocker, Claire Peterson, is ready to take back control of the conference. “Winning the conference is big, since last year we came up a bit short,” Peterson said. “We don’t want to over look our conference because conference is great. We have always talked about winning that first round of the NCAA tournament, but first and foremost, it is winning the conference.”
With the season coming to an end, both mental and physical fatigue seems to be setting in according to the seniors, but these factors won’t stop this group.
To Dotson, the work now will be worth it if there’s victory in sight.
“We have to push. Everybody is tired, but I would rather be a tired winner,” Dotson said.