Indiana 1A So Far: Five Team Leaders

<p>We’re a few weeks into the 2020 high school volleyball season here in Indiana, and the best teams are starting to sort themselves out. We’ve got a few surprises early, and it’s fun to see how teams are reacting with the elephant in the room. Here are five teams that shot out of the gate early in 1A.</p> <p>Aside: I would be incomplete in my writing if I didn’t give credit where credit was due. This, and the next three articles, would not be possible without the help of IndianaPrepVolleyball.com and its lead administrator, Zach McCrite. If you’re at all interested in Indiana high school volleyball, check him out.</p> <p><strong>#5: Loogootee, 7-1</strong></p> <p>With their only loss coming to 4A Perry Meridian, the preseason #3 Lions are holding fast at #5 in the early going. They are definitely going to have their hands full with state title contender Trinity Lutheran tonight on the road. Running a modified 6-2, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101318" first="Kylie" last="VanHoy"] (’22, 5-10, S/OH)</strong> has been the clearcut leader for Loogootee, averaging almost five kills per set, hitting .455 and leading the team in blocks. Kylie is also #2 in assists with a familiar face, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101317" first="Makenzie" last="VanHoy"] </strong>leading in that department.</p> <p><strong>#4: South Newton, 9-1</strong></p> <p>Unranked in our preseason preview, the Rebels shot out of the starting gate with nine straight before dropping a four-setter to Carroll in their county tournament last night. Leading the way is captain <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="107144" first="Samantha" last="Warren"] (’21, 5-10, MB/OH), </strong>hammering over four kills per set while hitting almost .500 and blocking a ball per set. Their next test doesn’t come for another week and a half against 4A Lafayette Jefferson on September 12. They could legitimately be 13-1 by that time. Hopefully, Miss Warren’s arm won’t fall off by then.</p> <p><strong>#3: Springs Valley, 7-0</strong></p> <p>Known more for their world-famous alum Larry Bird, the Blackhawks have dropped exactly two sets in their seven matches this season thus far. Our preseason #6 is clearly living up to the hype, and freshman phenom <strong>Leigh Carnes (’24, 5-7, OH)</strong> has carried the flag for Springs Valley. Her nearly four kills per set is more than double any of her teammates. I’m looking forward to how they match up with Rock Creek Academy (9/5) and Barr-Reeve (9/8), two top-ten caliber teams with multiple D1 and D2 commits.</p> <p><strong>#2: Blue River Valley, 5-1</strong></p> <p>Also unranked in our preseason preview, the Vikings’ only loss is to 2A #1 Wapahani. Their schedule is no joke; a win over Wes-Del and future matches against top ten Shenandoah and defending state champ Cowan show that BRV knows how to schedule. Our favorite is the shortest on this list, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="107146" first="Kearsten" last="Perdue"] (’23, 5-6, S), </strong>who runs the offense and is #3 in digs for the Vikings.</p> <p><strong>#1: Triton, 4-1</strong></p> <p>Probably the biggest early season surprise are the Trojans. Their straight-sets win over Mishawaka was huge, and their next biggest might be the 9/29 matchup against perennial top ten Pioneer. Unranked in our preview, the Trojans have a freshman stud in <strong>Addyson Viers (’24, 6-0, MB), </strong>who’s currently #2 in kills, #3 in aces and #1 in blocks for the big club.</p>