HOPE — The Hauser volleyball team are no strangers to playing at the regional level, but the past two years have been a heartbreaker for the Jets at this stage.
The presumptive favorites heading in the past two years, they’ve been beaten both times in the regional championship after possessing a two-sets-to-none lead.
Hauser will look to exorcise those demons when it plays in the Class A Regional today at Morristown.
“We sure talked about it a lot, even on the first day of practice, we talked about — that,” Hauser coach Jeff Case said. “We have to be mentally tough, and you can’t let up. Hopefully these seniors, they want to leave a legacy, a positive legacy. They are leaving a positive legacy no matter what happens because of what they accomplished in their careers, but they don’t want a legacy of falling short like that again. They want to step up and raise the bar.”
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The Class A No. 9 Jets (20-11) take on Indiana Deaf (11-8) in the second regional semifinal game at around 1:30 p.m.. Class A No. 8 Bloomfield (20-6) and Indianapolis Lutheran (15-15) square off in the first game at 10 a.m., and the championship game is at 7 p.m.
Hauser won its 11th straight sectional title Oct. 17 by defeating Greenwood Christian Academy in the championship.
Senior setter Aunaka Wasil recalls last year, the Jets weren’t practicing as hard and were happy that they had won the sectional. It’s safe to say the regional woes haven’t been forgotten, and it’s a big motivation factor for them.
“That has definitely been the thought. We plan break that this year. We’re tired of losing in the fifth set the past two years in a row in the finals. We made sure we’re prepared this week,” Wasil said. “This year, we’re making sure that we’re learning from our mistakes, and we’re really going to work hard this year to make sure we’re prepared.”
Junior libero Andie Clark agreed.
“We’re going to have to work hard in practice and then staying on top of it and not letting ourselves get down in the games, too, that we’re going to be playing and make sure that we stay on top,” Clark said.
Hauser fell to Lutheran two years ago and Bloomfield last year in the regional final. This season, the Jets lost to the Saints in five sets on Sept. 23.
Even though they might not be the odds-on favorite and might have more like 50-50 odds this year to lift the trophy, the Jets look to seek vengeance for whichever team they would face in the final.
“There probably is motivation there to play either one of them, and especially with the regional on the line,” Case said. “If you’re not motivated for that, then there’s a problem.”
Before Hauser can even think about the regional final, it first must take care of business against Indiana Deaf.
The two teams share three common opponents — Southwestern (Shelby), Waldron and Greenwood Christian. The Deaf Hoosiers fell to all three of those teams, and the Jets defeated Southwestern and Waldron and split with Greenwood Christian.
Hauser will be the heavy favorite in that matchup, but Case knows the Jets need to take it one game at a time.
“We’ve seen it going into games where you don’t play as well as you should just because they think they don’t have to play that hard, and that’ll cost you,” Case said. “We also seen it where you’re in a tough match, but you’re playing well and you win a couple sets, then you let up thinking that you’ve got this, then you’re now not the same team you were. Especially in volleyball, the best team doesn’t always win; it’s the team that gets out there and takes care of their own business.”
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Class A Morristown Regional
10 a.m.: Indianapolis Lutheran (15-15) vs. Bloomfield (20-6)
1:30 p.m.: Hauser (20-11) vs. Indiana Deaf (11-8)
7 p.m.: Championship
Admission: $7 per session
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