The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Harman closes out career as a Saluki

Lone senior takes advantage of rare playing time this season

Amanda Whitlock ~ Daily Egyptian Senior Kelly Harman hugs freshman Holly Marita during Harman's last match of the season as teammates look on.

Before the final match of the season against Creighton, Kelly Harman told her mom, Kathy, that she wasn't allowed to cry until the night was over.

It's common courtesy, really. The SIU volleyball team's lone senior did not want to cry before playing in the final match of her career, and she knew if she saw her mom crying that the tears would soon follow down her own face.

Even though Kathy held her promise while waiting with her husband, Dave, at mid-court during the senior day ceremony, Harman had already begun to break down.

As Steve Falat announced over the loud speaker all of her accomplishments in her five seasons as a Saluki, Harman walked down the SIU bench and hugged each of her teammates and coaches. The moment became too much to handle as the emotions began to appear in her eyes and trickle down the sides of her cheeks in the form of tears.

Even though the Bluejays would leave Davies Gymnasium winners that night, there are many things that Harman has to be proud of.

"It's not the way I wanted to finish, but I had a lot of good things from my four years here - a lot of great coaches, a lot of great players," Harman said. "I've had some good memories."

One of the many memories that came to the surface in her last night as a Saluki was of long-time stretching partner and junior middle blocker Carrie Shephard.

"I said, 'You know what, Carrie, I remember when you were here on your recruiting visit,'" Harman said. "And I told her, 'I can't believe how fast this has gone by.'"

Fun little memories like that will surely take their place right next to last season's miracle run toward the Missouri Valley Conference championship game and the many relationships she has formed in her years in Carbondale.

But more than anything, Harman will remember her experience as a full-time player this season.

Throughout her career, Harman suffered through shin splints and a difficult curriculum of classes in civil engineering that forced her to miss a number of practices and practice time. While she has maintained excellence in the classroom, earning a 3.65 GPA, it hasn't always been the same on the court.

"Kelly didn't hardly play at all throughout the last three years that she was eligible," SIU head coach Sonya Locke said. "She didn't have the level of experience you would assume a fifth-year senior has, but she made the best of it."

Due to seeing relatively little playing time in the past, Harman set career highs in kills (273), attempts (859), digs (259), blocks (26), aces (19), assists (22) and double-doubles (10) in her senior season. She led the Dawgs in kills, kills per game (2.65) and attempts and was second in digs on the season.

Though the Salukis lose their captain and main weapon, they will miss more than just the solid numbers that she put up night in and night out.

"Kelly's brought a lot of leadership. She's been here five years and she knows everything there is to know," sophomore middle blocker Marissa Washington said. "She's taught us a lot and she always gives 100 percent and a lot of encouragement."

With the spring volleyball season on the horizon, Harman knows it will hit her sooner or later that she no longer has to go to practice right after class as she has for so many years.

But as long the returning Salukis keep working hard to improve, Harman knows it will hit them sooner than later that they will be able to move on just fine without their senior captain.

"They know how to play this game, they've all come from winning teams in the past, and they've got a lot of drive in them - I see it in their eyes," Harman said. "As soon as these girls learn how to push every game, they're going to be unstoppable."