By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – They fought a good fight, finished the race, kept the faith.
Bedford North Lawrence honored its four seniors on Thursday night, a quartet with the same talent range as the four-part harmony of barbershop singers. They went out in style as the Stars conquered Loogootee in three sets following their traditional pregame celebration.
For Sammie Gratzer, Trinidy Bailey, Suttyn Alvey and Sara Williams, the struggle was real. They endured hard seasons, starting their careers when BNL was in the midst of a 13-61 run over three campaigns, then helped drag the program up from the depths to respectability the last two years.
Each brought a unique gift to the lineup. Gratzer is the tall, athletic hitter in the middle, who soars above the net for punishing kills. Bailey is the jack-of-all-trades who can dig, set or spike. Williams is the libero who is the defensive specialist. Alvey is also a fixture on the back row, whose job is starting the attack with a solid pass.
“This class is going to be big to replace,” BNL coach Aaron Wagoner said. “They’ve been an anchor for us the last two years. Replacing them won’t be much fun. Sammie brings something to the group that’s hard to find, she’s a really good hitter,. And there is a lot of experience. That will be a big deal, the versatility of each player will be a big deal. Trinidy can play from anywhere. It won’t be fun to find those pieces and develop them.”
Those statistical contributions were evident in the regular-season finale. BNL cruised to a 25-15, 25-12, 25-12 triumph, finishing the campaign at 15-14. Gratzer cracked 9 kills with 3 blocks, Jenna Allen contributed 8 kills, and Bailey totaled 16 digs. Loogootee slipped to 10-16.
But there’s more to any sport than numbers. Team sports teach valuable life lessons.
“Play hard no matter what,” Bailey said. “You will eventually get the outcome you want.”
“Move on,” Williams said. “No mistake or error is ever that big of a deal, where you have to hold on to it.”
Senior Night is always an emotional event. For most, it’s the end of the only life they remember. Only six percent of high school athletes play college sports.
“It’s tough,” said Williams, who plans to become a nurse. “I’ve always played sports my whole life, and it’s coming to an end. That’s pretty emotional. It’s just playing with my best friends.”
BNL will now be idle until Oct. 18, awaiting the Providence-Seymour winner in the first Class 4A sectional semifinal at Floyd Central at 11 a.m. The host Highlanders will meet the Jeffersonville-New Albany winner in the second semifinal. The championship is set for that night at 6 p.m.
