It’s Senior Day vs South Carolina today. I have to admit that this will be the hardest one so far for me. I moved back to Knoxville during these seniors’ freshman year. And I started the site when they were sophomores. So this is the first class I’ve really been with almost their entire careers. And I can’t believe they’ll be gone after next month. I can honestly say that for me it won’t seem like Tennessee Volleyball without them.

I probably shouldn’t say this publicly, and no offense is meant to any other player because I love them all. But Chloe Goldman has been my absolute favorite player. She’s so talented and so good at what she does. That’d be reason enough to like her so much. But what has really set her apart is her personality on the court, her passionate play, and (perhaps most endearing!) the way she doesn’t completely suppress how she feels about how a game is going! Before every match she goes up to every player on the court for a high five. She’s the only player you can hear during a match no matter where you’re sitting in the arena. But if you’re a ball girl after a play she doesn’t like, you might want to brace yourself when she throws the ball at to you! I know coaches and players always say they don’t care about individual awards, honors, and records. But friends, families, and fans do! And if Chloe doesn’t win Defensive Player of the Year this season the SEC coaches are going to have a very unhappy webmaster to answer to!

Chloe may be my favorite player, but Kylie Marshall is in my mind the model volleyball player. She attacks, she digs, she serves, and even blocks some. She’s the obvious choice for leader of the team and always seems so professional in her bearing. That’s not to say she is stoic and unemotional at all — after a big point she’s the first to find her teammates and get in a quick celebration! She’s a great role model for how to carry one’s self during a match no matter how good or bad things are going. And she’s always so graceful and just looks the part of the quintessential volleyball player. I don’t think I’ve seen another player at Tennessee who is so well rounded at playing all over the court, leading, and keeping herself at such a consistently high level. I mentioned this a few weeks ago but it is worth repeating. Kylie has played in every match of her career since she got here in 2006! Unless we’re lucky it may be a long time before we see another all around great player/leader/person like Kylie Marshall.

I’m not the kind of fan who jumps up and down and taunts opposing players and fans. But that doesn’t mean I don’t really get into watching these matches. When things get close I can barely sit still because I get so anxious! Except when the ball is set to Farren Powe. I have never watched nervously as the ball is hit over the net when it comes off her hands. She is so powerful and ends so many points that I sometimes wonder if we should just give her the ball every time! How explosive is she? The following is absolutely true and not exaggerated in the least! I’ve taken a lot of pictures of the team. And I’ve come to notice that sometimes photos of certain players have distinctive attributes that almost always show up. For example: Milan Clarke’s expression was usually one of intense concentration; Nikki Fowler always seems to look like the impressive things she is doing take no effort at all; Chloe Goldman often sticks her tongue out as she digs (sorry Chloe — you’re still my favorite!); and every pic of Kylie Marshall spiking or serving always looks like it was perfectly posed for the camera. What is the defining characteristic of almost every photo of Farren I’ve taken? She’s a blur! She’s too fast for my camera! I think nearly every picture of her that was good enough to post has been her standing still before a point begins! I’m so going to miss that quick set to Farren that more often than not ended in an impressive point and yet another unusable picture on my camera!

Carol Cheade hasn’t got as much playing time as the other seniors so I unfortunately can’t say as much about her as I would like to. When she does play I have never seen her not play hard and well. Carol, Kylie Marshall, and Nikki Fowler are the only Lady Vols to play in both SEC sand volleyball tournaments. Every time Coach Patrick mentions her it is always with the highest regard for her talent and her knowledge. In fact in a recent article she’s mentioned as the player on the team right now most likely to go on to a possible coaching career. And I have a picture of with my daughter! She’s a great player when you need someone solid off the bench, and she seems like a great person off the court as well. I wish we could have seen a lot more of her.

I hadn’t meant to write this much today! But these four players are going to be so missed and I hope they know how much they’ve all meant to the fans. Rocky Top won’t be the same without them.

I’ll be writing and posting some more photos a little later this week.

2006 Lady Vols