NATCHITOCHES – The 2024 season comes to a close for Northwestern State on Saturday evening, and with it the playing careers of two wildly impactful seniors.
 
When the Demons take on Southland Conference regular season champion Southeastern on Saturday night at 6 p.m. in Prather Coliseum it will be the final match for longtime friends and teammates Teresa Garza and Ashlyn Svoboda.
 
Even before the final ball goes up in the air on the season, both Houston-area products have already left their names etched in NSU volleyball lore during their time.
 
Svoboda, a four-year member of the Demons and starting libero for the past three seasons, will leave with the third most digs of any player to every wear an NSU uniform. Garza, a transfer to NSU prior to last season, is on a short list of players that have displayed their all-around volleyball abilities with a 300-kill and 300-dig season.
 
"I never would have expected to have Teresa here by my side," Svoboda said. "There's this picture of us that my mom took on my signing day in high school of us together and her wearing an NSU shirt. So it's like how ironic that almost five years later we're wearing the same jersey and playing together. We've gotten each other through a lot of things in our lives so far and we're definitely in this together."
 
Svoboda is the third player to ever pass 1,400 career digs at NSU and will finish her career with the third highest digs per set average at 3.90. Keelie Arneson, Channing Burleson and Svoboda are the only players in program history with consecutive 400-dig seasons and Svoboda is one half of the only pair of teammates with 500 digs in a season, setting the mark with Symone Wesley during Svoboda's first season as the starting libero in 2022.
 
"It feels awesome and knowing that I've left my mark here at NSU," Svoboda said. "That's ultimately what I wanted to do when I got here. I wasn't necessarily planning to play libero because I had never done that before so being able to do that without ever training to be a libero until here is something that I'm proud of myself for doing."
 
The success she had as the captain of the back row of the Demon defense was no surprise to Kiracofe from early in her recruitment.
 
"We knew from the recruiting process and her club coaches that she was a great teammate and someone that comes with intensity and competitiveness," Kiracofe said. "She is willing to do and say the things that need to be said that everyone does not necessarily want to hear about working hard in moments or pushing through difficult situations and holding everybody to a standard.
 
"That's not always the easiest thing to do when you're talking about your friends that you have to see off the court, but in a moment or situation they need to hear something, not everybody wants to do that. She's willing to do it and that's appreciated from a coaching staff and the more people you get like that the better your team or team culture or the standards you play by are."
 
While only a Demon for two seasons, Garza made an immediate impact on the program providing excellence at each and every role on the court.
 
Garza was the sixth player to every produce a 300-kill, 300-dig season in her first season at NSU and led the Southland Conference in digs (378) and blocks (75) by an outside hitter.
 
"She's just a great volleyball player," Kiracofe said. "We're fortunate to have had her for the past two seasons. She can do a little bit of everything defensively and offensively and has just raised the level of volleyball in our gym the moment she stepped in. And she's been a great person to just add to that. She's had an incredible impact here for us."
 
Both Garza and Svoboda have committed nearly half of their lives to the sport of volleyball that has given them countless memories, friendships, losses, victories, journeys and life lessons. 
 
"It's been a heck of a journey," Svoboda said. "When you're a little kid your dream is to do this. Sadly, it's coming to an end but I can't thank NSU enough. (Coach) Sean (Kiracofe) has been great to me. I just really have no other words other than thank you."