Latest news with #boysvolleyball
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
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Mackey Arena to host inaugural IHSAA boys state volleyball championship
WEST LAFAYETTE — Mackey Arena which hosted the 2021 Final Four and IHSAA regional boys basketball tournaments is set to usher in a new era of boys volleyball in Indiana. The host gym for Purdue men's basketball and women's basketball will be the inaugural site of the first IHSAA boys volleyball state championship, the IHSAA announced on Friday afternoon. Advertisement Mackey Arena will host two semifinal matches and the state championship on Saturday, May 31, 2025, wrote IHSAA sports information director Jason Wille in a press release. The first year of IHSAA boys volleyball has seen 136 programs competing statewide. More: Lafayette Jeff and McCutcheon reflects on first IHSAA boys volleyball game Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Edwin Rodriguez (3) and Lafayette Jeff Bronchos defensive specialist Ian Cardona (17) go for the ball Wednesday, April 2, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball match against the McCutcheon Mavericks at McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, Ind. More: Why Frontier High School will be the host for an Indiana University spring volleyball game Boiler Juniors Boys Volleyball Director Andrew Fuller who has been a lead in growing the sport in the Lafayette area praised the IHSAA's decision to host the state boys volleyball tournament in Mackey Arena. Mackey Arena holds a seating capacity of 14,876. Advertisement "I think the IHSAA putting the state championship at Mackey Arena is a great opportunity spearhead growth as we continue to grow the sport and work with them to provide opportunities for more players,' Fuller said. Along with running the boys programs at Boiler Juniors based in West Lafayette, Fuller is also head coach at Carmel. "I hope plenty of people can come and see this great event," Fuller said. "It's been a tremendous venue both for Purdue basketball and for Big Ten Conference sports events. I think it's a great opportunity to spearhead the growth of boys volleyball." Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Mackey Arena to host IHSAA boys state volleyball championships
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Zionsville outlasted Lafayette Jeff in IHSAA boys volleyball sectional thriller
WEST LAFAYETTE ― The clash between Zionsville and Lafayette Jeff Thursday, May 15, indicated just how far boys volleyball in Indiana has come as it concludes the first season under IHSAA overwatch. While the Indianapolis area has produced nationally ranked high school teams, there were questions about whether or not Lafayette Jeff could handle the size and pressure brought about by Zionsville. Advertisement Zionsville beat Lafayette Jeff twice during the regular season but faced determined resistance from the Bronchos. Zionsville was more consistent. Seniors 6-foot-5 outside hitter Anders Christianson pounded 15 kills, left hander Mason Archer slammed 11 kills and Liam Vigil added 10 kills as the Eagles outlasted Lafayette Jeff in a first-round thriller of the IHSAA sectional quarterfinals, 11-25, 25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11. The other sectional quarterfinal saw Harrison sweep North Putnam in three sets, 25-11, 25-8, 25-20. Harrison will face Zionsville in the second semifinal Saturday, May 17, with the championship game later that night at Harrison. More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA Advertisement More: Take your pick: Vote for the Journal & Courier Athlete of the Week for May 4 to May 10 Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Edwin Rodriguez (3) celebrates with Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Joshua Waller (1) Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the Zionsville Eagles at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Senior captain Kevin Braxton led the Bronchos with 14 kills, junior Azlan Rodriguez added 13 kills and junior setter Josh Waller totaled eight kills, 12 digs and four assists for Lafayette Jeff (17-8). "We played amazing, we played with our heart, and we made a bridge off that," Waller said. "We played as a family, and we were all there." Lafayette Jeff struggled containing Christianson while Zionsville (22-10) collectively began hitting short middle shots. Zionsville overcame being down 15-9 in the third set before Lafayette Jeff rallied in the fourth. Advertisement Lafayette Jeff forced the fifth set despite starting junior middle blocker Colin Smith injuring his left ankle in the fourth frame. "It was a heartbreaker, but we knew he was going to support us no matter what, whether he was on the court or on the bench," Braxton said. More: Lafayette Jeff and McCutcheon reflects on first IHSAA boys volleyball game Lafayette Jeff will many return key players next year, including Rodriguez and Waller, who are receiving college looks. Rodriguez led the Bronchos with 208 kills while Waller proved to be a well-rounded player, totaling 118 kills, 102 digs and 59 assists for the 2025 campaign. The Zionsville Eagles celebrate Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the Lafayette Jeff Bronchos at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Set-by-set breakdown of Lafayette Jeff vs. Zionsville Set one: Zionsville looked like a team that woke up from a nap, while Lafayette Jeff looked engaged from the jump. A 3-0 lead ballooned to an 18-6 advantage. Junior setter Josh Waller and libero Edwin Rodriguez-Arteaga led a strong shot receive and never looked out of sorts. The balance of Waller set the stage for senior Kevin Braxton with three kills and a block. Junior Azlan Rodriguez has a 4-foot vertical and swift enough to play defensive specialist or libero in college. Lafayette Jeff couldn't have asked for a better start. Advertisement Set two: Zionsville senior lefty outside hitter Mason Archer went on the offensive. Controlling passing in the back row, they were able to turn the momentum of the match. Short side and far side shots found their mark and the back row for Lafayette Jeff splintered. Zionsville won the set by five, but the gap felt larger. Set three: Zionsville kept its composure in the crunch and Lafayette Jeff didn't. A pair of late third set hitting errors plus a debated touch ultimately helped the Eagles claw back from a 15-9 deficit to take set three. Christianson and Archer provided the juice offensively backed by libero Landon Scroggins. Rodriguez had the highlight play, but Zionsville was more consistent in its shot receive. More: Lafayette Jeff boys volleyball returns core players in 2025 Advertisement Set four: This set illustrated what makes the speed and strategy of volleyball entertaining and fun. And it came with some drama with Smith's injury. Senior Kmaury Moten gave Lafayette Jeff a boost off the bench, while an explosive effort from Rodriguez and Josh Waller forced a fifth set. Set five: Lafayette Jeff ran out of steam, struggling against the physicality of Archer, Vigil and Christianson. Rodriguez had some flashes, but errors on shot receive doomed Lafayette Jeff. Harrison Raiders Emerson Mohr (10) celebrates with Harrison Raiders opposite Josiah Callahan (1) Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the North Putnam Cougars at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Harrison learns lessons in sweep over North Putnam Harrison, led by sophomore 6-foot-3 outside hitter Cole Hess and junior Emerson Mohr, made the first two sets look easy. Advertisement But then an 8-4 deficit morphed into a 14-10 drought against North Putnam (5-11) in the third set. "I think our communication was off and we brought that connection back up," Mohr said. Eventually Harrison found its way to earn the sweep and set up a semifinal matchup with Zionsville on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The winner plays either McCutcheon (14-9) or Lebanon (4-7-1) for the first IHSAA sectional championship in Harold May Gymnasium in West Lafayette at 6 p.m. later that day. More: Mackey Arena to host inaugural IHSAA boys state volleyball championship Hess believes Harrison is prepared to play Zionsville, ranked No. 6 in the state according to rankings on Advertisement "I think they're more beatable now, now that we got to watch them play," Hess said. Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff, Zionsville battle in IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
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Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA
LAFAYETTE ― Harrison senior defensive specialist Isaac Vargas somehow leapt high enough on a spike attempt, getting his hand on the ball to continue a rally against McCutcheon at Harold May Gymnasium. Boys volleyball was being played at an elite level that night. The crowd was into it the whole way. Emotional swings seemingly with every point. The match would go five sets ― Harrison would win, but both sides exhausted once it ended. Advertisement There is no denying high school boys volleyball in Indiana anymore. It's not new to the state — just new to the IHSAA this year. Boys volleyball has held a competitive infrastructure in Indiana for decades, with state playoffs and a lineal championship dating back to 1994 under the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association (IBVCA). More: Lafayette Jeff and McCutcheon reflects on first IHSAA boys volleyball game VOTE: Journal & Courier Athlete of the Week poll (April 28 to May 3) When the official governing body of high school sports in the state designated it as an 'emerging sport' three years ago, though, numbers skyrocketed. Schools participating in the state tournament rose from 35 teams in 2022 to the now-133 teams set to compete for the first IHSAA state title in 2025. Advertisement But the transition from IBVCA to IHSAA has come with growing pains as schools, coaches and the IHSAA attempt to keep up with the demand of new players and teams. McCutcheon Mavericks middle hitter Jayden Heygood (13) celebrates with McCutcheon Mavericks Kai Inoue (2) Tuesday, April 22, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball match against the Harrison Raiders at Harrison High School, in West Lafayette, Indiana. "Rule of 3" Andrew Fuller, the Carmel High School head coach who is also the boys volleyball director at both Boiler Juniors and The Academy in Indianapolis, found himself at a crossroads when trying to determine who could receive training and play for club teams and those he had to omit in summer 2024. "There were roughly 25 kids I couldn't have on a high school team because of the current IHSAA rules," Fuller said. Fuller was forced to turn athletes away at his club teams because of IHSAA rule 15.2.2, commonly referred to as "rule of 3," which limits how many high school athletes can join the same club team during the offseason. Advertisement The goal of 15.2.2 is to prevent the creation of 'super teams,' with students playing with high school teammates year-round. The rule, in theory, allows for non-club athletes a fair shot at making varsity teams. "It also allows coaches to have a break and gives an opportunity for kids to play other sports," IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig also mentioned. Rule of 3 limit by sport Maximum number of athletes who can play for same club/travel team Volleyball 3 Football 6 Softball 5 Soccer 7 Softball 5 Baseball 5 But with only four schools in the Lafayette area ― Lafayette Jeff, McCutcheon, Harrison and Crawfordsville ― fielding boys volleyball teams, it means less opportunity for students to receive training. That includes access to academies, clinics and AAU programs who can teach them how to pass, receive, set, serve and hit while also maintaining those skills year-round to sustain competitive balance. "It puts a damper on boys volleyball in the area … with that rule, only one team is allowed to be made at Boiler Juniors," McCutcheon coach Keith Crisler said. "That causes a lot of kids to lose an opportunity who wanted to play and lose out on reps which could not only grow the sport itself, but also growth on an individual scale." Harrison Raiders Antonio Figueras (7) hits the ball Tuesday, April 22, 2025,during the IHSAA boys volleyball match against the McCutcheon Mavericks at Harrison High School, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Too short of a season? Maybe the biggest struggle has come with the truncated 7-week season, which coaches say is hurting players. Harrison and McCutcheon would eventually play six games in eight days between April 21 and April 29, including three best-of-five matches and five best-of-three matches in tournaments scattered near the greater Indianapolis area. Advertisement "We're being asked to push these kids, and to be honest with you, my boys are tired right now," Harrison coach Kristie Hostetler said. "You worry about injury from overuse right now. And that's a real concern." Possible solutions A long-term solution to help the talent gap will be the development of feeder systems. Since the sport is new to most schools, they don't have kids in elementary and middle school playing for years before reaching high school like how established IHSAA sports do. That, of course, takes time to build. There are more immediate solutions to get more players involved. Neidig suggested coaches offer clinics as a way to introduce the sport to either current or new high school players and middle school students who can't afford club registration fees. To be a member of Boiler Juniors Metro II team, the cost is $450 in team tuition, $78 for a tryout and $50 for two tournaments. Advertisement "If programs could offer more free-of-charge clinics to learn the sport of volleyball and burden the cost, that would help grow the sport," Neidig said. Lafayette Jeff Bronchos Kevin Braxton (25) spikes the ball to McCutcheon Mavericks Joshua Madsen (11) Wednesday, April 2, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball match at McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, Ind. Lafayette Jeff coach TJ Brandenburg shares similar thoughts to Neidig. In addition to being in the process of creating a middle school program at Tecumseh Middle School, Brandenburg runs a company called Private Lessons Are Yours (PLAY) that specializes in offering affordable clinics for volleyball, basketball, football, wrestling and track. "Most of the kids that I coach at clinics have never touched a volleyball before," Brandenburg said. "And our goal is to get you interested and to get you wanting to go to your club and wanting you to play on your team. The more kids that do that, the lower club costs can be because you're getting more kids. I don't think camps and clinics are a replacement for club ― I think they are good in addition to club." Advertisement While coaches agree there are issues to work out as boys volleyball develops into an IHSAA sport, they are happy to be recognized by the Association. When the news was first announced that Mackey Arena on the campus of Purdue in West Lafayette would host the first volleyball state finals on Saturday, May 31, Fuller commended the move. "I think the IHSAA putting the state championship at Mackey Arena is a great opportunity to spearhead growth as we continue to grow the sport and work with (the IHSAA) to provide opportunities for more players," said Fuller on April 25. Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Boys volleyball going through first-year growing pains in IHSAA
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
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McCutcheon boys volleyball reflects on turnaround in first IHSAA season
LAFAYETTE ― McCutcheon boys volleyball coach Keith Crisler saw his players meld together after two years of learning the sport together. Boys who picked up the sport for the first time two seasons ago became a formidable group that learned to pass, digs and score points together as a unit. Advertisement McCutcheon was swept in the first IHSAA sectional boys title title on Saturday afternoon to Zionsville 25-19, 25-14, 25-18, but the program summitted after going 11-20 in 2023 and 6-18 in 2024. For Crisler, finishing with a 15-10 record in 2025 was a breakthrough for his Mavericks. More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA "One word I would say is growth," Crisler said. "Growth as individuals, as athletes and as a program in the sport. Boys volleyball and men's volleyball in Indiana has (some time) to grow, but I feel like we've had a successful season because we took that pioneering step to learn something new and that's not an easy thing to do." Advertisement The number of boys volleyball teams expanded from 35 in 2022 to the 133 competing in the IHSAA playoffs this spring. As the competition grew, so did McCutcheon. McCutcheon Mavericks defensive specialist Jack Smith (9) celebrates Saturday, May 17, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals championship match against the Zionsville Eagles at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. "I don't think anyone should leave this season with their head down and their shoulders slumped," Crisler said. "They are pioneer men and left their mark in their first official year in Indiana." The growth of McCutcheon volleyball was headed by graduating starters senior libero Khelan Patel, middle blocker Jayden Heygood, setter Kieraan Jordan, outside hitter Josh Madsen and outside hitter Malachi Kenner. Patel, Heygood, Jordan, Madsen and Kenner were the "founding fathers of McCutcheon boys volleyball," per Crisler. Advertisement More: IHSAA boys volleyball sectional semifinals: McCutcheon advances to championship against Zionsville "They are the true pioneers," Crisler added. "A lot of what we did this season is because of them. With experiences they had and how they led the younger boys in our program, they should probably have a statue or something like that." Patel was a consistent libero who attacked and placed shot receives in playable directions for his offense. "It just shows the effort and drive we had for the game," Patel said. "I know all of us who have been playing, we go play during the offseason because of how much we love the sport. We really took it upon ourselves to grow the game, build the program and build what we had within our community at McCutcheon volleyball." McCutcheon Mavericks libero Khelan Patel (1) celebrates Saturday, May 17, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals championship match against the Zionsville Eagles at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Jordan distributed the ball as a setter but could also provide an extra body at the net to make blocks or earn kills and points for his team. Advertisement "It's truly something special to be there during the first year and build this thing from the ground up when it wasn't a fully sanctioned sport," Jordan said. "It's just awesome to see it blossom into this and see it expand like football and baseball." Jordan and Patel saw the culture grow at McCutcheon through their activity, setting an example for future players to come. "It shows how much we've grown from March 10 and the first day of the season to now," Jordan said. "We've been really focused and bought into the program and this was our goal, to make it to the championship. It showed there was so much focus put into this team." Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon boys volleyball shows growth in 2025 season
