HSE volleyball completes remarkable run with 4A title: 'We have a lot of special kids'

MUNCIE — Ask most anyone affiliated with the program what's special about the 2022 Hamilton Southeastern volleyball team — beyond its absurd level of talent, of course — and they'll likely point to the team's chemistry.

It was evident a couple weeks ago amidst a dominating four-set win over nationally ranked McCutcheon in the regional championship, and it was on full-display in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Yorktown in the Class 4A state championship match.

The Royals trailed by as many as eight points in the third set, but banded together and stormed back, setting the stage for an exhilarating 25-17, 13-25, 25-23, 25-18 win. It's the first title in program history for HSE, which finishes the season 34-1.

"It was definitely nerve-wracking," junior libero Sophie Ledbetter said of the third set. "I knew everyone had to step up, get more comfortable, play their game and just trust each other. We knew we were the better team. We just had to play like it. And that's what we did in the third and fourth sets."

"This group is the best 'team' I've been part of," senior Avery Hobson added. "We all get along and have so much fun together — it's just a great team atmosphere and it's been like that all year."

An HSE victory seemed unlikely midway through the third set.

A disastrous second set had snowballed into the third with Yorktown building a 15-8 advantage that felt even more lopsided than the seven-point difference may suggest. The Royals were searching for answers and in danger of falling behind 2-1.

They could have tapped out, coach Jason Young said, but they dug deep.

"That lead — I wasn't sure," he admitted. "But we just kept believing. We kept getting runs of three and chipping our way back in."

The Royals followed a Breonna Goss kill with three straight blocks to regain some momentum, then scored five of the next six before using a 3-0 spurt to take a 20-18 lead, its first since the start of the set.

They chipped away before pulling ahead, and when Yorktown staged its own rally to tie at 23, Lindsey Mangelson retaliated for HSE before senior Avery Hobson put it away with a kill. "Those were the two biggest points of our season," Young said.

It was an impressive — perhaps even improbable — rally, and it signified a return to form by the nationally ranked Royals.

Following a back-and-forth start to set four, HSE took control and pulled away, using kills by Mangelson and Lauren Harden, plus an ace from setter Macy Hinshaw to build a 21-14 lead.

The Royals staved off one final Yorktown push before a Ledbetter ace set up Hobson for championship point.

"I don't think it's set in yet. I planned on crying, but I couldn't," Ledbetter beamed. "I was just too happy after we won."

Saturday's victory completes a remarkable season for the Royals, who ended the season on a 34-match win streak with only nine dropped sets. Yorktown was the only team to take HSE the distance, storming back from a 2-0 deficit before losing in five on Sept. 6.

When asked what was different about this year's group, Young cited their unselfishness, specifically at outside hitter where the Royals boast eight of the state's best. Of course, only two can play outside hitter (Mangelson and Hobson), he continued, so two played on the right side — Harden and Madison Evett — and two others moved to defense — Ledbetter and Kaylyn Christy.

"We have kids playing out of position who have done an unbelievable job," Young said. "Ledbetter was unbelievably good tonight. Christy, another kid that's going to be an outside in club, was unbelievably good from the service line and unbelievably good defensively. It was that defensive energy that put us over the top."

Ledbetter (25 digs, two aces) and Christy (seven digs, one ace) shined on defense, while in the middle, Goss, a Duke commit, scored 10.5 points (eight kills, four total blocks) and Tiffany Snook tallied a pair of blocks and five kills.

Also of note, Ava Hunter registered 10 digs, 12 assists and two aces, and Hinshaw recorded 27 assists and a pair of aces.

Harden, a Florida commit, finished with seven kills, five digs and two blocks.

"Ultimately, we have a lot of special kids," Young said.

As for Hobson, the Duquesne-bound outside hitter finished with a match-high 17 kills, 19 digs and a block.

The team's lone senior, she graduates with over 900 career kills, the last of which clinched Hamilton Southeastern its first-ever state title.

"It's what she's done all year," Young said of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner for 4A. "She's been our go-to all year, her and Harden. They've done such an unbelievable job offensively, but Avery, she's the only one that was with us in 2019 when we were here and for her to be part of this, and as the only senior, it just felt right."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA volleyball: Hamilton Southeastern caps remarkable run with 4A title