Sunflowers grow tall and bloom bright yellow petals in fields where they call home. Bears live in the wild surrounded by dense forests they call home. SAVVYP10 is written on the license plates of the car it calls home. But in the volleyball locker room, they all share a home. A home that they share with a volleyball team that has become a family. They are joined in the family and legacy of the team as each senior that painted them is preparing to graduate but not without leaving something behind.

As the season came to an end, the current seniors on the volleyball team have participated in the tradition of painting a brick in their team locker room to commemorate their time on the team. 

“My brick is decorated with sunflowers because I feel they represent a sense of positivity which is what I want to be remembered by,” senior Lakin Horne said.

There are also plenty of other things these seniors hope to leave behind with their teammates.

“I hope to leave my teammates behind with confidence,” Horne said. “Not only do I want them to have confidence in what we’ve accomplished this year, but also in what they have the potential to achieve in years to come. I’ve been excited to be on the alumni wall for a while now. It’s always been a reminder of who has come before you. It always helps knowing whose shoes you need to fill, and you can use that knowledge to grow the program.”

This past season has been made memorable by the growth in the team and everything they experienced together.

“The volleyball team this past season has been truly like a sisterhood,” Horne said. “I love each girl so much, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to grow with them in the sport and as a person. I am definitely going to miss leaning on that bond each day.”

A representation of all of her favorite things and how people know her is what this senior decorated her brick with.

“I painted my brick a dark green with gold letters and a bear on it because those are my favorite colors, and also my nickname is Taylor bear or T-bear since I was little which is why there is a bear on my brick,” senior Taylor Hayes said.

With her thoughtfully made brick, Hayes leaves a piece of herself for her teammates to remember her by.

“It’s like leaving an imprint on the wall and to the teammates to show that you will always be there and forever be remembered,” Hayes said.

Hayes’ time with the team has come to an end, but she will always remember the friends she played with.

“I am going to miss the girls on the team the most and the friendship and memories we all had together and having that chance to play with them again,” Hayes said. “I’ve been with those girls forever now and leaving them isn’t easy.”

Hayes hopes that the success the team had this year will be passed down to the next class.

“I want to leave hope because last season was our best season we have had in many years,” Hayes said. “Being with them, I hope that they lead the next season with positive and hard-working attitudes just like we seniors did with them.”

This senior’s inspiration came from a long-standing nickname that her dad gave her.

“My inspiration came from when I first got my car,” senior Savannah Paske said. “My dad got customized license plates for it, and it said SAVVYP10. It was kind of a little joke between me and some of my closest friends in volleyball, and it became a nickname that stuck through the past year and a half.”

As graduation marks the time for seniors to go their separate ways, Paske reminisces in the enjoyable time she had with her friends.

“I’m going to by far miss all of my best friends,” Paske said. “They were the people that made me the happiest and always brought joy upon me in every way possible. I couldn’t have asked for a better team this past year.”

The team is a mix of every grade, so as Paske is about to leave, she hopes her teammates remember all the character they built in the team.

“I’m hoping to leave behind integrity and good sportsmanship,” Paske said. “They are already fantastic people on and off the court, and I hope I was able to show them a little more what volleyball is about.”

These seniors may be leaving, but they can be sure they left a legacy and impact on their team and sport.

“Considering this season was one of the best in the past couple of years, it almost feels as if it is a bit of a legacy considering we moved into 6a and put a name out there for Willis volleyball and made history,” Paske said.