The Week That Was For The Top Five In 4A

<p>Even though this is a holiday weekend, volleyball doesn’t stop, as matches are still scheduled through Saturday. With that being said, here are our top five teams from this past week in 4A and the players that led them.</p> <p><strong>#5: Hamilton Southeastern (7-2)</strong></p> <p>After two season-opening losses to tough 4A #3 McCutcheon and Carmel, the Royals have run off seven straight, with no end in sight. They dealt Floyd Central their first loss, knocked off power Providence, and most recently swept Sacred Heart, a perennial power from Kentucky. They have both <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93482" first="Avery" last="Hobson"] (’23, 5-11 OH) </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110501" first="Lauren" last="Harden"] (’24, 6-3 OH)</strong> to thank for their success. The two-headed monster on the left pin constantly and consistently put balls away, and the two account for nearly seven points per set. Where Avery uses her strength to power off of and through blocks, Lauren goes over them.</p> <p><strong>#4: Roncalli (14-2)</strong></p> <p>Other than minor blips against Munster and Columbus East, both excellent programs in their own right, the (other) Royals have run roughshod over their schedule, including a win over defending 4A champ Yorktown. Leading the way offensively is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85844" first="Olivia" last="Murphy"] (’22, 6-0 OH),</strong> who can take over a match at will, and has done so in the last week and a half. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152943" first="Logan" last="Bell"] (’25, 5-10 OH)</strong> has been a pleasant surprise as the other outside, and throws in some primary passing as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85851" first="Sarah" last="Lezon"] (’22, 5-10 MB)</strong> uses her strength and volleyball IQ to beat blocks and bomb away from behind the baseline. All-state libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85811" first="Emma" last="Halter"] (’22, 5-6 DS/L, Texas commit)</strong> runs the defensive show, and takes a ton of balls in serve receive. Like HSE, Roncalli looks like a force to be reckoned with come October.</p> <p><strong>#3: McCutcheon (7-2)</strong></p> <p>Without much of a challenge from either their conference or sectional, the Mavericks have to schedule as tough as possible to recreate the pressure of the postseason. They’ve done just that, earning win over 4A #5 HSE to start their season. Losses to Fishers and 4A #1 Penn look like great losses, and McCutcheon should continue their winning ways. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85895" first="Chloe" last="Chicoine"] (’23, 5-9 OH, Penn State commit)</strong> is the obvious leader for this squad, but has NORCECAs to play in Mexico, and will be gone for a few weeks. Stepping up into that void should be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110524" first="Isabella" last="Humphrey"] (’24, 5-9 OH) </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155214" first="Reanna" last="Lee"] (’25, 5-11 MB). </strong>Although it is impossible to recreate six kills per set from scratch, Miss Humphrey and Miss Lee have shown that they can put balls away and develop their game even further. </p> <p><strong>#2: Mount Vernon (Fortville) (11-1)</strong></p> <p>Keeping up with the big dogs in 4A is not easy. A recent five-set loss to Brownsburg will move the Marauders off of the 2-line, but not too far. Led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="102847" first="Cecilia" last="Bulmahn"] (’22, 5-9 OH, Southern Illinois commit), </strong>it seemed that she might be the only offensive piece to this puzzle. After seeing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85888" first="Tatum" last="Fitzgerald"]’s (’22, 5-9 OH)</strong> 17 kill performance in that five set loss, getting that help from the other outside position is exactly what the Marauders need.</p> <p><strong>#1: Penn (14-0)</strong></p> <p>The last undefeated in 4A is making mince meat of their schedule. Wins over 3A champ Bishop Dwenger, Munster, McCutcheon and Muncie Burris, all amazing volleyball programs, make this game look easy to the Kingsmen (Lady Kingsmen? Kingswomen?). <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101974" first="Emma" last="Hickey"] (’22, 5-7 OH)</strong> continues to carry this squad, even though her future looks to be relegated to the back row. Speaking of the undersized and under appreciated, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125441" first="Janet" last="Moala"] (’22, 5-7 MB)</strong> continues to pound away at unassuming blocks and defenses night in and night out. The third of three seniors running the show is <strong>Taylor Hostetler (’22, 5-10 OH), </strong>whose three points per set is an exceptional complement to Miss Hickey. </p>