Waterford High School volleyball coach Beau Lucas calls senior Colleen Kane one of the cornerstones of the program.

“Like an assistant coach. She keeps everybody focused,” Lucas said.

Kane, like a good part of the Waterford student body, was deeply affected by the death of former Waterford teacher and volleyball coach Josh Eudy, who lost his battle with colon cancer last Christmas Day. The team still chants Eudy’s name in the huddle before games and keeps a ball with his name on it next to the bench. Lucas, a close friend of Eudy’s, lured to Waterford by Eudy to be a part of his program, wears his green “Eudy Nation” T-shirt to matches.

Kane went a step further, participating in the 2014 Walk Across Southeastern Connecticut on behalf of the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, Oct. 4. With the walk open to those who wanted to cover a full, half- or quarter-marathon distance, Kane walked the quarter-marathon, having had to attend volleyball practice first.

She raised approximately $1,000 in Eudy’s name.

“It meant so much to me,” said Kane, who will help lead fourth-seeded Waterford (13-5) into the first round of the Eastern Connecticut Conference tournament at 3 p.m. Saturday against No. 13 Wheeler. “... (Eudy) was humble and quiet. That’s how he gained so much respect.

“It happened so suddenly. Nobody knew it was going to be terminal.”

Lucas said his players, in wanting to be together and to rally around their former coach, have helped him through Eudy’s death more than he’s helped them. Eudy was Waterford’s head volleyball coach through 2011 before taking over the junior varsity team.

“It speaks to how resilient they are, the way they cope,” said Lucas, whose team won its second straight ECC Medium Division title this season. “They find a way to honor these wonderful adults (they’ve lost).”