A forfeit is not the way Bradwell Institute volleyball coach DeAndre Davis wanted to finish the season and honor his senior players.
The Lady Tigers were all set to play their final Region 3-AAAAA game Tuesday by hosting Windsor Forest. However, Windsor Forest was a no-show, giving Bradwell a forfeit victory. The Lady Tigers finished the season 8-6 in the region and start the playoffs today at Richmond Hill.
Still, when handed lemons, the Tigers decided to make lemonade. The team called out to the friends and family in the bleachers to join in on a scrimmage that made senior night something truly memorable.
“These wonderful young ladies have taught me a lot,” Davis said after a ceremony in which the girls were draped with flowers, balloons and gifts. “I also want them to understand … I wanted to teach them about life and about character so they could be ready for the real world. I love these young ladies and if they were to ask me if I wanted to coach football or volleyball this is where I want to be.”
The coach also announced that a plaque featuring the names of the Lady Tigers who scored 100 points or more during the season will be displayed in the gym. Leitia Leiataua scored 122, KeAndrea Ladson scored 116, Raven Dozier made the list with 114, Emele Philip scored 106 and Bianca Reyes made the mark with 100.
Davis said the playoffs are a double-elimination tournament, with Richmond Hill and Glynn Academy coming in as the top two teams in the region.
“Those are the two teams in the region that we haven’t beat; it’s not that we couldn’t beat them, but a lot of mental mistakes killed us,” he said, adding the girls are playing much better now and he thinks they will do well in the playoffs.
Lady Tiger seniors
Jessica Helton
Plans to major in veterinary science in college and is considering the Georgia, Georgia Southern or Clemson. She has played volleyball all four years at BI.
Myranda Ilaoa
Has played volleyball for three years. This is her first year at Bradwell. She said being a part of the BI volleyball team has made her feel welcome at her new school. She wants to attend Baylor or Texas-San Antonio to pursue a career in child psychology.
Emele Philip
Has played for BI three years. She wants to join the Navy and later attend college to major in business and management.
Jasmine Payton
Has been accepted to Georgia Southern to major in nursing en route to pursuing a career in anesthesiology. She has played volleyball all four of her years at BI and also is a member of the marching band.
Keiauna Savea
Wants to get a bachelor’s degree in architecture and is looking to attend Florida or Georgia State. She has played volleyball for two years, run track for two years and cross-country for one year.
Aliyah McMillan
Has been accepted to Georgia Southern university where she plans to major in early childhood education. In addition to volleyball she was on the track team for three years and the basketball team for two years.
Raven Dozier
Dozier would like to attend Virginia Commonwealth University and major in radiology and minor in computer science. She has played volleyball four years.
KeAndrea Ladson
She is looking to attend North Florida or Georgia State to major in exercise science or chemistry. She has been in track and field and volleyball for three years.
Leitia Leiataua
Wants to attend UCLA to major in automotive engineering and receive an associate’s degree in accounting. She has played volleyball and basketball at BI for four years, soccer for two years was nominated for all-region team three years and MVP.