The Loyola volleyball team celebrated its four senior members over the weekend after the team won two games at home, closing out its regular season with a win.
This year’s four seniors, Gracie Bailey, Dallis Brown, Brittany Cooper, and Rebecca LaCour have led the Wolf Pack to a 22-10 record, winning 11 of their last 12 games for their regular season.
“This team is special and I’m so glad to share these accomplishments and continue to reach our goals with these girls,” said setter Gracie Bailey.
Bailey’s teammate, Cooper, said the season has been the best one yet.
“It’s a little bittersweet that it’s my senior season,” said outside hitter Brittany Cooper. “The team dynamic is like something I’ve never seen before. You can tell that every one of us has bought into each other, our coaches, and the game. We are an unbreakable family.”
The bond the seniors have formed is a special one, Brown added.
“We call ourselves the ‘Fab Four,’” she said. “And it’s really awesome that we get to celebrate both our athletic and academic accomplishments during this time.”
LaCour said that though her time at Loyola has been shorter than her fellow seniors after she transferred to play volleyball for the Wolf Pack, she still feels just as connected and supported by her teammates and coaches.
“Loyola has given me the chance to be successful in both volleyball and nursing school in the city I love and grew up in, which I’m so grateful for,” she said.
Head volleyball coach Jesse Zabal was particularly proud of the resilience and toughness shown by the Class of 2023 as they faced challenges off the court as well.
“This senior class is incredibly special,” Zabal said. “They’ve really been through the wringer. The spring semester of their freshman year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then, when they were finally able to return and play, they had to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. But since day one, they’ve been leaders on and off the court and I’m deeply grateful for their contributions to the program.”
The team hopes to carry their momentum into the SSAC Conference Tournament which starts on Nov. 9 in Montgomery, Alabama and the NAIA National Tournament, which begins on Nov. 19.
“We are approaching the conference tournament ready for battle,” Cooper said. “We’ve put in the work every day and know we have what it takes to win. Our trust in our values of commitment, confidence, selflessness, accountability, adaptability, and family will be crucial to our success, and I know we’re all itching to bring home the title.”