HOPE — Hauser seniors Sydney Schoen and Sarah Tedder will finish their high school volleyball careers Saturday in the state finals at Ball State’s Worthen Arena.
The 11 a.m. state title match against Lafayette Central Catholic will mark the culmination of a journey that began when they were in elementary school. And their mothers have been with them almost every step of the way.
“There’s a fine line between being a mom and a coach, and I think they handle it better than us sometimes,” said Becky Schoen, an assistant coach for the Jets. “We get into the games, and we enjoy watching them compete, but we know that we’re there for the entire team.”
Becky Schoen has coached her daughter and Sarah Tedder since they were in third grade. Tabetha Tedder joined Becky Schoen when their daughters were in middle school.
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Becky Schoen and Tabetha Tedder then moved up to become high school assistants under Jeff Case.
“It’s been really great to have my mom with me,” Sarah Tedder said. “She’s by far my best friend, and I’ve absolutely loved having this journey with not only my teammates, but my mom. I can always count on her to be over there cheering me on, telling me what I’m doing wrong, keeping my attitude positive. It’s been amazing not just to have my mom, but Becky, because she’s just like a mom to me, as well.”
Hauser’s other assistant coach, Rachel Thayer, is Tabetha’s niece and Sarah’s cousin.
Tabetha Tedder said she and Becky Schoen have tried to avoid showing favoritism to their daughters at practice and in games.
“You don’t want the other girls to think that they’re going to get any special treatment because we’re sitting on the bench,” Tabetha Tedder said. “That’s always concerning, but they’ve been very respectful to us as their moms, but also as their coach.”
Tabetha (Thayer) Tedder played volleyball at Hauser for former coach Jeanne Gordon. Becky (Baker) Schoen played for Yvonne Willhite at East, then played four years at Eastern Kentucky.
Both mothers said that their daughters are better players than they were.
“Sarah is 100 times more competitive than I ever was playing any sport,” Tabetha Tedder said. “I was just an average player. She plays circles around me.”
Becky Schoen feels the same way about her daughter.
“We’re similar in that we both love to work hard, and we love to practice and we love the game,” Becky Schoen said. “But she’s a lot better than I was. It’s a different game right now than when I played it.”
Sydney Schoen will follow in her mother’s footsteps by playing at Eastern Kentucky. She verbally committed to the Colonels in March and will take her official visit there next weekend.
Sydney Schoen acknowledges that her mother played a big role in helping her get to where she is now.
“She really pushes me to do my best,” Sydney Schoen said. “She really encourages me whenever I’m not doing well. It’s good because she’s honest with me, and it’s just been great.”
This year’s seniors showed glimpses of what they could do in high school when they were in middle school. They went undefeated and won Mid-Hoosier Conference titles as both seventh- and eighth-graders.
Now, they’re set to play on the state’s biggest stage.
“We knew they had the potential,” Tabetha Tedder said. “We knew they were hard working and determined and loved the sport and each other.”
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Volleyball State Finals
Saturday at Worthen Arena, Muncie
Class A: Hauser (35-4) vs. Lafayette Central Catholic (29-5), 11 a.m.
Class 2A: Andrean (29-8) vs. Christian Academy of Indiana (34-5), 1 p.m.
Class 3A: New Castle (33-6) vs. Brebeuf Jesuit (29-9), 3 p.m.
Class 4A: Crown Point (35-3) vs. Avon (36-3), 5 p.m.
Admission: $12
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