The regular season is over for the seniors of the Todd Beamer Titans, but not before a victory over the visiting Decatur Gators with a three game match sweep, 25-12, 25-18, 25-20.

"I wanted to make a point to play my seniors," said Titans head coach Bliss Carlson of the Monday, Oct. 26 win over their South Puget Sound League South Division rivals. "They did a great job. We had consistent serving and were ready to attack the ball."

Game one played out with the Titans leading, 1-0, and, never giving up the lead. The closest the score got was 19-8, and, the farthest apart number difference was 15 points, or, 23-8.

In that first game there was a good balance of kill tallies by the Titans, with 6-1 sophomore Megan Stumpf netting three, 5-6 junior Summer Jex two, sophomore Lexie Jones one and senior McKenna Grotefend one. Senior Olivia Jones nailed in one ace (no return), too.

In game one, the Titans not only never trailed and not only never were close in score but also a senior got the final kill of the game in Grotefend's blast to the tune of 10-12 rallies before the kill point came. And to the tune of the student fans cheering for her, “McKenna, McKenna.”

Grotefend's first name was said all through the three games of this match, “Way to go, McKenna,” and “McKenn-uh-uh-uh,” and she made a lot of things happen to not disappoint through all three games of this match. Grotefend though happy with the observation of her name drowning out all the other senior names like Olivia (Jones) and Tiffany (Quidichay), put things in perspective.

"It helps that there are two girls named ‘McKenna’ on the team," said Grotefend.

And, yes, McKenna Edwards, another senior, did a great job filling space and hitting shots in to compete.

Grotefend, a 6-0 sparkly-eyed player, held all her posters wrapped up which colorfully displayed “Go McKenna, No. 12,” and, other fun inspirational slogans like all of the seniors.

Your last game after all those years on varsity?

"Yeah, this is our last game together," said Grotefend. "It was a tough one. This was fun."

What about all those cool signs on the gym walls?

"I got 'em all right here with me," said Grotefend, smiling big. "I am taking them home and posting them all over my walls."

Senior night is kind of cool isn't it?

"I like the attention," said Grotefend, still smiling. In between some likely tears of being done, that smile probably didn't come off her face for some time.

And, not just because of the flowers she got after the game and the nice posters will Grotefend keep smiling, she will grin large and in charge because she was just that in this match. Not just game one was she effective to capitalize game point, she did the same thing in game two, including getting a team-leading four kills.

"I tried my best and I have my spots," said Grotefend.

And that spot is?

"The corner shot," she said.

Indeed, she hit a couple of her kills that were let go and fell in just in front of the back line boundary.

For game two, the Gators took a 10-9 lead on junior Audri Mooth's ace. Jex then recorded a kill to tie things, 10-10. Grotefend nailed a nice shot that was a kill that was to that back line area aforementioned and made it 11-10. Beamer stretched the lead to 14-10, with the final point of this four-point-straight run by the Titans by Grotefend.

The Gators did not quit in this game, coming back to make it 17-15, on sophomore Charisma Toilolo first running down a ball destined to drop and then teammate Christina Sessoms' kill.

"I love my team," said Toilolo, who visciously served in this game, too, throughout, having a game-high three aces. "Even when we are down, I try to lead them to a point we can be victorious."

The Gators’ course in game two went awry as their two-point deficit became more and more as Grotefend made more good plays to wrest a close game to a deciding win for the Titans.

Grotefend, who made earlier kills in game one, made a kill to make it 18-15, and then blocked a shot back in the Gators’ face right after that for her team's next point to make it 19-15. Adding insult to injury, Grotefend got to serve -- a few points later -- following sophomore Lexie Jones' kill, and came up with an ace to make it 21-16 Titans.

So Olivia Jones, Edwards, Grotefend and Quidachay will be missed.

The Titans' setter, Jex, spoke on that subject with glee, "The seniors are such an asset for our team. We are going to miss them. The seniors have worked hard all year."

Game three was close like game two, with the Gators leading 10-5 before the Titans came back. With one of their promising younger players taking over, the Titans took a 12-11 lead with Stumpf serving instead of her customary kill-getting. She did lead all in that category, with nine of them recorded for the match. Grotefend nearly aced her out but finished with seven.

The Titans went on to lead 18-13 on another Grotefend kill and, to note, Toilolo is really a crackerjack serve artist who makes serves like Subway folk make sandwhiches. And Toilolo was serving when Grotefend got the important kill.

The Gators, thanks in part to a Sessoms kill and a nice dig by Lorena Lopez and subsequent kill by Mooth tied the score at 20-20, but from there Stumpf took over and got two straight kills powered over the net in the face of blockers to exclamation point this one. Junior Sara Paul slammed home a point after that and the Titans withstood a Gators late rally to win game three.

Toilolo, by the way, has plans for her future volleyball and her quickness and natural abilities may get her there.

"I am planning on going to college," said Toilolo. "I want to be like Jill Collimer and I have her same number. She's second to the top in the nation in jump serves and she plays for the University of Washington."

Big dreams and goals for one who is only a sophomore. And, while in high school, Toilolo could, with practice, practice, practice have a pretty good team in the future.

"All my starters return but one," said coach Carlson. "I will have many of my girls playing all year long (club), too. We will work on defense which will make us a better team."

Angela Hargett, for the Gators, plans on her team improving, too, in the off-season as both these teams were bottom of the pack for one and near the bottom of the pack for the other.

Hargett said, "The Twin Lakes Volleyball Club we are starting up will help.”

But this was senior night and let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. One last homage was paid to those that are now gone for the Titans.

Looking starry eyed and happy and close to crying, Grotefend said it best, "It was wonderful, fun senior night."