Nov. 13, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF volleyball team will be hosting its final home match of the season Saturday night against Conference USA-foe, Southern Miss at The Venue at UCF. But, the match will not only serve as the last home match of 2008 for the Knights, but will also serve as Senior Night, the last match in the careers of seniors Jenny Heppert (Lawrence, Kan.) and Stephanie Serna (San Antonio, Texas). Members of the UCF Athletics Communications staff recently sat down with Serna to get her feelings about the end of her electrifying career at UCF.
Talk a little bit about what Senior Day means to you.
"It means a lot to me, especially because I have seen previous Senior Days and what they meant to those seniors. It definitely means a lot knowing that my team is going to honor me. It just makes me excited to know that it is for the whole team, everybody is honoring what we have been through here. I am also excited because my parents are going to be there enjoying it with me. I know my mom is going to be crying and I'm going to be trying not to cry. It is definitely really exciting. I am already getting butterflies in my stomach. But I think it's going to be fun."
Being a captain this season and having to lead a young team, how did your role change in 2008?
"I have just been trying to lead by example and by my actions. I want the team to know that they can all rely on me. When it is game point and they need someone to score, I want them to know that I am going to pull through for them. I have just been trying to make my actions do more than I can say. I have also tried to lead by being more responsible, like making sure that everyone has the right shirt and right equipment for practice and making sure everyone is on time. Lastly, I try to make sure that each player knows that they are appreciated and have an important role on the team."
What is the biggest difference in your game this year compared to years prior?
I am definitely more confident in the way I play and I try to be a leader on the court and a kind of `go-to' player. The last few seasons I was a little hesitant and I wasn't really sure what my role was, but this year I think that Todd (Dagenais) has made it very clear that he needed me to be the "Terminator." He said he needed me to get the ball and put it away. So I think that I have just really tried to embrace that role and run with it."
What has been the most rewarding part of your senior season thus far?
"The most rewarding part of the season, for me, was when we won our first Conference USA match against Southern Miss, just because we worked so hard prior to the season. Todd put us through a lot of stuff during the preseason, because that's what championship behavior is, and we saw the payoff of all that hard work when we beat them. Then we went on to beat Tulsa, Marshall and East Carolina, teams that we have never even beat before. So that is what was most rewarding for me, not even winning, but just seeing everything come together."
What have you enjoyed most about UCF and UCF volleyball since arriving here three years ago?
"All of the little memories on and off of the court. This team has just been so amazing to me and very supportive. I cannot even being to describe what it has done for me. Just in life in general. My outlook on life has changed so much. I have become this person that just wants to help others, and my team has made me that. I just want to be a woman that is built to see for others, not just for myself. The only way to advance yourself in life is to help others, because if you always do things for yourself it is never going to work out. It's just an amazing feeling for me to know that I was a woman built to help others, and this team has helped me realize that."
Do you think that you are going to come back and play in the Alumni Game after you graduate?
"Oh definitely! Heppert and I were talking about it during this year's Alumni Game and how we can't wait for next year to come back, and hoping that we will be in good enough shape. But, I think if the timing and my situation allow me to I would love to come back and play. I do plan on playing professionally in Europe, so hopefully I'll be able to get some time off there to be able to do that. If Todd ever needed anything from me I would be here in a heartbeat."
What legacy would you like to leave for your teammates?
"I am the person that brings all of the silliness and stupidness to the team. Like, if things are awkward in the locker room, I will do something stupid to break the tension, just to remind these girls that even though we work really hard, this is still a game. Sometimes we let it affect every aspect of our lives. I try to just make sure everyone knows that this is just for fun. I would like to try and leave that legacy of just trying to keep things on the lighter side and just to be fun and goofy around each other. We are people, not just machine volleyball players. We think things are funny and we make fun of Todd. I do that a lot. So maybe making fun of Todd will be the legacy that I leave."
The UCF volleyball team will honor its two seniors, Heppert and Serna, in its final home match of the season on Saturday, Nov. 15, when it hosts Southern Miss at The Venue at UCF at 7 p.m. For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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