IHSAA girls volleyball preview: Central Indiana sleeper teams entering 2025 under the radar
Let's take a closer look at some of those teams — most of whom will probably appear in those area rankings later this season.
The Orioles will be breaking in a new setter under the direction of a new coach next season. But coach Kyla Thomas has ample experience in her lineup, particularly on the attack, which returns kill leaders Avery Walter, Aniah Kilburn and Milyn Kirsh. The defense will likely transition leadership to an underclassman, sophomore Stella Hamood, who logged 306 digs (most among returners) and a team-leading 45 aces over 98 sets last fall.
The schedule — which opens with Center Grove, Yorktown, Bellmont and Tri-West — will have this group ready for postseason play.
IndyStar preseason Super Team: Get to know Central Indiana's best players
Coach Jonni Parker returns a lot of talent in her second season, headlined by juniors London Evans, a Marquette-bound setter/right side, and Lila Bruszewski, a Charleston-bound outside hitter. The defense is also experienced with junior Tennie Anderson and senior Lexi Kedvesh both returning. Filling in the attack beyond Bruszewski will be key. Junior Emily Overbeck led the team in kills last season and there are a number of newcomers eager to make an impact: Freshman Caroline Far (outside) and sophomores Alaina Mclendon (middle), Sydney Clouse (outside) and Addison Kilroy (setter/right side).
The Crusaders graduated just one senior and return an all-state honoree in outside hitter Kenzie Mann. That's a terrific foundation for a group that saw record turnout for tryouts (50 girls!) and has experience returning at middle hitter (Raven Russell) and setter (Kadison Oppy). Russell, a 6-3 senior, logged 109 blocks and 117 kills last season.
Injuries may hamper the Tigers early on, but their overall depth, defensive prowess and talent on the block (see: 6-1 junior Lana Mays, who had 72 blocks in 2024) has them lurking as a potential party-crasher in Sectional 8. Setter Ava Tester and Ella Dragoo figure to serve as the battery on the attack, which first-year coach Kimberly Baker expects to play at a fast tempo and with more consistency. Look for newcomers Alana Kay — who's projected to start at middle blocker as a freshman — Caitlyn Gutt (opposite/setter) and Katie Brinkruff (DS) to have an impact this year, alongside senior outside Kylie Wilson. Junior outside Laila Love is recovering from a back injury.
The graduation of record-setting hitter Abby Kaminski means the Flashes will have a more balanced offense this season, with middles Brenna Storz (Central Michigan commit) and Brooklyn Wake expected to take on more prominent roles. The team's talent on the outside raises expectations, as well, with returning sophomore Ryelle Koomler joined by incoming freshman Delaney Cooper.
Tying together the offense: Setter Emily Williams, a rising junior whose ability to block and defend will help compensate for the loss of Kaminski.
FC brings depth defensively, as well, with Katie Bailey and Kinley Huotari joined by Roncalli transfer Cicily Boarders.
The Wildcats will be very inexperienced, but they have a few strong foundational pieces to build upon. Setter Kyra Joostberns picked up 743 assists (9.5 per set) and 45 aces as a sophomore, while Anna Joostberns and Addie Hammel provide depth behind senior libero Jayda Vanoskey, an IU-Columbus commit. Addie Knox, coach Nick Cox's "utility player," will occupy the outside opposite Amaya Zander, who hit .268 and picked up 133 kills as a freshman. Sophomore middles Micah Shanklin and Malia Norfleet will handle things at the net.
The Saints graduated three critical seniors and lost their lone returning senior, Delaney Pass, to an ACL injury. So, yeah, there may be some early growing pains. But given time this has potential to be a dangerous group with outside hitter Lillian Pass and setters Reagan Crabtree and Shaefer Scearce ready to lead the retooled offense, and newcomer Sophia Levine poised to make her varsity debut. Coach Kathy Anderson is also high on the potential of junior outside/middle Faith King, who impressed through the first week of practice.
The Marauders will be adapting the pace of their offense as they replace setter Ava Whitmore, but there is ample experience returning for this senior-driven group which returns 10 varsity players. Evansville commit Aubry Dowling anchors what should be a very solid defense, with Emersyn Llewellyn bringing additional depth. Seniors Alivia Morgan in the middle and Sierra Holverson on the outside (and DS), and transfer Da'aliyah Kemp will be key figures on the attack. Freshman Sophie Rahmany will likely step in as setter.
Mt. Vernon poses the biggest threat to Yorktown in Sectional 9.
Last season marked the Panthers' first sub-.500 finish since 2020. They're looking to get back to 20 wins this season and have the talent to challenge for a sectional title. They'll be strongest on offense with the core trio of Rose Strabala at setter, Maddie Follman on the outside and Maya Loy in the middle bolstered by the arrival of newcomers Sophia Reeves, Lily Orr and Kenleigh Schueller. Coach Wong Boodrasang expects his team to be stronger defensively, but it's unclear who will sport the libero jersey.
A match to circle: Oct. 7 at Lawrence North, which will likely determine the MIC champion.
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Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen acknowledged Thursday night that time is drawing thin for the Colts to make a decision at the position, but he also said he hasn't made his decision yet, preferring to see how everything plays out in the Packers game and potentially beyond. Jones gets the first two series against Green Bay before giving way to Richardson for the rest of the half, a division of labor designed to invert the way the Colts were forced to play the two quarterbacks against Baltimore, considering Richardson was knocked out of the game with a dislocated pinky finger on the second series. The two quarterbacks have essentially lived up to their reputations in training camp. By IndyStar's unofficial count, Richardson completed 59.2% of his throws, mixing periods of high efficiency with lapses of accuracy, although he didn't consistently throw the deep ball the way he has in the past. Jones completed 68.8% of his throws, but he did not make many plays with the deep ball, and he was often inconsistent on intermediate passes over the middle. The deciding factor may come down to the stuff that isn't easy for fans, media and even the Colts front-office staff to see: the decision-making. The coaching staff knows where the ball is supposed to go on each play, which checks and audibles should have been made. That will likely play a key role in the decision. Colts news: What Colts coach Shane Steichen said about picking a QB Giddens looks like the Colts' best bet to provide a true change of pace for Jonathan Taylor. But it hasn't always been clear that he's going to get that role during training camp. Incumbent backup Tyler Goodson has taken most of the snaps behind Taylor throughout camp, and he has burst, but he's been limited when given opportunities in the regular season the past two years. Giddens, on the other hand, has upside as a runner and pass-catcher. The rookie did drop a pass in the first preseason game, but he's been otherwise reliable as a receiver during training camp, and although he doesn't have Goodson's burst through the hole, he has a knack for finding the hole, avoiding trouble along the way. Big performances by Giddens in the final two preseason games could seal a key offensive role, considering that Goodson is also expected to play a major role on special teams. The Indianapolis starters struggled in the joint practice against Green Bay, but the top five appear to be set, and history suggests that Thursday night's performance was more of an aberration than the expected. An injury to any one of the top five linemen is going to produce questions. Veteran center Danny Pinter has missed more than a week due to injury, which will likely make him Tanor Bortolini's backup at center. Dalton Tucker, by default, appears to be the front-runner to be the top backup at guard, unless Wesley French's versatility puts him in that mix. Then there's the swing tackle job, where rookie Jalen Travis has been battling against Blake Freeland, a third-year player trying to regain momentum. The No. 2 offensive line has had issues during training camp, and if the Colts decide they need help, Indianapolis could wait until the waiver wire to try to find the help it needs. Zaire Franklin is the one known commodity at the position. An ankle injury has knocked the heir apparent on the weak side, Jaylon Carlies, out of the mix. Carlies, who also missed the spring workouts due to offseason shoulder surgery, has likely missed too much time due to injury at this point to have the full confidence of the coaching staff, taking away the Colts' primary plan for Franklin's running mate. Making matters worse, Carlies was still wearing a boot on his right ankle at the joint practice Thursday night, making it unclear when he'll return. That leaves the spot wide open. Veteran Joe Bachie has been the most productive linebacker in training camp, Lawrence Central product Cameron McGrone has been up and down and developmental linebacker Austin Ajiake has flashed at times. A clear front-runner for the position hasn't emerged yet; the final two preseason games might tell the tale. Edwards, an undrafted free agent from Tulane, probably started out training camp hoping to prove himself as a practice squad player. The Colts were loaded with experience at the position. Injuries to Justin Walley (torn ACL), Kenny Moore II (knee), Jaylon Jones (hamstring) and JuJu Brents (hamstring) have pushed Edwards into the starting lineup for the time being. Edwards likely will not have to start the season opener unless another injury occurs, but a path to the 53-man roster is suddenly available, and Edwards has gotten the majority of the chances with the starting unit. A breakout performance against either the Packers or Bengals could make him a sleeper addition to the 53-man roster.
