HSE girls volleyball completes perfect season
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — The Hamilton Southeastern High School girls volleyball team capped off a memorable season on Saturday night by winning the IHSAA Class 4A State Championship.
The No. 1 Royals beat No. 5 Castle 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-20, 25-15) inside Ball State University’s Worthen Arena.
“That second set that was a turning point,” HSE head coach Jason Young said in an Indiana High School Athletic Association news release. “I look at last year when we played Yorktown (for state) that third-set comeback (25-23) was our turning point (to win 3-1), and that was in the back of my mind when Castle tied it at one apiece. We better slam the door, and they were ready, and our schedule as demanding as it is, it was kind of been there done that. I’m incredibly proud.”
With the victory, the Royals completed the perfect season by finishing with a 33-0 overall record.
“We have so many great players on this team, and we differentiate our offense so much,” HSE senior outside hitter Lauren Harden said in the news release. “I feel like some people wouldn’t like it because the stats don’t show, but I wouldn’t trade this team for the world. This team is one of the best. I will say that. I’m confident enough to say that just with the group of girls that we have.”
The Royals also won the state championship last season. In fact, this was the third state championship game appearance in the last five years for the high school, one of two in Fishers.
“We helped change the program,” Harden said in the news release. “This is going to go down in history and in the history books at HSE. It was really amazing to be a part of and I’m glad we all were able to get together as a team because this group is really special.”
With the victory, the Royals became the fourth team in Class 4A to win an IHSAA girls volleyball state championship with a perfect record.
“Being the fourth team to be able to do that in 4A history is awfully special,” Young said in the news release. “This is a special group. A group that pretty much returned the entire team, and they made it a mission this year to kind of go out the right way. This group of seniors is a magical group, and I’m just proud of them. I’m proud of what they’ve done for the program and how they’ve left it.”