While the sound of players shuffling usually fills the MVHS field house before a  badminton game, it instead buzzed with conversation and excitement as the team prepared to celebrate senior night. Graduating seniors would be showered with gifts and attention as they played their final home game.

The team first welcomed the seniors, who ran into the field house wearing custom capes with their initials written on them. The seniors were then individually introduced by their teammates, who each shared a memorable story before handing them a small gift.

For senior Shaunak Tulshibagwale, playing his last home game brought him back to when he first tried out for the team as a freshman.

“I remember they were explaining tryouts in the beginning, and for the first week it was intense conditioning, [driving] away the people who are not that serious about it,” Tulshibagwale said. “And that’s what I’ll remember about it, going through that serious conditioning for the reward of practices and being on the team.”

Senior Emily Chen felt like senior night was a unique experience for her, as she was heavily involved in planning the program in past years.

“It makes me feel really old,” Chen said. “For the past few years, all the non-senior team members prepare all the decorations together and I’m usually a big part of that. This year, it felt kind of strange not having anything to do with it but being shut out [instead], because it is supposed to be secretive.”

Check out the photos below from MVHS’ 18-12 win over Gunn HS.