VALDOSTA —
Much like it had done all season, the local Valdosta community showed its support for the National Champion Valdosta State softball team Sunday.
The support started when the team reached the Georgia state-line on its trip home Sunday morning when it was greeted by 13 police vehicles, one of which was driven by former All-American catcher Alyssa Shirey, that escorted the Blazers back to campus, where they were welcomed home by hundreds of Blazer fans.
“It is absolutely amazing, I couldn’t ask for anything better,” senior shortstop Marti Littlefield said. “All the fans are great. They followed us all the way up to the national tournament and they are here today. It is just crazy.”
Just a few hours later, the Blazers were honored again, this time at a community celebration at Buffalo Wild Wings. The local dining establishment was filled to capacity prior to the start of the event.
“It’s so amazing that all those people came here,” senior Natalia Morozova said. “It has been an amazing year. It is just a huge support for us. All those fans have been really truthful. They have always come to every single home game, the away games, they have been watching the games online, as well. It is just a huge support for us.”
Once the event started, the individual members of the team were recognized, which was followed by head coach Thomas Macera answering a few questions in front of the crowd.
Macera talked about his teams national championship run, the eight seniors on the roster, what the title meant to the program, and about his family. Macera managed to fight back his emotions during much of the interview, but found it difficult when thanking his two families: his wife and kids and his team.
Macera also told the crowd that the Blazers’ national championship couldn’t have happened without the support of the community.
Following Macera’s time, all eight seniors on the team stood up and each were given the opportunity to give a statement.
As one could imagine, the group fought back tears when speaking to the crowd, especially when thanking Macera for allowing them the opportunity to play at Valdosta State.
Sunday night’s event capped off a long day of travel for the team, who left Louisville at 4:15 a.m. Sunday morning. As expected, at times, members of the team found it hard to hide their emotions.
“I balled my eyes out,” said senior right fielder Clare Wamsley, who came walking into Sunday night’s event with the championship trophy high above her head. “As soon as we hit South Campus and saw them waving the Blazer flag, I lost it. It was an awesome experience to see the people, cops and everyone out here supporting us.”
The Blazers clinched the national championship Saturday afternoon with a 4-1 win over the University of California-San Diego, but it Littlefield stepping off the bus in Valdosta Sunday morning for the magnitude of the accomplishment to sink in.
“It sank in when I walked off that bus,” Littlefield said. “It was absolutely amazing. It was a rush. The police escort we had on the way here was crazy.”
This year’s Blazer team was compiled of eight seniors, five of which helped lead the program to 205 wins over four years.
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Valdosta State senior Marti Littlefield throws her arms in the air during the Blazers’ welcome home celebration on Sunday. VSU won the national championship Saturday in Louisville, Ky. and were honored on Sunday by the local community. Ed Hooper | The Valdosta Daily Times
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