Bella Seman spent several nights crying herself to sleep, trying to come to grips with a cruel truth that was staring her in the face.

Her volleyball career was over.

“It was like I had to give up a piece of myself,” Seman said.

Some of the Seneca Valley graduate's first memories were of the sport. She sat in the bleachers and watched her older sisters, Cate and Angela, dominate for the Raiders.

Until it was her turn to shine.

And shine she did, winning the Butler Eagle Girls Volleyball Player of the Year as a libero in 2016.

She moved on to Elon University where a series of concussions have brought an end to her playing days.

Her fourth — and perhaps worst — concussion came just two matches into her senior season this winter when she was struck in the head by a ball during warm-ups.

Elon moved its volleyball campaign from the fall to late winter/early spring because of COVID-19.

“It wasn't that hard; it just hit me in a way that concussed me,” Seman said. “I had a headache but I told myself I was fine — I didn't want to accept it was a concussion. Then, midway through the game, I could not see.”

Even weeks later, her vision is still blurred at times and when she shuts her eyes she “gets the spins.”

“After this one, it was 'Hey, you should talk about it with your family,'” Seman said. “My family had concerns before about me even finishing out this season.”

Both Cate and Angela suffered multiple concussions themselves in college — Cate at the University of Rhode Island and Angela at the University of Pittsburgh.

“They are seeing the long-term affects, like I will,” Bella Seman said. “They were the first to say, 'Bella, you need to think about your future.'”

So Bella Seman did.

It was a hard choice — made easier by the fact she is still very involved with the team.

“I'm kind of transitioning to this weird role where I'm still on the team, I'm still a captain, but I'm kind of a coach now. I didn't want to just cut cold-turkey and put it behind me. This team has worked so hard this year and I wanted to see it through, no matter what role was there for me. My coaches still wanted me on the team.”

Seman still watches film, still goes to film sessions, still attends practice and games, on the road and at home.

“I'm still pretty much doing everything except not stepping foot on the court,” Seman said. “It's very hard. The first match I was sitting out, I was getting so frustrated. I wanted to be out there.”

Seman was a stalwart when she was on the court for Elon.

She leaves the program with 594 career digs and 98 service aces.

It was the intangibles, though, that were perhaps Seman's greatest skills.

“Her leadership skills stood out right away,” said Elon volleyball coach Mary Tendler. “She's very vocal and makes the players around her better.”

Seman may get recognized for those intangibles.

Not long after she suffered her fourth concussion, Seman was selected as a candidate for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award.

Only 30 Division I volleyball players from across the country vie for the award, which is given to a senior who has made notable contributions on the court, in the classroom and in the community.

Seman, a broadcast journalism major and political science minor, is an anchor and reporter for the Elon News Network and covered the Iowa caucuses.

She also co-founded the Hope Happens Here! chapter, a mental health awareness foundation dedicated to fighting the negative stigma surrounding mental illness on college campuses.

“It's a huge honor to be nominated with some of those amazing girls I know on that list,” Seman said. “I didn't really know a lot about it. My two sisters both had teammates and other student athletes at their school win it and they said, 'Bella, this is a huge deal.'”

Like everything else she competes for, Seman wants to win it.

She also has a message for her teammates at Elon each time game they step out onto the court now.

A message that hits close to home.

“Make it count,” she said. “Because you never know when it's going to be your last one.”