GREENVILLE — Greenville’s eight volleyball seniors celebrated senior night with a three-set sweep of visiting West Carrollton before a large crowd of students, parents, grandparents, and fans Tuesday.
The Lady Wave defeated the Lady Pirates 25-14, 25-10, 25-21 in the Miami Valley League matchup, recognizing Kara Blumenstock, Aubrey Baumgardner, Hailey Gillespie, Aly Hamilton, Mackenzie Legenzoff, Megan Loudy, Avery Shipp and Lizzie Shaffer before the match.
“They’ve stuck together from seventh grade all the way through their senior year, and you don’t get a lot of classes that have eight girls finish out six years of volleyball,” Greenville head coach Michelle Hardesty said. “I’m really proud of them. They’re good leaders. They’re smart.”
West Carrollton opened the first set with a 3-0 lead before Greenville responded with five unanswered points to take a lead it would never surrender.
A Legenzoff kill gave the Lady Wave an 11-6 advantage, and a Shipp kill pushed the margin to 18-9. Greenville extended its lead to 19-9, prompting a West Carrollton timeout, before finishing the opening set 25-14.
Assistant varsity coach Jim Hardesty said giving the seniors the opening set was an important part of the evening.
“We always like to let all the seniors play the first set on senior night,” he said. “I think they deserve it after all they’ve been through and playing six years in school. They deserve to play.”
With eight seniors and six positions on the court, the coaches worked to give everyone an opportunity.
“It’s just a little difficult when you have eight seniors to get out there at one time when you can only put six on the court,” Jim Hardesty said. “They did a good job working together. They’re coming on strong.”
Greenville carried that momentum into the second set. A Shaffer tip at the net gave the Lady Wave a 3-0 lead that grew to 4-0.
The Lady Wave stretched the advantage to 15-3, and a Gillespie kill made it 20-7. Greenville closed out the set 25-10 to take a 2-0 lead.
“I thought it was a good effort,” Jim Hardesty said.
Greenville led 15-5 in the third set before Michelle Hardesty began bringing the seniors off the court one at a time to applause from the crowd. West Carrollton narrowed the margin, but the Lady Wave finished the sweep with a 25-21 victory.
For Loudy, a senior captain, the win added to the evening’s significance.
“It means a lot,” Loudy said. “It’s just good to get a win and good to get all the seniors out and recognize them.”
Loudy said the teamwork and the opportunity to chase down difficult balls have been among her favorite parts of playing for Greenville.
“I like going hard for balls,” she said. “I like diving on the ground for volleyball.”
That willingness to pursue every play has made Loudy a dependable presence for the Lady Wave.
“Megan’s just a go-getter,” Michelle Hardesty said. “She gives effort to make every ball better, and she’s not going to let anything hit the ground. We’re going to miss that energy.”
Jim Hardesty offered a similar assessment.
“Megan always gives you 100 percent,” he said.
Loudy credited her parents with helping develop her competitive approach.
“My parents got me in sports really young and showed me that it isn’t fun to lose,” she said. “So I’ve just always had that competitive edge.”
Shipp also drew praise from both coaches for her work at the net.
“Avery right now is hitting the ball as well as I’ve ever seen her hit, and she’s putting the ball away,” Jim Hardesty said.
Michelle Hardesty said Shipp’s offensive ability will leave a significant void.
“Avery, just with that big swing, that’s hard to replace, too,” she said.
Blumenstock earned recognition for taking on the libero role and developing her skills in the position.
“Kara stepped into the libero’s spot,” Michelle Hardesty said. “She’s done a phenomenal job. Super proud of what she’s done, and she’s had to learn a lot.”
Baumgardner and Shaffer have been with the varsity program for four years, providing leadership and contributing on the court.
“They both ended up being good leaders, outgoing, such personable people,” Michelle Hardesty said.
Jim Hardesty also praised Shaffer’s hitting during the senior-night victory and credited the team with strong passing and serving.
Hamilton and Gillespie have contributed as outside hitters, giving Greenville important plays when needed.
“They came on big at times when we needed them, and they work hard in practice,” Michelle Hardesty said. “They lead by example, so they’re going to be really missed.”
Legenzoff’s determination through early-career injuries earned recognition from both coaches.
“You got to give Mac a lot of credit,” Jim Hardesty said. “She’s worked hard. She’s come a long way. She missed her freshman year and then has caught up a long way in three years.”
Michelle Hardesty said Legenzoff continued challenging herself to contribute.
“She dealt with some injuries early in her career, but she was hungry for it,” she said. “She’s been an amazing addition to that group.”
Beyond their volleyball accomplishments, Michelle Hardesty praised the seniors’ academic work and the example they have set.
“Every one of the girls is just academically on top of things,” she said. “When you add that to what they can do on the volleyball court, you can’t have more appreciation for them.”
For Loudy, senior night marked another milestone in a busy final year of high school athletics. She still has basketball and track ahead, followed by graduation.
“I have a lot of sports left,” Loudy said.
For the Hardestys, Tuesday’s victory gave them a chance to celebrate a class that has stayed together and kept working.
“Sometimes you lose a few on the way, but this group’s been pretty good about staying together, and they’ve worked hard,” Jim Hardesty said.
