Trinity Lutheran awaits the presentation of the state championship trophy after its win against Faith Christian on Saturday afternoon at Ball State’s Worthen Arena.
Jeff Lubker | For The Republic.
MUNCIE — Coach Janet VanLiew of the Trinity Lutheran volleyball team said she is proud of what her team accomplished Saturday at Ball State University.
The Cougars defeated Faith Christian from Lafayette 25-12, 25-10, 25-19 to win the school’s first state championship in any sport.
“It feels really good,” VanLiew said. “It is so exciting for school and the kids. We tell you how hard these kids work, but until you fully understand what they have done to get to where they’re at, it’s surprising that a group would buy into my demands or my strong suggestions.
“They’ve bought into it. The parents have bought into it. Now they’re state champions, so that’s pretty exciting.”
The first set was tied at 8-8 when Trinity went on a 12-0 run to take command. Addie Darlage served a pair of aces, and Madison Keith had three kills and a block kill for a point to lead the rally.
The set point came on a net infraction by the Eagles.
Trinity jumped on top 6-1 in the second set on an ace by Maddie Adams. A tip by Laura Roeder put Trinity on top 18-6, and the Eagles had an attacking error for set point.
Faith Christian outscored Trinity 10-5 in the middle of the third set to take a 16-12 lead before Trinity rallied to tie the set at 16, then received kills from Carson Bowling and Keith to take a 20-17 lead. After a point by the Eagles, Bowling and Rachel Bonde had kills to make it a 22-18 score, and Darlage had a kill for match point.
Trinity Lutheran’s Rachel Bonde goes up for a kill in the Class A State Final against Faith Christian on Saturday at Ball State’s Worthen Arena.
Jeff Lubker | For The Republic.
Keith and Bonde topped the Cougars in kills with seven each, and Adams topped the team in aces with four.
This was the school’s fourth trip to the Class A state finals, and the first time for VanLiew to be head coach in the finals. She helped the 1980 Jennings County team reach the state finals and was an assistant coach on one of the Brownstown Central teams that reached the state finals.
VanLiew said, “I started the program 21 years ago, and then to come back was a kind of a crazy journey from there to here. It’s neat to be back to finish it here. It is so special to the fans. It’s an opportunity that is just literally a chance of a lifetime, and I’m so glad the fans got to experience that.”
She said when Faith Christian took those 15-10 and 16-12 leads in the third set, she felt like the Cougars reached back for something extra.
“I think the kids knew they couldn’t let the fans down,” VanLiew said. “Maybe part of the problem was they almost got too high. That TV timeout helped calm them down, and they took care of business.”
“I actually have a lot of talent coming back. I typically sub more than I did today, but we were in a groove, and I just didn’t.”
Trinity Lutheran’s Laura Roeder serves the ball Saturday in the second set of the Class A State Final against Faith Christian at Ball State’s Worthen Arena.
Jeff Lubker | For The Republic.
Roeder received the Mental Attitude for Class 1A, and the school will receive a $1,000 check from Farm Bureau Insurance in her honor.
Roeder said when her name was announced as the recipient of the award it was a feeling “of gratefulness for all the opportunities I’ve been given.”
Roeder said the reserve players deserved the championship just as much as the regulars.
“We would not be as good as we are without them, so they deserve it just as much as any of us do,” she said.
