TEARJERKER: Mustangs win on ‘Senior Night’ for injured teammate
Ava Thomas hugs Northville Head Coach Sarah Lindstrom after leaving the court for the last time.
The mountain of emotions that builds up during every high school athletic team’s “Senior Night” grew exponentially for Northville’s volleyball team Tuesday night.
Ava Thomas, one of five Mustang seniors on the No. 1-ranked team in Division 1, suffered a season-ending knee injury during an August pre-season scrimmage.
So when Thomas walked onto the court during Tuesday night’s match against rival Novi — less than 24 hours before undergoing surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — for one final high school serve, the tear ducts opened for Thomas, her teammates, coaches and family members.
Emotional journey
“I’ve known Ava since she was a little girl; in fact, the first time I saw her she was walking into a gym with a soccer bag that was bigger than her body,” said Northville Head Coach Sarah Lindstrom. “So when Ava walked off the court after her serves (Northville scored a point on her first effort, earning her a second), we embraced and cried together.
“Ava and I are both emotional people. Whenever I see Ava cry, I cry. And whenever Ava sees me cry, she cries. I’ve known her mom forever, so it hasn’t been a typical journey.”
Fighting through the emotions, Northville swept the Wildcats 25-15, 25-17 and 25-9, to improve to 26-1 overall and 7-0 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association’s West Division. Novi slipped to 3-4.
Five honorees
In addition to Thomas, Northville seniors Ashlee Gnau, Greta McKee, Ashley Krahe and Avry Nelson were recognized during a pre-game ceremony that included their family members.
“It was an extremely emotional night; I cried twice on the court,” said McKee, one of the state’s best liberos who will play for Wright State beginning in 2024.
“There was so much going on — ‘Senior Night’, playing our rival and everything with Ava.
“I’ve played multiple sports with Ava since we were 8 years old and her mom is the reason I got into volleyball. Ava is one of the best teammates you could ever ask for, so I definitely feel for what she’s gone through this season.”
Key contributors
All four Northville seniors who played significant minutes sparkled.
Nelson was a force in the middle, delivering 10 kills and two blocks.
Gnau, who is headed to Syracuse University to play volleyball, registered 11 digs while McKee hit the floor for nine point-extenders.
Krahe played well in the front row and finished with three kills.
A trio of juniors also excelled for the winners: twins Mallory and Molly Reck combined for 20 kills; and setter Ella Craggs was phenomenal, racking up 30 assists and 11 digs.
Reck-ing crew
It was obvious to onlookers that the Reck sisters cherish their opportunity to play together on one of the most-heralded high school volleyball teams in the country (one respected national poll has the Mustangs ranked as the 11th-best team in the country).
“It’s just surreal getting to play with my sister,” Mallory said. “And last year, playing with two of my sisters (older sibling Abby graduated in 2023) on a team that made it to a state championship was incredible.
“It was super-important tonight to beat Novi for our seniors. It was such a special night — it was ‘Senior Night’, we had a big crowd and we beat Novi … I won’t soon forget this night.”
Thinking of Ava
Lindstrom said it was her players’ idea to get Thomas on the court one last time.
“They brought it up at practice,” Lindstrom said. “They said, ‘Ava deserves to get out there’, even if it meant taking their spot. I tried to figure out how I was going to get her in while starting all of the seniors. Before I knew it, the girls had it all figured out.
“Ava has been practicing her serves at practice and she not only served tonight, she got a point.”
Which is why, on one of the happiest nights of the season for Northville’s volleyball team, there were tears.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
