‘Circle of love’ binds Providence’s state champions in girls’ volleyball

The girls’ volleyball team of Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville celebrates its victory in the Indiana Class 3A state championship on Nov. 5. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

It’s a moment that Terri Purichia will cherish forever—a moment that unfolded shortly after the girls’ volleyball team of Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville won the Indiana Class 3A state championship on Nov. 5.

After all the hugs, dancing, tears and screams of joy by the Providence players and coaches as they celebrated their victory on the court of Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind., the team floated on air as they headed to their locker room for a ritual that has been at the heart of Purichia’s leadership of this program for the past 24 years.

Back in the locker room, everyone knew the ritual as Purichia prepared to talk to them—get in a circle, link arms with the people next to you in an unbreakable chain, and lock your eyes on your teammate, telling them without words how much they mean to you, how you just gave everything you had for them, how you love them.

“We had so many happy tears in that locker room,” Purichia recalls. “I just told them our circle is so full of love and pride for them. I told them to enjoy every single moment because our circle is so special. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. We had so many tears of joy. I’m crying just thinking about it.”

The head coach also cried recalling another special moment that occurred just after her Providence team beat the team from Bellmont High School, 25-15, 25-16, 22-25, 25-16.

In the midst of the chaotic celebration on the court, Purichia and her daughter, Grace, the senior setter on the team, found each other and embraced in a tight hug that reflected their relationship and the journey they have shared at Providence for four years.

“I haven’t been able to stop crying for a couple of weeks,” Purichia, the mom, says. “Grace is the last daughter to play for me at Providence. We have three daughters, with Maggie and Anna. Grace has had an amazing career at Providence. She loves the school as much as I do. She loves her teammates and coaches. To be able to experience this joy and this season with Grace, and watch it through the mom’s lens, is something I’ll cherish for a lifetime.”

Similar to their close bond, one of the qualities that has always defined the Providence school community is the feeling of being an extended family for so many people in southern Indiana. And the Providence family once again showed its closeness in its great support for the girls’ volleyball team.

“It’s a huge family, and I’m so blessed to be a part of it,” says Purichia, a 1990 graduate of the school. “Everyone wanted this so badly for this team. The players have created a strong fan base because of who they are and how they played. They have a great passion when they play. They’re great kids. They work hard, and they have great personalities.”

Most teams reflect the leadership of their seniors, and Purichia praised the team’s only two senior players—Grace and Taylor Bansbach—and senior manager Maddie Kaiser for providing that influence.

“They tried to keep it light-hearted and fun,” their head coach says. “They worked very hard at creating great relationships with everyone on the team. So we had a team where they were all about helping each other to succeed—and loving it when they did succeed.”

The memories keep flowing as Purichia looks back on this championship season.

She recalls how the team prayed before every practice and every game, praying for the players’ “struggles, their hopes and their health.”

She remembers how the team would have joy-filled dance parties before games, and how they then “locked it in, to be as competitive as you’ve ever seen on the court.”

She also savors the memory of the proud moment she shared with her husband, Jeff, when Grace was named after the state championship game as the recipient of the Class 3A Mental Attitude Award.

And her thoughts return to a moment that brings tears to her again—being in that circle in the locker room after the team won the state championship. Everyone linking their arms, all of them knowing they gave everything they had for each other.

“Just hugging each other and being so happy,” their coach says. “On the way out of the locker room, I told them our circle is filled with so much love, and I never want them to forget that. Being in that circle is a memory I will cherish my entire life.” †