Carmel squeaks past Roncali by 3-2 in Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association State tournament final
The Carmel High School boys volleyball team was successful in defeating Roncalli on Saturday in the final of the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association State Tournament. As expected, the match between the number one ranked Greyhounds and the number
three ranked Roncalli was intense, with each of the five sets of the game fiercely contested. When the Greyhound fans jumped up from their seats to begin the final celebrations, the score board read, 23-25, 25-18, 28-26, 25-17 and 15-9.
The Greyhound team won the match because of better team coordination. Despite the fact that Roncalli made it tough, the Greyhounds outperformed their rivals in nearly all aspects of the game. The Carmel players that played a prominent role in the match were
Branden Clemens and Jack Lesure. Clemens, who is a junior on his team, was able to post 27 kills for his team. Not only that, he also kept the pressure on Roncalli by adding five service aces. The final was not the first time that Clemens played an integral
part in securing a team win, but his consistency throughout the tournament earned Clemens the title of All-Tournament MVP. Lesure made his presence felt by making key points all through the match, with the final one point coming from him as well.
Lesure made the following comment after he had made a successful kill giving the Greyhounds the final point needed for the championship title, "The set was there, the pass was there. When you see that ball in the air, time slows down and you know what's
going to happen. It's awesome."
Roncalli had started the first set of the final with positive energy and determination. Despite the fact that the Greyhounds kept it close, the motivation of Roncalli lead them all the way to win the opening set of the match at 25-23.
Losing the initial set of the match did not go down well with the Greyhounds who were able to step up their game and take the second set for themselves at 25-18. Capitalising on the momentum built by bagging the previous set, the Greyhounds were able to
secure the third one as well at 28-26.
To make the game more interesting, Roncali took the fourth set at 25-17 that brought the match to a deciding fifth set. The last set of the game was won by the Greyhounds at 15-9.
The Greyhounds are exiting the tournament with much to be proud of. This was the first time in the history of the Greyhounds that they have been able to secure the title of a state championship. Furthermore, they have accomplished the feat by undergoing
just one defeat while taking 40 victories.
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