07-08-2025
IHSAA volleyball preview: Indiana's top liberos and defensive specialists to watch in 2025
The 2025 high school volleyball season is nearly upon us! Our Insider Brian Haenchen will be getting you prepared for the upcoming campaign with a week's worth of content, all leading up to the unveiling of our preseason Super Team on Aug. 11 and Central Indiana preseason Fab 15 on Aug. 13.
Be sure to subscribe to the Indianapolis Star and follow Brian on Twitter for Indiana high school volleyball updates and coverage throughout the season.
IHSAA volleyball preview: Indiana's top setters to watch in 2025
IHSAA volleyball preview: Indiana's top outside and opposite hitters to watch
Today, we're looking at the state's top liberos and defensive specialists.
Listed as a defensive specialist and outside hitter, the junior Dayton commit recorded 428 digs and 110 kills over 95 sets last season. Breitwieser also set career-highs with her 57 aces and 69 assists. She has 667 digs through two varsity seasons.
A 5-3 junior, Dakin averaged nearly 10 digs per match last season, totaling 367 over 114 sets for the semistate runner-up Bruins. She also notched 60 assists and 56 aces (284 points). Dakin set her season-high with 21 digs against Brebeuf and had 17 against both Cathedral and Class A champion Trinity Lutheran.
Del Real, a Southern Illinois commit, is coming off a career season. She set career-highs across the board with 501 digs (14.7 per match), 91 assists and 41 aces for the regional champion Bulldogs.
Doak, who recently committed to Marshall, will be stepping in for Kennedy Cherry as the Huskies' libero. She was charged with just seven errors on 169 receptions last season as a sophomore and totaled 134 digs over 75 sets. She also served for 89 points with 14 aces.
Widely regarded among the state's top 2028 prospects, Haffner racked up 453 digs and 60 aces across 108 sets in her debut campaign. She was charged with just 22 errors on 471 receptions and was one of 12 players selected to Team USA's U19 roster for the Pan American Cup over the summer.
Another highly touted 2028 prospect, Hurley recorded 170 digs (6.1 per match) and 25 aces in her first season. She picked up a season-high 23 digs in a five-set loss to Warsaw, and had a run of 10 straight matches with one reception error or fewer entering the sectional final for the eventual sectional champion Kingsmen.
The senior IU commit made contributions both defensively (611 digs; 1,452 for her career) and offensively (106 assists; 337 career) for last season's sectional champs. Hepler also served up 55 aces and scored 55 points, and picked up the third assist of her career. Her 33 reception errors were a career-low.
A 5-4 Taylor commit, Flagle cleared 1,200 career digs as a junior, racking up a career-high 513 over 100 sets (5.1 per set). She also set 51 assists and served for 50 aces and 224 points. Flagle had a season-high 45 digs against Greenfield-Central.
The 5-4 McConnell notched 314 digs over 104 sets playing alongside 2025 graduate Bella Dafforn last season as a junior. She was charged with just 24 errors on 387 receptions and completed her line with 52 aces and 81 assists.
Ritchie was a defensive stalwart in her debut season, accumulating 439 digs and 697 receptions (30 errors) over 115 sets for the 4A state runner-up Tigers. She posted a 92.8 serve percentage with 228 points and 62 aces, and totaled 12 blocks (two solo).
A junior Bowling Green commit, Strack picked up 460 digs and served for 192 points with 35 aces. She also had 43 assists with just one error on 44 attempts and put down five kills on 22 attempts.
The senior West Virginia commit was charged with just 19 errors on 317 receptions and dug out a career-high 311 shots (nearly matched her total from the previous two seasons combined). She also served up 37 aces and 216 points, and put down three kills.
The senior Oakland commit nearly matched her career-high with 436 digs. She did set career-highs with her 54 aces and 105 assists, helping lead the Bulldogs to a sectional championship.
