Scecina volleyball team rolls to Regional match
Update: On Oct. 26, the volleyball team lost to Southmont in five sets. Congratulations on a great Scecina, Crusaders!
Scecina’s volleyball team is on a roll and ready for the IHSAA Regional this weekend. The 2A Crusaders won nine straight sets during the Sectional last weekend, winning the championship over Covenant Christian 25-21, 25-18, 25-23 on Oct. 19 before an enthusiastic home crowd.
The team plays Southmont at noon Saturday in the Regional match at Heritage Christian. The winner then will play for Regional championship at 7 p.m.
Not many people expected the Crusaders to be here after losing nine varsity players to graduation last June.
“A lot of people doubted us after having lost nine seniors,” said senior Madi Beriault, one of three co-captains. “I think we surprised a lot of people, and we surprised ourselves.”
Madi Beriault
WATCH NOW: Madi Beriault and Coach Griffin discuss Sectional and Regional
Beriault, who next year will head to LaSalle University to play Division I volleyball, said she’s focused on the Crusaders’ challenges ahead this year in the IHSAA tournament.
The Crusaders defeated Covenant Christian at Scecina to win the Sectional championship on Oct. 18, 2019.
“We got more confident after beating some good teams, like New Pal and Triton Central,” she said. “Those games have helped our confidence a lot.”
Coach Kevin Griffin ’76 said the team knew it had a lot of rebuilding to do.
“Our main goal as individuals was to push each other to keep improving each practice and match, and the main team goal that motivated us was to win (Indiana Crossroads) conference,” he said. “We achieved these goals by winning 10 of our last 12 matches and becoming Co-Conference champs with our win over Triton Central.”
“This is a very deep program that was very consistent the entire season,” said Jason Kehrer ’88, Scecina athletic director. “Not only were they consistent, they improved each week. You also have to have a competitive JV team to help drive the varsity through drills and scrimmages.”
It’s been an exciting year for freshmen Abbey McCoy and Allison Daves, who are playing varsity. They’re part of a Crusader team that won its first Sectional in 14 years.
“It’s been very exciting,” said Abbey, an outside hitter. “There’s been a lot of pressure. I think now there’s a lot expected of us. Overall, it’s been a very good experience. Everyone has been great. The coaches have been great. The upperclassmen have been supportive.”
The team has a lot of joy playing the game, said Griffin.
“The talented players were there from the start this year, but the attributes that make this team special is their ability to work as a team and to just enjoy playing the game. After each match they focus on the positives, which has kept our team upbeat and ready for the next challenge,” he said.
