2A Preview: #1-4

Our 2A preview of Indiana high school volleyball is complete with the final installment of rankings, #1-4. It would be incomplete without the help of Zach McCrite, fellow referee and purveyor of IndianaPrepVolleyball.com. If you’re at all interested in Indiana high school volleyball, this is a site you cannot miss. Go check it out. I will also include the MVR, or Most Valuable Returnee, for each team listed. Here we go! #4: Andrean, 21-13 Of the four listed here, Andrean has the toughest strength of schedule, emphasized by the fact that the toughness comes from the size of the schools. There is an abundance of 4A schools in the Fighting 59ers’ schedule, including Crown Point (4A #7), Munster (4A #9) and Franklin Central. Tough 3A schools are there as well, including Muncie Burris (3A top 5). What separates Andrean from the others on this list isn’t their toughness, it’s their lack of wins against "top 64" competition. They are 2-14 against the top 64 in the state, by far the worst record against such teams among these four listed. Maybe that is why they struggle to make it out of their regional, as the 59ers are the only team without a regional championship on this list. MVR: [player_tooltip player_id="103331" first="Maddie" last="Kmetz"], ’22, 5-7, S Maddie was, quite literally, the new kid as a freshman taking over a varsity program as a setter. Cut to the fall of 2019, and she’s clearly the one in charge of the offense. She’s smooth on defense, makes every ball hittable, and can bomb jump floaters from behind the service line. With a truncated club season, however, we never got a chance to see her progress through this past spring. Now, as a junior, here’s to hoping she gets a bit more help in her supporting cast. Andrean is a little far for me, but they play enough tournaments around the state that I can go see her. Stay tuned. #3: Wapahani, 31-6 Five of their six losses are to 3A and 4A schools, two of which are against 4A powerhouse Yorktown. The sixth? 2A state champ Heritage Christian in the state final. This is a team that has all of the tools to make another deep run in the state playoffs. The Raiders only graduate three, and none were attackers. And it’s not like the title match was a blowout; this upcoming fall could be Wapahani’s. MVR: [player_tooltip player_id="95742" first="Mallory" last="Summers"], ’21, 5-8, OH There are so many to choose from. One could argue that freshman defensive specialist [player_tooltip player_id="85901" first="Reese" last="Baker"] or freshman outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id="85905" first="Chloe" last="Cook"] are the future of this program, since both finished in at least the top three in multiple statistical categories in 2019. Both are top-15 recruits from the ’23 class in Indiana, and both are trained by Munciana. However, I defer to Mallory, the emotional and physical leader of the Raiders. She finished with over four kills a set, hitting almost .300 in the process. She also took close to 300 more swings than the next attacker, and will be the leading defender returning for Wapahani. #2: Barr-Reeve, 34-3 I’m a ref. When I get my ref schedule, I see what I’m getting myself into before I actually ref the match, just to prepare mentally for the level of play I’m about to officiate, from low-level high school all the way up to the Big Ten. That being said, I’m REALLY happy that I’ve never reffed Barr-Reeve so I can go to their matches and just watch. Enjoy their play. This past fall was very special for the Vikings, but this coming fall will be even more so. They’re in the southern half of the draw, so they’ll run into Heritage Christian again in the state semifinal. To get one more chance to knock the crown off of the queens? I’d like that chance, if I were a Viking. MVR: [player_tooltip player_id="85713" first="Anna" last="Ballengee"], ’21, 5-10, DS/OH The only time she even sniffs the front row is in the fall. Without all of that front-row training in the spring, wouldn’t your skill set decrease? Not Anna. She puts away over three balls per set while hitting over .300 as a six-rotation primary passer. In my view, her legs and shoulder are actually saved because of the jumping and swinging she doesn’t do during club season. She’s always the libero for whatever Circle team she plays for, and is the clear physical and emotional leader of whatever team she’s on. If there’s a Viking that needs to have an epic senior year to get that state title, it’s Anna. #1: Heritage Christian, 30-4 Here we go again. I had mentioned in my "1A Preview" how hard it was to repeat as state champion. With Martina DeMarchi graduating from Cowan, that’s a lot of offense that won’t be coming back for the Blackhawks. So what’s my excuse for the Eagles not repeating in 2A? Their four losses are to Brebeuf (3A #14), Roncalli (4A #15), Cathedral (4A power) and Delta (3A #11). They had ELEVEN wins against teams in the top 64 in the state in all classes, including 4A state finalist Hamilton Southeastern. They didn’t drop a set in the entirety of their state title run. And they graduate one. ONE. This team will be senior-heavy in 2020, and there might not be another opportunity for them to be THIS good for years to come. No pressure, but who’s gonna stop them? MVR: [player_tooltip player_id="85670" first="Raven" last="Colvin"], ’21, 6-0, MB, Purdue commit The leader in kills per set, hitting percentage, blocks and aces for the Eagles is the clear MVR for the defending state champ. It’s not close. But, unlike Miss Ballengee listed above, Miss Colvin has a more substantial supporting cast around her. [player_tooltip player_id="85706" first="Elizabeth" last="Phillips"] (’21, 5-10, OH) can get it done, finishing second in kills and digs a season ago. Then there’s [player_tooltip player_id="85828" first="Lovie" last="Wallace"] (’22, 6-0, MB). If you think you can take three rotations off just because Raven’s not in, you’re gonna get pounded.