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Princeton shows support for Mendota volleyball after loss of teammate · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Princeton shows support for Mendota volleyball after loss of teammate.
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  Speaker 1: Written by Kevin Hieronymus, This article is being read by
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  Speaker 1: an automated voice brought to you by Everlett. The Mendoda
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  Speaker 1: Spikers may have been on the opposite side of the
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  Speaker 1: net when they played Princeton in the Sterling Summer Volleyball
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  Speaker 1: League this week, but they found they were not alone.
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  Speaker 1: The Tigresses arrived wearing purple shirts in support of the
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  Speaker 1: Mendota school and community in the midst of their tragic
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  Speaker 1: loss of sophomore teammate Jenia Francis, killed in a July
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  Speaker 1: third auto accident. More importantly, the Princeton girls brought much love.
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  Speaker 1: Each member of the Princeton team, including coaches, wore shirts
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  Speaker 1: in Mendota purple, displaying a Trojan's logo on the front,
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  Speaker 1: shaped and a heart on top of the Tiger's logo.
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  Speaker 1: On the backside, there was Jenia's number four outlined in
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  Speaker 1: a Trojan's logo with the nscreen LJ Love Like Jania
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  Speaker 1: with a purple heart and a dove. Mendota senior Harlow
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  Speaker 1: Fultonwitz said Princeton's support really meant a lot to her
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  Speaker 1: and all of her teammates the team, and I want
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  Speaker 1: to thank Princeton for their love and support they showed us.
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  Speaker 1: Wearing those shirts to honor Jenia means so much to
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  Speaker 1: her family, friend's, teammates, and everyone who loved her. She said.
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  Speaker 1: Their kindness has remind us that we aren't going through
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  Speaker 1: this alone. As we continue this season, we will carry
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  Speaker 1: Jenia's memory with us every step of the way, remembering
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  Speaker 1: the love, joy and light she brought to so many people.
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  Speaker 1: Princeton senior Bella Clevenger and junior Jocelyn Strauss presented Mendoda
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  Speaker 1: coach Demi Salazar with a matching shirt of his own.
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  Speaker 1: It felt good to be able to show our support
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  Speaker 1: toward the Mendota volleyball team and community, Clevenger said, even
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  Speaker 1: if most of us may not have known her personally,
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  Speaker 1: it is still an upsetting subject for everyone, and I
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  Speaker 1: could tell it hit Demi hard, and I was happy
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  Speaker 1: that me and Jocelyn were able to give him his
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  Speaker 1: shirt that matched all of ours. Even though we will
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  Speaker 1: compete against Mendoda multiple times throughout the season, we will
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  Speaker 1: always be thinking about them. First year Princeton head coach
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  Speaker 1: Libby Boyles, who has played club ball for Salazar, said
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  Speaker 1: it was important for her team to show their support
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  Speaker 1: for Mendota. We wanted to show our support for the
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  Speaker 1: Mendoda community through an unthinkable situation. Boyle said. It goes
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  Speaker 1: to show that playing sports and making those connections is
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  Speaker 1: such a privilege that we all are guilty of taking
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  Speaker 1: for granted, often because we get caught up in the moment.
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  Speaker 1: You've heard me say volleyball family many times before. This
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  Speaker 1: was our way of honoring a beautiful life taken too
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  Speaker 1: soon and supporting our volleyball family, even if they are
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  Speaker 1: across the net from us. Salazar, who knows many of
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  Speaker 1: the Princeton girls from club, said Mendoda definitely felt the love.
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  Speaker 1: It was awesome. You can't hardly talk sometimes when they
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  Speaker 1: do stuff like that. Salasar said. We always said that
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  Speaker 1: these are the things that make club and families a
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  Speaker 1: cool thing. Clevenger was pleased to help lift Salazar's spirits.
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  Speaker 1: Demi is a great person. He has changed my perspectives
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  Speaker 1: for volleyball as well as soccer growing up. She said.
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  Speaker 1: He's a supportive human and never loses faith in me
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  Speaker 1: or any girls I've played with. On his team. I
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  Speaker 1: feel it's hard not to be nice and respectful to
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  Speaker 1: Demi because of how much of a great person he is.
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  Speaker 1: He's loved by many, including myself and Joscelyn Bureau. Valley
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  Speaker 1: was also one of many local volleyball teams to show
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  Speaker 1: their support with a flower arrangement for Jenia's funeral services.