Jasmijn Dikmans is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Tempe High School for AZPreps365.com

The entrance to the gym was an arch made of blue and white balloons. Blue and white streamers were wrapperd around the railing in the stands. Round posters, decorated with names, pictures and numbers in blue and white, were stuck to the wall of the court.

Tempe’s cheerleading team showed up, cheering the seniors on for their last home game. Tears flowed across the court. The younger classmen waited for the seniors with personal gift baskets. The seniors sung the national anthem, instead of a recording being played.

Oct. 28 was a night to never forget. Maybe the game score wasn’t that memorable, as the Buffaloes lost 3-0 to Desert Sunrise, but the girls of the Tempe volleyball team had other things on their minds.

That night was senior night. It’s an event at which the seniors are honored for their hard work and remembered for their efforts over the past four years. It is a “thank you” for putting their hearts into the game.

“It shows how far you’ve come and how much you grew,” said Kiari Montanez-Woods, one of the nine seniors on the team. “The gift-giving is like a sign of appreciation, and it shows that they’re thankful to have you as a teammate.”

It also is the last game ever the seniors will play on their home court together. Isamar Bustos Torres said most of the seniors played together since freshmen year. It brings up a lot of memories. It reminded Bustos Torres of the journey they had as a team. It started their freshmen year, when they did not know what they were doing, and ended with growth and becoming a more experienced class.

It just meant a lot that there was a lot of support from our younger teammates, too. That day they told us how much they looked up to us and stuff like that,” senior Karla Ortega said. “It was just a really special moment.”

“It’s a really special way to honor the seniors,” Montanez-Woods said.

All the seniors got a gift basket with a personal gift in it. Montanez-Woods got a customized volleyball with her name on it, signed by every team member. Ortega loved the handwritten notes each of the seniors got. She felt they were written from the heart.

“I didn’t tell them to write any of them. They meant it,” Ortega said.

It was not only their own teammates who showed support for their seniors. The stands were filled with friends and family. On the side of the court, alumni showed up to celebrate the last game of the seniors.

“I thought it was really nice that [the alumni] came out to support as they were also once seniors and got to experience that,” Bustos Torres said.

“It shows they still care for the sport and the school and how much it did mean for them,” Montanez-Woods said.

Even though the players were running late before the game, it was a memorable moment, Ortega said. They wanted to look good for their pictures. Walking up to the net, the seniors and their family members passed through an honor guard of cheerleaders and teammates.

“It’s important because it honors your dedication to the sport and it shows kindness as well,” Montanez-Woods said.

“It’s a special day each school should have,” Montanez-Woods said. “The way we’ve been planning it, I think it’s perfect.”