By CAYDEN SANDERS
Tiger Media Network
File Photo
The Hays High Indians volleyball team welcomed Chapman and Phillipsburg for a triangular at Hays High on Thursday Night. The Indians won both matches to improve their record to 12-5 on the season.
In the first match against Chapman, the Indians defeated the Irish 2-0.
“We came out super strong, we played clean, especially in the second set, which I got after them after the first set and said, ‘Hey, we need to win this game and prove that we’re the dominant team.’ And I feel like in the second set, they did,” HHS Head Coach Shannon Funk said. “They responded well to the feedback I gave them, and did good in the Chapman game.”
The Indians won 25-18, 25-14.
“Especially against Chapman, we always say that great teams beat teams that they should beat, and that’s not something we’ve done in the past,” Chapman said. “We have some ups and downs.”
Against Philipsburg, the Indians won in three sets 25-22, 23-25, and 25-23. For senior middle hitter Zoe Winter, this season has been different from years past. Winter believes team chemistry helped them in a match against Philipsburg.
“It’s been really fun, definitely different from years past, and it’s just different because we all love each other and we’re one big family,” Winter said.
The Indians lost senior libero Annie Humphrey to injury for portions of the match against Phillipsburg. Funk talked about how that changed the match for the Indians.
“We did lose Annie for a minute there against Phillipsburg. She’s got some stuff going on with her knee,” Funk said. “We were trying to rest her as best we could, and we just found ourselves in a few moments where we just needed our senior leader, libero, and so she did step up big to come back in, but I was proud of the girls that had to play in roles that they’re not typically playing in a game.”
With how the game played out, Funk wanted to see her team persevere in a tough situation.
“I told them in the locker room, you do this all the time in practice, so I didn’t hesitate to make changes,” she said. “I saw girls step up. I saw them play in roles that they don’t typically do, and I saw some stuff exposed from practice. So I am proud of that.”
Funk feels that the early-season schedule has helped the Indians prepare for games later in the season. They feel they can win more matches by exposing weak areas in the team.
“I think the few losses that we had to very strong teams taught us a lot. It helped me shape our practices into things that are going to really push us and help us compete against teams at that level. I think when we played Garden City, that really showed us that we have prepared to play strong teams and that we can beat those strong teams,” she said. “I was so proud of the girls after the Garden City game that we stepped up and we played a kind of game that we can be proud of, and I feel like playing teams that really push us, especially these teams that we’ve played in the past, are preparing us to play at that high, fast level in the future.”
For Winter, she will continue playing on the hardwood after graduating high school this spring; however, it will be in basketball, not volleyball. This summer, she committed to Southern Nazarene. Winter talked about her process of being recruited by the Crimson Storm.
“It is one crazy, fast process. It happened super quick, but it was the best choice I ever made,” Winter said. “ I was pulled there, just in my faith and my heart put me there, and I can’t wait.”
The Indians compete again on Tuesday at Junction City, as the Bluejays host a varsity, junior varsity, and 9th-grade triangular. Hays High will also see Manhattan, who defeated the Indians 2-1 at home on September 16.
“I always like to play good competition. I don’t want to play weak competition, it just causes me frustration most of the time,” Funk said. “I want to play good teams. I want to be pushed. I want to expose our weaknesses and see our girls play to their full strength and ability. I want them to play fierce and aggressive. I think when you play a strong schedule, that brings that out in you. I think our strong schedule so far has helped with that.”
This story was written for INF 349, Convergent Media Lab. A class at Fort Hays State University.