Yorktown’s Kenzie Knuckles hits against Central during their game at the Muncie Fieldhouse Thursday.
MUNCIE – In Yorktown’s season opener against Westfield, the Tigers didn’t face an attack that would target the area they were most vulnerable: the middle.
That’s why Thursday was an interesting test for the top team in Class 3A, because as Yorktown coach Stephanie Bloom warned her team, if Central was in system that’s where it would go.
And the Bearcats did feed big hitters E’laisah Young and Micah Leavell, but the Tigers’ undersized and inexperienced middle of Kendall Murr and Olivia Reed more than held their own as Yorktown rolled to a 25-20, 30-28, 25-20 sweep at Muncie Fieldhouse.
“We definitely focused a lot in practice on defending middles,” said Reed, who had seven kills. “… Putting up our blocks, our defense really played well around us.”
Add in the powerful swing of Yorktown freshman Kenzie Knuckles, who had a game-high 16 kills, and the Tigers were able to ace an early-season test.
Even more pleasing to Bloom was the way the Tigers (2-0) adjusted against Young (11 kills) and Leavell (nine kills) as the match wore on, particularly considering Murr is sliding over to the middle this season for the first time.
“There was a big difference between halfway through game one and the end of the match in what we were able to defend, whether that be back row or front row,” Bloom said. “Reed and Murr both did a great job slowing those middles down.”
In some ways, Central coach Wes Lyon said, the match went as expected as the Tigers’ ball control was the difference.
But the entire match could’ve taken a turn had the Bearcats (0-1) been able to pull out the second set as two late service errors doomed Central — including one on set point. Tied at 28, Knuckles flicked a short ball for a kill, then hit the Bearcats with a powerful strike to close the set.
“You have to realize that now we have to find new leaders, new people who can terminate the ball when it counts,” Lyon said, adding that his players have to grow accustomed to some new roles. “(Yorktown) had a freshman terminating the ball like she was a senior.”
This match could serve as a blueprint for the Tigers in terms of how to maneuver around taller teams.
“We kind of just outsmarted them,” Knuckles said. “It wasn’t all about power. I think to them, it was about power; to us, it was about being smart.”
Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.