By RICHIE HALL
If you go to a Fishers volleyball match, you will find a great amount of positive energy in the Tiger Den.
That was certainly on display Thursday night as Fishers played Zionsville to open Hoosier Crossroads Conference play. The Tigers came from behind to win the first set, took control of a see-saw second set, then cruised through the third set to sweep the Eagles, 25-22, 25-21, 25-17.
Thus Fishers began its HCC campaign with a win, and also improved its season record to 4-0.
“I’m almost speechless on how well they played because we’ve been putting so much emphasis on taking what we did in practice and doing it in matches, and working on our serve receive gaame and not getting too hyped, too amped up to the point where we can’t execute and do what we need to do,” said Tigers coach Steven Peek.
“It takes a large level of energy to play the game, but there’s a point at which it’s too much,” said Peek. “So they did an amazing job of balancing their energy tonight and they did an amazing job of serve receiving, staying positive. This being my third season here, this is the most positive team I’ve coached in the three years here. They did a great job with that tonight.”
That positive attitude carried the Tigers through the first set, a set in which Fishers trailed for most of the time. The Tigers were still down 20-17 at one point before running off eight of the next 10 points to win the set. Bryn Roberts hit three kills and joined Haley Soper for a block, Rose Duffy helped out with a kill, and Camryn Haworth spiked the set-winning kill.
Zionsville bolted out to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but Fishers immediately tied it up. Neither team led by more than a point for a long time, until a run of three consecutive points put Fishers up 21-19. The Tigers then finished the set with two straight points, as Camryn Haworth and Soper made a block, then Audrey Haworth put down a kill to put Fishers up 2-0 in sets.
The Tigers’ big hitters powered through the third set. Camryn Haworth hit an unbelievable five kills in an eight-point span midway through the set, helping Fishers to break out of an 8-8 tie and take a 14-11 lead. Jada Allen had three kills in the set, including a big hit to put Fishers up 15-11. From there, the Tigers worked their way to the finish line; Audrey Haworth’s kill gave Fishers the match.
Camryn Haworth had 13 kills and 14 digs on the night.
“Cam is a dominator, for sure,” said Peek. “That’s what she wants to do. She’s just built and made that way as an athlete and she’s built herself to be that person.”
Roberts had 12 kills, while Allen and Audrey Haworth both hit 10 kills.
“It takes a lot of pressure off, especially knowing that this is a really exciting game for everybody, so everybody’s at their top and they’re going over and beyond to just get the point,” said Camryn Haworth.
Peek was thrilled with Allen’s performance as well.
“We’ve got a great team and a great supporting cast around her and every single moment, we need somebody to be the star,” said Peek. “Other teams, I think, make her out to be their No. 1 priority in stopping her, so she’s got a target on her back all season from the get-go. People are going to want to try to stop her.” The coach said for Allen to get 10 kills “means she absolutely earned it.”
Duffy had an outstanding game with 43 assists, three blocks and 20 digs. Duffy had 20 dig attempts, which put her percentage at 100.
“For her to dig every ball, all 20 of them that came at her, is awesome,” said Peek. “Like I said in regard to serve receive, one dig when it’s 15-15 in the second and you had to come back in the first, that one dig just allows us to get a little bit of an edge and that confidence.”
Emma Rosenberg had 18 digs and Soper made 1.5 blocks.
University swept International on Thursday, 25-14, 25-17, 25-19.
Junior Lindsey Syrek made six blocks, while senior Violet Worth led the team in service aces. The Trailblazers play at Faith Christian in Lafayette tonight.
Westfield dropped a four-set match to new HCC opponent Franklin Central on Thursday, 25-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19.
Kenzie Daffinee put down 17 kills and hit four aces. Anna Johnsey made three blocks, while Raigan Stanifer had 16 digs and Ellary Detamore collected 15.
On Wednesday, the Shamrocks swept Southport 25-22, 25-16, 25-17. Westfield was led by Daffinee’s 13 kills, while Johnsey hit seven and Detamore put down six. Kinsey McAfee and Daffinee both served three aces. McAfee handed out 30 assists, while Detamore collected 20 digs and Bailey Mendler had 18 digs.
Hamilton Heights lost to Northwestern 25-19, 25-14, 25-14 on Thursday.
Kennedy Lewis hit 11 kills, while Sydney Griffey put down eight kills.
Noblesville dropped an HCC match to Avon on Thursday, 25-9, 25-11, 25-17.
The Millers play at New Castle on Saturday morning.
Fishers’ Jada Allen hit 10 kills for the Tigers in their straight set win over Zionsville Thursday night at the Tiger Den. (Kirk Green)