ELON, N.C. – The final match of the season for the Elon University volleyball team provided great moments, thrilling back-and-forth play and heartfelt goodbyes.

In a matchup with the Delaware Blue Hens, the Phoenix lost in four sets after a resilient effort throughout the contest. For Elon, the outing marked the conclusion of the 2023 campaign and a bittersweet sendoff to the senior members of the squad.

"I don't think it's quite hit me yet," senior Lily Emlong said. "I'm just so proud of how the team fought today. Going into the match, we said whatever the outcome is, we just really want to put everything we have onto the court."

In addition to Emlong, the Phoenix honored Jordan Gower and student assistant coach Pressly Austin, who medically retired from playing volleyball in May. In her final moments in the maroon and gold, Emlong, who missed the end of last season and the beginning of this season due to a knee injury, finished Sunday's contest with nine kills. The middle blocker more than doubled her season total coming into the match and, in the process, passed 100 career kills.
 
"Today was definitely a very special moment for me," Emlong said. "Coming back from my injury, I wanted to have one game where I feel like I played super solid. I'm glad I was able to do that today."

Despite the loss, Elon won the first set and forced Delaware to constantly adjust its attack. The performance provided a glimpse into the program's bright future. First-year players showed out for the Phoenix, with Jessica Parker leading in assists with 36, Keira Kasten finishing in second on the team with 15 kills and Kyla Johnson ending with a team-high three blocks.

"One of the things we talked about in practice was it's our last time as this team playing together," Emlong said. "We really talked about doing it for the people next to you."

While the match's result was in favor of the Blue Hens, the final score was only a part of Sunday's story for the Phoenix. As players hugged, wiped tears away and said goodbye to their three departing teammates, it was clear the memories made along the way for Elon spoke louder than the box score.

"I knew it was my last time ever to play volleyball in this setting so I wanted to leave everything out on the court that I had and just do it for the people around me," Emlong said "For the coaches and everyone who has invested in my career over the last 10 years."
 

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'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.

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