<p>Her team two points from being closed out in a road match against Indian Creek last week, Whiteland senior Sarah Scott rotated back to serve.</p><p>The middle hitter’s jump serve ultimately saved the night for her team. Scott served up nine straight points to end the fourth set, and the Warriors rallied for a 22-25, 26-24, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10 triumph.</p><p>“It was a huge relief,” Scott said. “And definitely exciting.”</p><p>A four-year starter, Scott leads the 5-8 Warriors in kills, blocks, digs and serve receptions as they prepare for Tuesday’s home match against Mid-State Conference foe Perry Meridian. She finished her junior campaign pacing Whiteland in two of those categories, as well as assists.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Scott entered this season with career totals reflecting that versatility — 291 kills, 246 assists, 238 digs, 120 blocks and 93 service aces.</p><p>“Last year, Sarah played almost everything for us. This year, she’s primarily our middle hitter,” second-year Warriors coach Jill Cain said. “Sarah is definitely a leader by action for our team. She’s very humble and sets the expectation of how the girls perform on the court.</p><p>“They all look up to her.”</p><p>And not just because Scott, who stands 5-foot-10, is one of Whiteland’s tallest players.</p><p>In August, Scott, who carries a 3.86 grade-point average, signed to play volleyball at Taylor University for coach Erin Luthy, a former player at the school.</p><p>Scott is undecided on a major, but more than comfortable with her college choice.</p><p>“I really love the coach and the team there,” said Scott, who’ll be the first Johnson County volleyball player suiting up for Taylor since senior outside hitter Jessi Arbuckle (Center Grove), a member of the 2016-17 team.</p><p>“Just from visiting, I could tell that was a place I wanted to be the next four years.”</p><p>A two-year team captain, Scott shares leadership responsibilities with the squad’s other senior, right-side hitter Kaylee Denham. The latter is the more boisterous of the two while trying to lead a young Warriors team; Scott expresses herself vocally, though her style is mostly through actions on the court and off.</p><p>“I’m definitely more of a leader by example,” Scott said. “It’s an honor for the girls to look up to me, but it also puts a little bit of pressure on me. It puts you in situations where you have to step up and maybe have conversations that will put you outside of your comfort zone. But it makes you grow.”</p><p>Regardless of how long Whiteland’s volleyball season lasts, Scott is nowhere near being done offering up serves.</p><p>The No. 2 singles player for the Warriors’ tennis team as a sophomore, she was expected to move to the top of the lineup last spring before the season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott is likely to be at No. 1 singles this spring.</p><p>In the meantime, she looks to enjoy however many volleyball matches remain.</p><p>“It’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs over the years,” Scott said. “We’ve had times we’ve been on a winning streak and times we’ve been on a losing streak, but overall, it’s been fun.”</p>
