The Park University Gilbert volleyball team celebrated its graduating players tonight as they took on Benedictine Mesa at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz. The Bucs lost the match, 3-1 (17-25, 25-19, 13-25, 17-25). But the night was more of an appreciation for the players and their contributions to Buccaneer volleyball.

Graduate Daniella Miranda-Johnson who has played for Park Gilbert since the 2020-21 season ended her Buccaneer career with 26 assists in the game tonight to finish her career with 910 assists which is third all-time in school history. She also added to her aces total as she had one tonight to finish her career with 76 which is fourth all -time. She also added to her all-time dig total with six more tonight to finish with 263 which is 10^th on the all-time list.

The other graduate, Avery Turk, has also been here since the 2020-21 season and she had three kills in her final match as a Buccaneer. Turk has been a key player off the bench throughout her career and got the start tonight in her final match.

The other two players Taylor Van Winkle and Jessica Goldsmith both play on the beach team and only played one season of indoor in Gilbert, but both made their mark on the team. Van Winkle led the team in digs with 200 on the season. She took over the libero spot late in the season and sparked the Bucs defense as she posted three 20+ dig matches including the match tonight against the Redhawks with 21. She also was the only Buc to win a player of the week honor this season.

Goldsmith provided the Bucs with needed defense and outside hitting and finished her career with 37 kills and 45 digs.

Only losing those four players, the Bucs have a plethora of young talent who learned a lot this season and will look to take those lessons to improve upon its fortunes in 2025. Mallory Turner is expected to return for her senior season and continue her dominance in the middle which has her fourth on the kills and attack list and second on the block solo, block assist and total block lists. Chariyah Curry will only get better, as has already moved into the 10^th-place on the Bucs block assist and total block list. She is also seventh on the solo block ledger. Kyla Knight will enter her senior season 10^th on the kills list and ninth on the attacks list.