Top Five Setters At State Championship Saturday

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Use code KypExpo250 for savings off of your registration to our Top 250 Expo on December 7!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We can talk all day about the big kids and the attackers and defense and offense. However, without these five setters, the teams they play for have nowhere near the season that they had. Here are five setters from around the state and from all four classes that moved the needle for their recruitment or turned their performance into postseason accolades.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: [player_tooltip player_id='172318' first='Ava' last='Harris'], Angola (Villanova, '25)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unsung and without any fanfare coming in, Ava finished her career as a Hornet on the biggest stage. A few of the things I look for when evaluating setters is (1) doing the job consistently, (2) doing the job without fanfare, and (3) making the team around you better. For the last two seasons, Ava has done that and more, and firmly placed Angola on the 3A volleyball map in the process. In the state final against Roncalli, she dished out 21 assists while digging 6 balls, and her performance earned her the Mental Attitude award AND a place on the Second Team for All-State honors in 3A. Angola has a ton of kids coming back for another run to Worthen, but they will be hard-pressed to find someone like Ava.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: [player_tooltip player_id='160069' first='Addison' last='Darlage'], Trinity Lutheran (IU Columbus, '25)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Probably the most balanced offense of the day came in the first match of the day with the Cougars. Addison has been completely in charge of Trinity Lutheran's success over her four year career, amassing over 4000 assists over her illustrious career. Multiple attackers from TL over the last four years have gone on to play collegiate ball, and all of them had some sort of benefit for having Miss Darlage as their setter. IUC has an absolute steal of a setter for the next four years, and will be more competitive in the River States Conference when she arrives. Once again, like Ava above, Addison and her First Team All-State honors will be hard to replace in the fall of '25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3: [player_tooltip player_id='300206' first='Sophia' last='Gisslen'], Carroll ('26)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A Second Team All-State honoree from this past season, Sophia is yet another of a group of setters that get the job done and do it without the fanfare, accolades and attention that some setters require. This was Sophia's first season as the full-time setter in the 5-1, and she dished out more than 1100 this fall. Hitting the ground running from August, she played as if she's always been the starter. Her full stat line of 31 assists, 8 digs and 3 kills makes her one of the more well-rounded setters in Indiana in any class. After her performance on the biggest stage Indiana has to offer, I'm going to guess that she won't be uncommitted for long.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2: [player_tooltip player_id='252404' first='Addie' last='Haberthy'], Roncalli ('26)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of FIVE Royals named to the 3A First Team All-State list, Addie is far and away the biggest and most experienced setter on this list. She plays bigger than her 5-11 frame, and showed off that length with her play on Saturday. Her 32 assists were second-most out of all nine setters that played at Worthen, Although her match was a sweep, having the ability to find her hitters in the right situation every time was her calling card at State, and she will probably use that experience into her club season, which looks to be a lot busier from the recruiting aspect. To play for a nationally-ranked top five program is one thing. To be THE setter of an undefeated, state champion, top-five nationally ranked team that dropped five SETS all season is completely another. There won't be another team like Roncalli's in the near future.....well, except if Roncalli makes it back again with Miss Haberthy at the helm.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1: [player_tooltip player_id='157436' first='Janie' last='Ransom'], Western Boone ('25)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As Western Boone's all-time assists record holder (3778), it goes without saying that Janie has seen all there is to see about Stars volleyball. She came in as the starting setter her freshman year, and finished that season with a red ribbon (runner-up). Fast-forward to this past Saturday, and Miss Ransom and her band of Stars left no doubt to the thousands in attendance at Worthen Arena in a demolition of last year's runner-up, Brownstown Central. Unsigned, unheralded and determined, Miss Ransom used work ethic, consistency and determination to fuel her return to Ball State, and did so with the most assists of any setter at State (36). A North Central All-District honoree, Janie's legacy will be felt far more than what hardware and memories can give credit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->