Savannah Jackson

MUNCIE – Savannah Jackson’s discus throws on May 27, 2014, left a lot to be desired. For her, because of her natural athletic ability and strength. And for one of her coaches at Central, because of the untapped potential in the then-junior who had just started throwing the previous year.

Jackson’s three throws at the Ben Davis Regional that day were 86 feet, 1 inch and two scratches. While she took fifth in the shot put, an event she had spent the year training for, she was last out of 16 competitors in the discus.

Now, an event that used to be an afterthought is the focus for Jackson as she competes Tuesday in the Delta Sectional.

“I’ve gotten progressively better,” Jackson said, “and that kind of attracted me to it.”

Jackson’s best throw this season is 126-9, and she’s aiming to hit the state-qualifying mark of 128-3. At a meet two weeks ago, she threw 130 but she stepped on the line and was disqualified.

“Those moments you see, ‘You can do it,’ ” said assistant coach Angela Dildy, who coaches the throwers. “She just has to keep that positive attitude, because sometimes it’ll get you down. You throw well but make a mistake, it can be hard to come back from. Keeping her positive is the biggest thing right now.”

Dildy knows talent when she sees it. A 2001 graduate of Central, she still holds both the shot put and discus school records.

The turning point for Jackson was giving up club volleyball and focusing solely on track in the spring after doing both as a sophomore. Then Dildy went to work on the raw Jackson, whose natural ability led Dildy to believe big gains could be on the horizon. And they were, as she won the shot put at sectionals last year and was second in discus.

Jackson loves to lift weights — she says there no such thing as lifting light and her motto is “go hard or go home” — but she’s become enthralled with the intricacies of a good throw, which has taken her to another level this season. Jackson can now regularly critique herself to Dildy and correct her mistakes.

“She’s working, and you can tell,” Dildy said. “It’s nice to have that, because a lot of athletes come out and just do it. She comes out and wants to understand the craft and the technique, like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ That always helps.”

Winning at sectionals isn’t as big of a priority for Jackson, who is currently ranked fifth in the state in shot put and sixth in discus according to Athletic.net. Hitting the state marks — which means improving from 39-2 to 40-11 in shot put — that’s a different story.

“I think her pressure is getting that mark we know she can get,” said Tara Grudger, who has coached Central since 2001 and counts Jackson among the best throwers she’s ever coached.

“It’s just about getting there now.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Girls Track & Field Sectionals

• Delta, 5 p.m.: Cowan, Delta, Jay County, Monroe Central, Muncie Burris, Muncie Central, Union (Modoc), Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester, Yorktown.

• Pendleton Heights, 5:15 p.m.: Blue River Valley, Daleville, New Castle.

• Marion, 5:30 p.m.: Blackford

Cowan volleyball coach Pancho Alvarez talks to his team during a 2012 practice. Alvarez recently resigned.

Pancho Alvarez describes his decision as “bittersweet.” After three seasons coaching Cowan’s volleyball team, Alvarez recently resigned the position. His tenure included winning the 2012 Class A state championship with the Blackhawks.

“It felt very much home,” Alvarez said. “Of course, it’s Delaware County. And that’s the thing, I will still pinch myself every once in a while and go, ‘Dude, you just resigned from high school volleyball in Delaware County.’ Just a great volleyball program, and that was started long before I got there. Great tradition, long before I got there. And, again, it’s Delaware County high school volleyball, and I was blessed just to kind of fall into it when I did.”

Alvarez recently got married and has relocated to Noblesville. He cited family reasons as a major factor in his decision to step away from the Blackhawks.

After winning a state title in 2012, Alvarez’s subsequent two teams each lost to Wes-Del in sectional. Wes-Del went on to win a regional championship in 2013, then won the Class A state title last fall.

“Whoever steps into the position has some big shoes to fill,” Cowan athletic director Brent Adams said. “His picture will forever be on our wall in the athletic hall for the 2012 state championship. And he took our team in the hotbed of volleyball in Delaware County, and we were competitive all three years and really had good runs. So, he did an outstanding job for us and we really appreciate the time he put in to our team and our girls.”

With summer conditioning fast approaching, Adams said he hopes to receive a strong applicant pool and move quickly in the hiring process for Alvarez’s successor. Alvarez spoke highly of the Cowan program and the job his successor will receive.

“Whoever (the new coach) should be, it is a group of girls who are hungry, just as hungry as that first group that I had in 2012, that want to compete at a very high level,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez, who previously coached Lapel and Pendleton Heights, said he plans to continue coaching at the club level with Munciana. And he hopes to one day return to coaching high school volleyball.

“I love to teach; I’ve been taught by the best teachers of the game that there are,” Alvarez said. “So I do see myself going back to coach again at the high school level, certainly probably some place closer, if that opportunity should arise. And I’m not going to put myself above even going back to coaching at a middle school level, simply because I love the game and I love it enough to teach it.”

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

Cowan volleyball opening

Candidates interested in Cowan’s volleyball coaching opening may contact athletic director Brent Adams at badams@cowan.k12.in.us or by phone at 289-7128.

Harrison defeated West Lafayette 22-2 in five innings

SOFTBALL

Wes-Del pounded out 15 hits on its way to a 13-2 win over Tri-Central in five innings in the Class A Wes-Del Sectional quarterfinal. Jasmin Brown went 3-for-3 with a double and scored four runs, while Jentry Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. In addition to driving in four runs, Maddie Richards tossed a complete game, allowing one earned run.

Jay County defeated Fort Wayne South Side 14-4 in the Class 4A Fort Wayne Homestead Sectional quarterfinal. Gabby Hart had four hits and drove in three runs, while Catherine Dunn hit two doubles and plated a pair. Chloe Steigerwalt and Catera Gierhart also drove in two runs apiece. Rachel Antrim earned the win after throwing three innings.

VOLLEYBALL

Wapahani’s Richard Wellman and Central’s David Lavanchy were selected to the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association All-State team. They played in the all-star game before Saturday’s state championship match at Southport.

Former Burris volleyball coach John Rodriguez works with a player during a 2013 practice. Rodriguez has resigned after two seasons with the Owls.

Burris volleyball coach John Rodriguez has resigned his position after two seasons.

Rodriguez said he initially planned to resign to accept an assistant coaching position at the collegiate level. However, after further reflection and discussion with his family, he elected not to pursue the collegiate opportunity, though he still plans to step away from the Owls.

He informed his players of his resignation Wednesday. He said he leaves the Owls satisfied his two squads lived up to their potential.

“The two seasons at Burris, I thought we maximized our talent as much as I could,” Rodriguez said. “I think we got a lot more out of our players than probably what they could give.”

Rodriguez won sectional titles in each of his two seasons with the Owls and also claimed a regional title in 2014.

“He was a hard worker,” Burris athletic director Chad Wlodarek said. “He always communicated with me, he was continuing to build the program back to where Burris is accustomed to being, two sectional titles in a row, we got to semistate this year. So I’m very proud of the efforts he did, and he was making an effort to build the program from the elementary up, which is my vision as well.”

Rodriguez, whose prior coaching stops include Bishop Chatard and Marion, came to Burris after a three-year stint as the coach at Union.

His successor will be the third coach of the post-Steve Shondell era. Shondell guided the Owls to 21 state titles before accepting the Ball State women’s volleyball coaching position after the 2009 season.

Thanh Harnish took over and won a state title in 2010, the 22nd in school history. The Owls didn’t get out of sectionals in either of Harnish’s final two seasons, each time falling to eventual state champion Wapahani. After Harnish resigned, Rodriguez then coached the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Wlodarek said he hopes to fill the position soon to maximize summer conditioning time. The 2014 Owls had a senior-laden roster, but Wlodarek spoke positively of the situation Rodriguez’s successor will inherit.

“Our eighth grade, middle school is coming up, they were undefeated last year,” Wlodarek said. “The JV had a strong record. So I believe the future is looking bright. And our next coach will have a blank slate, with those seniors graduating, to kind of fit Burris into their mold of what they want to accomplish and what I’m looking forward to accomplishing.”

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

Kiley Lingenfelter

MUNCIE – As players advance through the ranks of Munciana, the only trend seems to be that there are no trends. Players come and go, and teammates are constantly changing. The higher the level, the more roster turnover as talented players from far-away cities flock to the program.

That’s why Kiley Lingenfelter and Quincy Gary are the rarest of breeds. Teammates — and more importantly, friends — since they were 8 years old when they began playing for Steve Shondell, they are nearing the end of their run together.

The duo plays for Munciana’s top squad, Samurai, which is an 18-under team. Both are graduating high school within the next week — Lingenfelter from New Castle and Gary from Pendleton Heights. While their paths don’t often cross during the high school season, the pair has become inseparable in club season.

The 5-foot-6 Lingenfelter is the team’s setter, a position she has held since she was 13. The 5-foot-8 Gary used to play on the outside, but now she primarily plays in the back row. Still, Lingenfelter loves to give her friend opportunities to swing.

“We’ve been playing together for so long, I could set her in a dark closet,” Lingenfelter said.

Given all of the time club teammates spend together — through the winter and spring, and then into the summer at tournaments, not to mention daily workouts at the team’s facility — how could she not after all these years?

“I really can’t explain it, we just have a connection,” Lingenfelter said. “We’re drawn to each other.”

Lingenfelter’s dad, Mike, coaches Samurai and has witnessed the relationship evolve up close.

“We gauge everything on wins and losses, championships and medals, but relationships are important. It’s a byproduct of this.

“It’s two kids who would have never met, but they’re going to be in each other’s weddings.”

Samurai won the 18-open division at the Asics Munciana Classic on Sunday morning on the campus of Ball State. In the championship match, Lingenfelter served the first 11 points of the match.

The pair only has a limited amount of time together as teammates as the club season finishes with the AAU National Championship in Orlando, Florida from June 16-19.

Gary has to report to the University of Alabama by the end of June to start her collegiate playing career, and Lingenfelter will embark on her own career at Fairfield University.

They’ll be about 1,100 miles apart, but they already have it figured out. New Year’s will be in New York, which isn’t too far south of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school. Spring break will be a visit to down south to see Gary.

“It’ll be sad,” Gary said of the distance, “but we’ll still talk and then practice together in the summer.”

While coach Lingenfelter’s job is to win games, it’s been fulfilling for him to see something more come out of the club volleyball experience.

“They feed off each other; it’s the perfect relationship,” he said. “… They’re the epitome of the perfect relationship because they protect one another. I’ve watched them play all these years together, so it’s going to be tough to watch them go.

“So much of this job is judged by wins and championships, but I’ll call that (friendship) a title. That’s a championship without a medal. My daughter got out of here with something more than she came in with.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Teaghan Dishman practices with teammate Kaylin Gibson at Delta Wednesday morning.

MUNCIE – Teaghan Dishman still has the tweet on her phone. It’s from her sophomore year, when her close friend and Delta tennis teammate Kaylin Gibson announced she would be going to state with Dishman during their senior year.

It seemed like a joke at the time. It’s reality now. The pair (23-3) will take on Lawrence North’s Allison Henry and Laine Rumreich (13-6) in the state quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Friday at Park Tudor.

“It’s hysterical now to look back on it,” Gibson said, with Dishman quickly piping in that she also finds it humorous. “Because my mom jokes about it now all the time. She’s like, ‘Can you believe you guys are playing in state?’ It still doesn’t seem real, like we made it finally.”

They have reached this point despite very different paths during their high school careers.

Dishman can’t remember exactly when she began playing tennis. Her older brother Tate started playing, and that interest trickled down to the rest of the family. She was young when she started, estimating she was approximately five or six-years-old.

When Dishman joined the high school team, she was a seasoned player ready to make an immediate impact and jumped right into the varsity lineup. She missed her junior season due to injury, and coach Tim Cleland believes she could have been among the program’s all-time wins leaders had she been healthy all four years.

A decorated athlete who also played volleyball and basketball during her time at Delta, Friday will mark Dishman’s first opportunity to compete at the state level for the Eagles in any of her sports.

“She’s either the best female athlete here or she’s certainly in the running for it,” Cleland said. “So she’s been all-state two years, first-team in volleyball, and she’s going to be all-state here in tennis this year. So whenever you’re all-state in two different sports, and you play a third sport where you’re a four-year starter, you’ve got some athleticism.”

Gibson had a different experience when she came out for the team as a freshman. She had never played, but started after some cajoling from Dishman. She experienced the growing pains one might expect with a brand-new sport.

One memory in particular stands out from very early in her tenure, when Gibson made a mistake on the court, then heard someone laugh. She remembers being in the parking lot later with her father, crying as her emotions took over. Dishman’s mother overheard, and encouraged her to keep going, telling her she would eventually come to love the sport. Dishman later encouraged her to keep going as well.

As Gibson’s freshman year continued, things did get better. She settled into a spot in the junior varsity lineup, and enjoyed the rapid improvement of a beginner still learning the sport. She continued her rise up the JV lineup during her sophomore year. When she tweeted that she would be going to state with Dishman in their senior year, there was still a considerable gap between the two players’ experience levels and positions in the lineup.

Gibson was soon working even harder to close that gap.

During the winter leading up to her junior season, Gibson elected not to swim, giving up a sport she had competed in since she was a child. Instead, she spent her time practicing tennis.

“I wanted to be able to play varsity and play with them,” Gibson said. “So I just gave (swimming) up because I realized that I loved tennis more than I ever thought I would.”

Gibson jumped all the way up to the varsity No. 1 doubles position for her junior year. Dishman missed that season after tearing her ACL during basketball season. So as she dealt with the frustration of missing a year, Dishman watched and saw her friend’s improved play.

As they play together as seniors, Dishman said Gibson has demonstrated significant improvement this season, even compared to her junior year.

“She’s more confident and everything,” Dishman said. “And her strokes look a lot better and her net play is a lot better.”

Gibson said they talked about the possibility of state as they prepared to play together for the first time as seniors. But this time, it was more about goal-setting then making bold predictions. As the season continued, certain wins made the goal seem more realistic.

One such win came against Fort Wayne Carroll’s Taylor Stanchin. Stanchin was a state runner-up in the doubles tournament last season, though she was playing with a new partner this year after the graduation of Makenzie Schoeff. Dishman said Cleland typically tells the duo their opponent is particularly strong before every match, even if it’s not always true. After picking up that win, though, there was a sense Cleland was speaking the truth.

“When we were done, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re good,’ ” Dishman said. “And Tim was like, ‘They were undefeated, they had never lost before.’ “

Cleland acknowledges the importance of that Carroll win, but also points to a victory the duo picked up against Bloomington South team as possibly even bigger. That Panthers doubles team didn’t advance to the individual doubles tournament, though it did help its squad make a deep run in the team tournament. He also mentions a win against Mississinewa, a team that will be also be competing in the state doubles tournament.

Dishman and Gibson remain close friends off the court. The school year has wrapped up, so their recent practices have been during summer break. They’ve spent considerable time together since school let out.

Both say that friendship has been a key part of their success on the court. Their sense of humor allows them to make jokes at each other’s expense, and they’re able to stay loose while playing together on the court.

“If you come out here and watch varsity matches, you’re going to see every court, there’s serious and complete focus,” Gibson said. “And you’re going to look at Teaghan and I’s court, and we’re going to be cracking up and doing stupid stuff. But that’s just how we play better. I can’t sit here and focus point after point after point after point, all worried about tennis. I need to joke around and be goofy and stuff. And I feel like we just get along so much better when we do that.”

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

IHSAA State Doubles Tournament

• When: Quarterfinals 2 p.m. Friday, semifinals 10 a.m. Saturday, championship match 2 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Park Tudor

• ECI quarterfinal matchup: Teaghan Dishman/Kaylin Gibson (Delta) vs. Allison Henry/Laine Rumreich (Lawrence North)

Mike Dodrill

Mike Dodrill’s trips to volleyball practice will be a lot shorter this fall. The longtime Burris teacher was recently hired to coach the Owls, taking over the program at the school where he has served as a science teacher for more than a decade. Dodrill comes to Burris after serving as the head coach at New Castle, a position he assumed during the 2013 season.

“It means a great deal to me,” Dodrill said. “Teaching there for so long and then finally being able to take over this program, (I’m) honored and humbled at the same time.”

Dodrill’s 2014 New Castle team went 19-15, falling in five sets to Mt. Vernon in its sectional opener. He inherits a Burris team that went 18-17 with a senior-laden roster last year. The Owls won a regional title before falling in the first round at semistate.

He said he looks forward to coaching at the same school at which he serves as a teacher.

“Absolutely,” Dodrill said. “Coaching’s just one perk of teaching, I coach because I teach. And that will make it very nice, being in the building. You get to know the girls on a different level, on an academic level as well. And you just spend more time with them.”

Before going to New Castle in 2013, Dodrill spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons as an assistant coach at Wapahani under Mike Lingenfelter as the Raiders won two state titles. Dodrill coached at the junior varsity and middle school levels at Burris before coaching at Wapahani, and said his varied experiences helped shape his coaching career.

“Being on staff with Mike was an equally awesome experience as it was being on staff with Steve (Shondell),” Dodrill said. “I learned so much from both of those guys, as far as player management, and fundamentals of the game, and offensive strategies, and things from Mike. It broadened my horizons, for sure.”

Burris volleyball coach Rodriguez resigns

Burris athletic director Chad Wlodarek said he came away impressed with Dodrill during the school’s interview process for the position. John Rodriguez recently resigned after two seasons with the Owls.

“His philosophy is dead-on what we were looking for,” Wlodarek said. “He’s there to build the program long-term, connect the middle school and the elementary to the high school. And he bleeds Burris blue and gold.”

Wlodarek said he also recently filled the school’s cross country coaching position. Lucas Clay, an Indiana Academy graduate who ran for the Owls, will take over that program following the departure of former coach Bill Mitchell, who recently graduated from Ball State. Wlodarek said his searches for a new swimming coach, boys soccer coach and girls track coach are ongoing. Swimming coach Sara Fauquher resigned due to a family move, boys soccer coach Kameron McBride took the same job at Yorktown, and girls track coach Maya LeBlanc resigned following her graduation from Ball State.

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

Shane Osting

Shane Osting has been impressed with the commitment level he’s seen from his coaches. Osting was recently appointed as New Castle’s new athletic director, and he’s noticed the Trojan coaches have hit the ground running with summer programs.

“The coaches are very committed to their sport,” Osting said. “They’re really out there trying to do the best that they possibly can. They’re trying to get as many athletes involved and work them in the summer. So, so far right now, the commitment of the coaches is really impressing me.”

One of Osting’s first challenges will be to round out that coaching staff. Former Trojan volleyball coach Mike Dodrill was recently appointed to the same position at Burris, and New Castle is also in search of a boys track coach. Osting said the volleyball position will take priority as the season is looming for fall sports.

Osting came to New Castle after serving three years as assistant principal and athletic director at Blue River. His prior experience includes stints as the athletic director and girls basketball coach at Randolph Southern. At New Castle, he is replacing Brandon Ecker, who recently became the athletic director at Mount Vernon.

Osting said his long-term goals with the Trojans include taking a look at facilities. With the baseball, softball and soccer teams playing some or all of their games off campus, Osting said he hopes to explore ways to move those teams closer to the high school or improve their existing facilities. He said he also plans to emphasize communication with coaches, student-athletes and community members.

“The more stuff we can get closer to the school and have the facilities here at the school, I think it’s going to make things better for our student-athletes, our coaches. As far as a sports administrator, as far as me getting around and seeing everything, it’s going to help that so I don’t have to travel so far between one sport and the other sport,” Osting said. “So that’s a long-term goal, as far as improving the facilities and trying to get them as close as we can to the school.”

Osting said his new job allows him to focus more time on athletics after also working as an assistant principal at Blue River, though he is now in charge of a much larger athletic department.

“So far it’s been great getting to know the community members, getting to know the coaches,” Osting said. “(I) haven’t really had much of a chance at this point to get to know the students, but it’s been a great transition so far.”

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

Whitney Stewart

As Whitney Stewart describes it, volleyball outside of Delaware County is just not the same. So Stewart, a former assistant coach at Delta, found being an assistant coach inside county lines better than the prospect of being a head coach somewhere else.

Stewart now has the best of both worlds. She was appointed as the head coach at Cowan, so she will get the chance to lead a program in the volleyball hotbed.

“It just seemed like the right fit,” Stewart said. “A good community, and they’re tight-knit. And I’m excited to be part of it.”

She takes over the Blackhawks after spending the last eight seasons working in various capacities in Delta’s program, most recently as varsity assistant coach.

Stewart replaces Pancho Alvarez, who recently resigned after three seasons. Alvarez’s tenure included winning the 2012 Class A state title.

The new coach has wasted little time getting started. She was officially approved on Wednesday, then held her first team workout on Friday, with more scheduled for next week.

“I like it, I like the school,” Stewart said Friday shortly after that first session. “Their facilities are unbelievable for that size of a school. I’m not used to the facilities like that, and so that’s nice to have that at my fingertips to be able to use.

“The girls are all very attentive and listened, and very accepting of everything that I said to them. They listened, and nodded their heads and did what I ask of them. And I think that as long as everybody else is like that, they’re very coachable.”

Cowan athletic director Brent Adams said Stewart’s enthusiasm to get started stood out as the school searched for Alvarez’s successor after he resigned earlier this spring.

“It was really important to get someone in that knew what they needed to do in this short amount of time they had before the actual season starts, and she definitely had that knowledge and had that game plan put together.”

Stewart said one of her immediate goals is to generate larger numbers within her program. From there, she hopes to pursue other goals, like making a sectional run and building the program up to the level where it can win its first Delaware County Tournament title.

“When I asked her questions about what was most important and how you get your teams to that point where they’re peaking when it comes to the state tournament time, she knows what it takes to get there as both a player and as a coach,” Adams said. “And I think that translates well into what we’re looking for in our program.”

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

Hannah Smith

Hannah Smith describes herself as a family-oriented person. So the Wapahani volleyball player’s choice of college destination should come as little surprise. Smith, a rising senior, recently committed to continue her career at Ball State.

“I really enjoy being around my family,” Smith said. “And I really love the coaching staff there. I felt like I fit in well with them and I would feed off of them very well to where I could succeed.”

Smith took over the libero position for Wapahani in her junior season, then led the Raiders in digs (she had 385 entering the postseason), a season she said was a big step in her career.

“It gave me more of a boost of confidence,” Smith said of her junior season at Wapahani. “Knowing that I could hang with all of those players, that I was good enough to be out on the court for six whole rotations and never come out, and be a leader. And it really helped me in that aspect, too. To really step up on the court, even through this past Munciana season, and be a leader and talk more and have more confidence in myself.”

Wapahani coach Jared Richardson said he’s noticed Smith’s determination as she took over the libero role during her junior season, noting that she was always willing to put in extra work to maintain her position.

“She’s one of those kids that if you even let her know, ‘Hey, one game I’m going to switch it up and let someone else run libero,’ she’s going to stay after in the gym for probably a good hour-and-a-half doing extra stuff, just so she can make sure she gets that position back,” Richardson said. “So she’s always fought for it.”

Smith said that before deciding on Ball State, Northern Kentucky was the other school that factored heavily in her consideration process. She said her goal is to play libero at Ball State, though she said she would accept any opportunity to contribute in the back row. Before heading west to join the Cardinals, though, she still has one more season of leading Wapahani from the back row, a season for which she has set lofty goals.

“Right now I’m the only one left from the 2012 state championship,” Smith said. “So my goal this year is to really take these underclassmen under my wings and show them really what it takes to get a state title. Because we’re back down in 2A and with the team we have and the players we have, I really think that it’s in our future, I think we can do it. But I really just hope I can be a leader out there and help them know what it’s going to take and help lead them in the right direction to get a state championship.”

Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.

Melani Shaffmaster and Kylie Murr

The Munciana Chipmunks made a long week look quite easy, and they capped a perfect national tournament with their best showing.

The Chipmunks took down the 14-year-old division’s top seed, Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA) 25-19, 25-17 in the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championship match Friday in Orlando, Florida. The Chipmunks’ coach, Wes Lyon, estimated the team made just three errors — one serving, two hitting — in the entire title match.

“I’m not sure I’ve seen a cleaner match played by a team in the championship,” Lyon said in a phone interview. “It was something special.”

The rest of the four-day tournament was something special, too, as the Chipmunks didn’t lose a single set over the course of their 11 matches. Just how dominating was the roster made up of seven East Central Indiana incoming freshmen? It won 21 of 22 sets by at least four points.

Setter Melani Shaffmaster, who will attend New Castle, was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Libero Kylie Murr (Yorktown) and outside hitter Bonnie Bostic (Carmel) were also named All-Americans.

The Chipmunks had played KIVA seven times during the club season, and they dropped the first three. But the last match made it four in a row for the Chipmunks. KIVA held a 3-2 advantage when the tournament’s seeds were assigned, which is why it was the top seed and the Chipmunks were ranked second in the 32-team field.

Lyon cited several reasons for the team’s perfect mark throughout the week, including Molly Hunt’s (Delta) blocking on the right side. McKenzie Knuckles (Yorktown) was hurt Thursday and had to sit four matches, but Taylor Shelton (Hamilton Southeastern) was able to fill her role. Then Knuckles returned for the championship to help the Chipmunks finish the club season in style.

“McKenzie was just healthy enough to play one match, and she played the match of her life,” Lyon said. “She was just great.”

Estella Davis (Wapahani), Malejah Bryant (Central), Sarah Smoot (Delta) and Sophie Oliphant (Carmel) also contributed.

“It was just a great four days,” Lyon said. “We’ve had a lot of injuries this season and used a lot of different lineups. When McKenzie got injured, it was just how we operate. Everyone was ready to step up and play hard. I’m really proud of these girls — there are a lot of elite volleyball players in this group.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Katarina DiBiasio

Another week, another national title for a Munciana volleyball club.

After the Chipmunks took home the 14-open crown on June 19, the Cardinals replicated the feat Friday by winning the 16-club division at the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Florida. The Cardinals went 12-1 over the four-day tournament to win a division that had 159 teams.

The team’s coach, Tucker Bitting, was an assistant on the Chipmunks last year when they finished fifth. He said there was a different feeling entering the final day with this group – which features seven area players on its roster – and he was right as the Cardinals capped a 12-1 week by topping Texas-based Austin Performance Legacy 25-23, 25-19 in the title match.

“The girls just went after it,” Bitting said in a phone interview. “They had to fight and battle in certain situations, but they were big-time volleyball players this week. It was fun to watch them go after it, and it was just a great experience.”

The Cardinals entered the tournament as the top seed, but a loss to Miami Elite 16 Blue on Thursday dropped them to the second seed for the final day. They responded with four wins Friday and finished the club season 67-8.

Rhyen Neal, who will be a junior at Yorktown in the fall, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Lacee Adams (Central) and Katarina DiBiasio (Monroe Central) were also named All-Americans. Bitting was pleased to see contributions from the rest of the group, too, which included Hannah Alcala (Madison-Grant), Bronwyn Boots (Pendleton Heights), Aubree Lanman (Pendleton Heights), Shelby Mudd (Cathedral), Allison Ruddick (Central), Korrigan Runyon (Central), Rebecka Vannatta (Delta) and Karleigh Wilson (New Castle).

“We had some really big plays in big moments,” Bitting said. “Those three (All-Americans) were really steady all week, but all 11 really contributed and did a nice job.”

Munciana Chipmunks win national title

The Cardinals didn’t lose a set until their sixth match, and their lone defeat came in the eighth match. On the final day, they actually dropped their first set in their first match but they bounced back to win eight straight sets and return to Muncie with some hardware.

“There were certain points where some of them were forcing it too much and trying to do things on their own, but they made a commitment to winning points and winning sets together,” Bitting said.

“They made big plays in big moments. They didn’t let pressure get to them. On the last day here, it doesn’t matter what level it is, you have to win big points. That’s what they did, that’s why they were successful.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

New Castle volleyball, pictured in 2013, will have a third new coach in four seasons.

Matt Curts

NEW CASTLE Matt Curts got the call from new New Castle athletic director Shane Osting a little less than a month ago. Osting was looking for a volleyball coach and was reaching out to local club directors asking for names to possibly contact.

Curts, director of the local WAVE club, passed along some names, but something about it stuck with him.

“Then I started to think about, you know, I was a head coach before,” Curts said. “And, hey, it’s my time to get back in the game here. So I chose to apply for the job as well.”

He was hired Monday, bringing a hefty resume to a job that has seen its share of instability the past few years. Curts replaces Mike Dodrill, who took the job at Burris.

Curts has not been a head coach for the past few years, but he’s been deeply involved in the game for a long time. He spent nearly a decade at the helm of Randolph Southern, building a program with little history and success into a squad that won three sectionals from 2007-9 (he departed after the first two).

He then spent two years as an assistant at Yorktown, one as head coach of Union City, then was hired to teach at Wilson Middle School in Muncie, where he’s coached volleyball and girls basketball.

He’s also coached with the WAVE since 1994, been director for the past five years and been involved with the sport on the state level.

“He’s coached high school before, had great success with a smaller school,” Osting said. “Built it, bottom up. His knowledge of the game, his dedication and commitment he’s shown. He’s been part of the ICGSA and been chairman of volleyball.

“Just felt like he really had the knowledge and experience, that we wanted him to be part of the Trojan family. “

Osting added there will be a “meet the coaches” night for the volleyball program at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the high school cafeteria.

Curts, who will continue teaching at in Muncie, has a chance to provide some continuity for a program that will be breaking in its third new coach in four seasons. That started when Alan Davis, who led the team to a 2007 state title, departed after the 2011 season.

Randy Gardner took over, produced a dominant first season with state Gatorade Player of the Year Lauryn Gillis, but he was suspended and ultimately departed in the midst of the 2013 season. Dodrill, his assistant, took over, leading the Trojans to a sectional title and spot in a regional. But after Gillis graduated, the team slipped to 19-15 last fall and saw a three-year run of sectional titles snapped.

Curts said he is excited to take over a program with such a storied tradition (25 sectionals ranks ninth all-time), and he inherits a squad in the midst of transition. The Trojans said goodbye to their top hitter (Payton Anderson), top backline player (Brianna Heffernan) and top setter (Kiley Lingenfelter) off a team that featured no juniors.

But perhaps that’s not the worst spot for a new coach, with a group that’s still moldable.

When he got the call from Osting, it stirred the desire to get back into the game. Now he’s already started in on offseason work with the team and started getting an impression of what he’ll start with taking over the storied program.

“We have a very young team,” Curts said. “We have zero seniors. We’re stacked with freshmen, sophomores and juniors. We have a lot of growth to do. We have a lot of positive players, a lot of girls that are very coachable. I’m looking forward to that.”

Central’s Parker Phelps works to avoid the Yorktown defense.

ATHLETICS

Central will be holding athletic physicals from noon-3 p.m. on July 29 in the nurse’s clinic at the school. It will also be holding concussion impact testing from noon-3 p.m. on July 29, and concussion impact testing will also be offered at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Aug. 3. Athletes must have forms for both a physical and concussion impact testing prior to participating in a first practice.

GIRLS GOLF

Central will be holding its first practice from 9-11:30 a.m. on Friday at Crestview Golf Club.

BOYS SOCCER

Central will be holding its first practice from 8-10 a.m. on Aug. 3 at the school’s practice soccer field.

FOOTBALL

Central will be holding its first practice for varsity, JV and freshmen players from 4-7 p.m. on Aug. 3 at its stadium.

GIRLS SOCCER

Central will be holding its first practice from 6:30-8 p.m. on Aug. 3 at the school’s practice soccer field.

BOYS TENNIS

Central will be holding its first practice from 10 a.m.-noon on Aug. 3 at the school’s tennis courts.

VOLLEYBALL

Central will be holding its first practice from 3-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Aug. 3 in Muncie Fieldhouse.

CROSS COUNTRY

Central will be holding its first practice for both boys and girls at 7 a.m. on Aug. 3 and will meet at the school’s football stadium.

Alysa Sutton

GASTON – Each of the Wes-Del Warriors volleyball team stood about five feet from one of their teammates, just passing to each other over and over, first with their forearms and then with their hands. They passed while standing up, then while kneeling and then standing up again.

Wes-Del coach Biff Wilson quietly watched his team Monday — the first official day of practice and also the first official day of the Warriors state title defense — and decided to interject.

“I once saw a group of girls do this drill for 20 minutes without missing a single pass,” he let them know.

“They were only freshmen, too,” he added with a smile.

The Warriors had camp during the summer, but the last time they were officially together during the season was when they won their second state title in four years at Ball State’s Worthen Arena last November. That was in front of a large Warriors contingent with everything on the line. Monday afternoon was a much different affair: a mostly-quiet practice filled with the mundane drills — like passing to each other from five feet away — that lead to the kind of celebrations the Warriors experienced on the final day of last season.

Wilson was clear, too; summer vacation is over, as is the honeymoon period. Back to basics, indeed.

“It’s kind of hard to reset sometimes,” Wilson said after practice. “I was explaining to them tonight, we haven’t earned anything this year, except that we have a reputation of being a successful program. Year to year, you have to go out and prove it all over again, and that’s what they have to keep in mind.”

Several players from this season’s squad were absent from practice, and even more were missing from last season’s squad.

Of the nine-player rotation Wilson used last season, only three are back — Alysa Sutton, Perrie Smalley and Morgan Prather. Emily Hale has bided her time behind Kennedy Petro at setter, and she’s anxious to step up along with Jaclyn Love, Marah Reno and Paige Townsend, all of whom helped the junior varsity go 17-3 last season. Emily Hale is prepared to fill a role, as well.

“It makes us certainly want to build off last year and continue to build our program,” Smalley said. “Every year you’re going to have a different team, no matter what, and you just want to find that leadership and then find everyone else, and bring them along.”

Added Sutton, a two-time All-State outside hitter: “It’s definitely going to be different without all of the seniors, but we really need to come together as a team. It’s important for us to show that we can support each other and be there for each other.”

The next two weeks of preseason practice will be crucial for the Warriors, who went 35-3 last season but are moving up from Class A to Class 2A this season.

“They were goofing around a little bit while they were stretching, and I said something to them about focusing,” Wilson said. “Then I went to get a bottle of pop, came back and asked, ‘Does anyone have a Snickers? I’m a little grumpy when I’m hungry.’ You try to keep (the focus) at a certain level.”

For the Warriors, the next two weeks before the season opener against Daleville about is finding that level, so that the end of the season might involve another celebration.

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Audrey Woodin

MUNCIE – It was just a routine conditioning drill — short sprints, to be exact — at the end of a preseason practice.

While Delta’s season opener was more than two weeks away at the time, one of the team’s two seniors did something that could set the tone for not only the rest of the preseason, but through the entire fall as well.

Audrey Woodin’s message after conditioning was loud and clear.

“If we would have ran this hard on the others as we did with that last one,” she told the team, “then maybe we wouldn’t have done so many.”

That certainly got Heidi Zickgraf’s attention.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had an upperclassman do that,” the Delta coach said, “but I think they have some goals in mind, and they want to do what they need to do to accomplish those goals.”

If Woodin’s impassioned act showed anything, it’s that the Eagles aren’t just sticking to the status quo. The urgency is there for a team which went 27-6 last season.

The team’s motto, “Earned, not given,” has special meaning to Woodin and the team’s other senior, Kaylee Nichols.

“We’re really putting that in perspective,” Woodin said. “It’s our last year; we’ve never won county, we’ve never won conference. We’ve won sectionals once, but to me that’s not enough — I want more than that. I want county, I want conference, I want state.

“To do that, we have to push everyone as a program to get better.”

Zickgraf is anxious to get going with this group because of its experience. Though Woodin and Nichols are the only seniors, the team is littered with juniors, including Mississippi State commit Gabby Zgunda, who will play libero this season after playing defensive specialist last year. The Eagles have their top three attackers back (Woodin, Nichols and Camryn Campbell) plus a setter with experience in Kelsee Roe. Rebecka Vannatta appeared in every set on the front line as a sophomore, and Chloe Stitt will see action as well, being eligible this season after transferring from Madison-Grant last year.

With a lot of familiar faces, Delta hopes to go into its first match, which is August 20 against Jay County, with a lot of momentum.

“We have 12 practices,” Nichols said, “and 12 seems like a lot, but before we know it, it’s going to be Thursday and we’ll be starting at Jay County. Then there’s no going back.”

And while the season finally starting is something to get excited for, the Eagles are operating with the end game in mind. Winning all those matches didn’t mean much when they lost in their sectional opener to Central in four sets.

And guess who will be standing in Delta’s path this year? That’s right, rival Yorktown, which drops down to Class 3A this season.

“That motivation alone is something they’re striving for,” Zickgraf said. “I think they could go 30-0, and if they don’t win their sectional, they feel like they had an awful season.

“Winning the sectional is obviously a big goal for them. They want to accomplish that and go even further on, but getting out of the sectional is a big thing for them.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Wes-Del’s Alysa Sutton committed to Eastern Michigan this week.

Alysa Sutton had several options to continue her volleyball career at the next level.

Ultimately, though, the Wes-Del star senior chose a program with strong local ties — and cited that as one of her primary reasons behind the decision.

In committing to Eastern Michigan on Friday, Sutton will play for head coach Kimi Olson, a New Castle graduate, and assistant coach Darcy Dorton, a Delta graduate. Each of the coaches played for Mike Lingenfelter, who runs the Munciana club volleyball program Sutton plays for.

That connection led Sutton to believe she’ll be in an environment that allows her to flourish.

“They just get how I’ve been taught and how I play,” Sutton said. “I feel I can grow as a player there.”

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter and first-team All-State selection led Wes-Del to its second state title last season, piling up a team-high 455 kills and adding 324 digs.

Wes-Del coach Biff Wilson said it’s Sutton’s all-around ability that makes her a Division I player.

“She’s just a really good player and has every skill there is when it comes to volleyball,” Wilson said. “I believe they’re interested in her in the back row, but I don’t know that they’d rule out opportunities for her to hit. She could do either. And if they give her enough time, she could probably set for them.

“I think (their coaching staff) will really enjoy her level of intensity and competitiveness.”

Eastern Michigan offered Sutton in June while she was playing at the AAU National Championships in Orlando, Florida. Sutton visited later in the summer and decided that the Eagles, who went 18-13 overall and 9-7 in the Mid-American Conference last season, were a better fit than George Mason and Eastern Kentucky.

Plus, she’ll get a trip home to Muncie every year to play in front of those who molded her when Eastern Michigan takes on Ball State.

Now all that’s left for Sutton to do is enjoy her senior season and focus on leading Wes-Del to another deep postseason run.

“I thought I’d be more comfortable and prepared if I had everything planned out,” Sutton said. “I’m definitely relieved. I’m really excited to start this next chapter of my life and see where this takes me.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Central’s Micah Leavell hits against Delta last season.

MUNCIE – The Central Bearcats want to play fast. As it turns out, they practice what they preach.

At the conclusion of a recent preseason practice, they operated so quickly that players didn’t have time to think. After a point was over in 6-on-6 drills, there was no regrouping and sending a player back to the service line. Almost as soon as a ball would hit the floor, assistant coach Dan Bergren would toss another one into play, and the action continued. Even when the Bearcats had to pick up balls and break down the nets, Central coach Wes Lyon put them on a two-minute timer.

This is right in line with Central’s philosophy and its desire to allow players to simply react and play.

“From a coaching standpoint, we like to coach on the fly,” Lyon said. “We like to make sure kids can figure things out on the fly, because in a real game, you can’t stop them. You run out of timeouts in a game, and you’re really on your own.

“A key word we use is that we want to be self-reliant. That’s one thing we try to teach by doing everything fast.”

One of the reasons Central has the luxury to go at warp speed is that it is starting in a good place this season. With a strong group of returners from a team which went 26-9 and won a sectional, such as setter Lacee Adams and outside hitter Virginia Wilhoite, the foundation is set. Regarding the basics, Lyon said, “We’ve hit on (them), but we can actually move forward a little bit.”

Going fast is crucial in the middle for the Bearcats, who will rely on Micah Leavell and E’Laisah Young, the team’s top two attackers last season. Nikki Marshall and Allison Ruddick are versatile and could play in the back row or on the outside, while Kinkaid Padgett, Carolina Aikin and Natalie Smith will be defensive specialists.

One change from last season doesn’t necessarily have to do with on-court skills.

“We’re going to have a good year, we are,” Wilhoite said. “Our attitudes are much better than last year. We’re all closer and connecting better.

“We weren’t rude (last year), but we would encourage each other differently; it was kind of harsh. But now we’re used to it, and now we’re taking it to make us better.

Adams was in agreement on that front.

“We’re used to each other,” Adams said, “so it’s been a good vibe.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Wapahani is working with off-court skills as much as on it during the preseason.

SELMA – When he was coaching the junior varsity team at Monroe Central, Wapahani volleyball coach Jared Richardson had his players take part in team-building activities.

The third-year coach decided to do this with the Raiders for the first time before the start of official practice, venturing out to Camp Yale in Winchester. The big question for Richardson: Why this year, with this team?

That answer lies with who wasn’t there that day. The team’s senior leader (libero Hannah Smith, a Ball State recruit) was on vacation at the time, so Richardson thought, ‘Let’s see who steps up without her?’ The Raiders – heavy on potential but also heavy on youth – didn’t touch a volleyball that day, but they grew as a team.

“Hannah is a great leader,” sophomore setter Lexi Spence said, “but there has to be someone else to step up and take charge. We did really well with it. It was good to work as a team without her.”

One particularly interesting challenge was having the team, made up of 14 players, all touch a tiny ball. The catch: Only one person could touch it at a time. The instructor asked the Raiders how fast they could do it, and the team guessed about 10 seconds. The players were shocked when the instructor informed them that the record was less than one second.

For a half hour, the Raiders experimented with a variety of strategies, like everyone surrounding the ball on the ground and taking turns quickly touching it. The finally got their time down to one second by interlocking hands at an angle and rolling the ball down.

Lesson learned. And not with how to touch a ball quickly.

“… I sat back with the team,” Richardson said, “and I was like, ‘If we set our goal at 10 seconds and we could really achieve one second, what are we really capable of achieving when you really get after it? Why do we set our standard at 10 seconds and not at one?'”

Richardson is enjoying making this group think. The first week of preseason practice, he spent each day going over five traits that make up a functioning team. The first day was about trust, then understanding the value of conflicts, followed by commitment, then a lesson in accountability, capped by attention to results.

Richardson is aiming to squeeze as much out of the Raiders mentally because he believes the team has all the makings of a strong team physically-speaking.

In addition to Smith, Skyler Van Note was second on the team in kills last season as a freshman, and this year she’ll play six rotations. Estella Davis, a member of the Munciana Chipmunks squad that won an AAU national title over the summer, is expected to be a big contributor right away on the outside. Just a sophomore, Spence has developed into that second leader Richardson was looking for, and Chase Curry should contribute as well on the attack.

The root of all this optimism from a team which went 21-9 last season and drops down to Class 2A this season? In two preseason tournaments, the Raiders only lost to two Class 4A teams – and they were competitive in each.

“We’ve got it all, we just have to put it together as a team,” Smith said. “… I think the sky is the limit with this team.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Diana Campbell

COWAN – Whitney Stewart hasn’t been the head volleyball coach at Cowan for long, but she’s finding ways to mix things up – in a way the Blackhawks apparently aren’t used to.

The former Delta assistant is focusing on volleyball-specific skills, like ball control and the team’s attack, but she’s also finding ways to spice things up.

Each day, Stewart has a different conditioning element mixed into practice, and the reviews from the players are that she is working them hard – just what the coach wants to hear.

“They’re not used to it, said they’ve never conditioned before,” Stewart said. “I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ So we condition every day. It’s something different every day.”

Stewart has a card game that the team has discovered isn’t like your Friday night poker game.

Players take turn picking cards from the deck; between 2 and 5, it’s a down-and-back sprint the length of the basketball court, as many times as the card says; a 6-10, it’s a half-court sprint the amount of times on the card; a jack is a suicide, a queen is sideline-to-sideline.

Stewart has found other ways to challenge the team physically, having them run through the hallways with balls over their heads or running stairs in the gym.

Practice could easily be a lot more bland, and as a result, the Blackhawks have taken a liking to their new coach – despite not having much time with her yet.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought, we actually mesh really well with her,” said Diana Campbell, the team’s leading hitter a year ago, of the quick turnaround. “She makes practice really fun, but it’s hard at the same time. So we’re working a lot.”

Added setter Gabby Harrington: “We all just kind of took to her methods really quickly and sold out right away. That made it easier to do it.”

For a team which finished 20-12 last season and looking to take the next step, every advantage helps, and conditioning may provide that.

As her players finished up running stairs after a recent preseason practice, Stewart outlined the reason for the emphasis on conditioning.

“I was just telling them yesterday,” Stewart said, “that there will come a time during the season that this has gotten a lot easier, and that they’ll realize it’s paying off, that they’re in better shape than another team that they play. I told them that they’ll reap the benefits – eventually.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.