INDIANAPOLIS
Indian Creek had to be honest about it. They expected Friday evening’s Class 3A first-round volleyball sectional match to be a little easier than it was.
The Braves had a week layoff, but opponent Beech Grove also had an extensive layoff, and they had an expectation that they were going to ease back into gear and cruise.
It didn’t start out that way, however, as they found themselves down 4-2 in the first set and trading blows for most of the rest of it. They eventually put the Hornets away in that set and then two more afterward, winning with a 25-19, 25-19, 25-12 sweep.
The Braves (15-14) advance to play sectional host Cardinal Ritter in a 12:30 p.m. semifinal today.
“We realized, ‘Oh, we have to play,’” Indian Creek middle blocker Ava McClanahan said. “I think we came in here thinking, ‘They haven’t practiced a while. We got this.’ We were kind of playing down a level and (coach Andi Ferris) brought us to the sideline and told us, ‘You have to step it up and find your fire again.’”
When Indian Creek felt itself lagging, it could still rely on its service game. The Braves were down 18-17 in the first set when senior setter Jessie Hart had three aces on four points as part of a run of five straight points that put Indian Creek in control.
Later in the third set, McClanahan had four aces as part of an 11-0 run that helped Indian Creek put a way a set they had trailed 4-0 at the outset and 6-2 at one point. McClanahan finished with five aces in the match to go with seven kills and three blocks.
“Once you get up in the service game, the other team gets down,” McClanahan said. “(Ferris) was picking out spots, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, I can hit that.’”
The Braves saw an improvement in communication after they fell behind early, and they took advantage of a size advantage at the net. McClanahan and 6-foot-2 freshman Faith Wiseman were both dominant in the middle, with Wiseman throwing down eight kills and three blocks. Senior outside hitter Tori Iaria was also effective with nine kills and four blocks.
“I thought we didn’t get out of the box quite as well as I had hoped,” Ferris said. “Our passing, our serve receive, our digs, they were just a little short. We were able to get that cleaned up. We had some good passes and then we were able to get to our attack.”
And so they were able to advance, knowing they’re in for a semifinal Saturday that will be less forgiving.
“We were excited to keep alive,” Ferris said. “That’s what matters. A win is a win.”
