Fishers headed to state finals

The Fishers boys volleyball team won its own regional last Saturday, beating Hamilton Southeastern in a four-set championship match. The Tigers qualified for the state finals for the seventh consecutive year; this year state takes place at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. (Richie Hall)

The REPORTER

The Fishers boys volleyball team will make an appearance at the final IBVCA-sponsored state finals.

The Tigers clinched their seventh consecutive trip to state last Saturday by hosting one of four regionals across the state. Fishers beat Fort Wayne Snider in the semifinals with a 25-10, 25-16, 25-16 sweep, then edged out Mudsock rival Hamilton Southeastern in a four-set championship match. The scores were 25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 25-16.

“We played really well,” said Tigers coach Carlos Capó. “We were struggling a little bit in this match with our serve, serve receive and our outside hitting, so I made an adjustment. I moved one of our middles. Nate Fitzwater was a beast. We’ve been practicing that a little bit and he came through and he just could not be stopped. That got us over the finish line.”

The Royals reached the championship match with a semifinal sweep of Homestead, 25-19, 25-14, 25-9.

“They came to play,” said Capó. “We had to play well. Otherwise, there’s no way we would’ve won.”

Westfield played in the Franklin Community regional last Saturday. The Shamrocks fell in the semifinals to the host Grizzly Cubs in five sets, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-10.

Fishers will be one of the four teams playing in this Saturday’s state finals at Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University. The first semifinal match is between Cathedral and Brebeuf Jesuit, with the Tigers playing the second semifinal against Roncalli. The two winners will play for the state championship later that evening.