By Mackenzie Madison
<[email protected]>

The Carmel Star printed an article on Aug. 12, 2008, that will forever be imprinted in their minds. The paper stated that the Carmel team had lost too many seniors to return to the state semifinals this year, but they are ready to prove them wrong.

“We can step up to any position coach wants us to play. It’s not like we’re lost without them, we’re just going to have to try really hard to fill their shoes,” Elizabeth Lucich said, senior and varsity volleyball player.

For the past few months, the Carmel Varsity and JV volleyball teams have been preparing for their big day at the state finals. Practice goes from 4 to 6:30 pm every week day, first starting with conditioning consisting of “jumptraining,” to improve vertical jumps for blocking, and eight minute abs, then skills activities, and finally team activities including scrimmages and a Purdue warm up drill which helps with ball placement on the court. On Mondays and Fridays the players go to the weight room for a half hour, to add to the intense schedule.

“While I’m conditioning, I don’t really like it, but I know it will help me later on in the long run,” said Sophie May, sophomore and junior varsity volleyball player.

Not only are the girls working on their physical game, but they are also working on their mental game. “We’ve obviously been working really hard in practice, but emotionally we all have the quote up on our locker from the Indy Star and a picture of the state ring,” Lucich said.

Already starting their tough lineup of playing Avon early on, and playing Cathedral September 30, Lucich realized early on the threat that Cathedral and Avon poses. “I think Cathedral is our biggest threat mentally because it doesn’t matter if they have a good or bad team, we’re just afraid of the name,” Lucich said. “Avon is going to come out with a lot of heart too because of last year’s regional championships.”

“Oct. 22 is the big day for these girls’ state. Number one, we have an extremely diffacult schedule to start the season, the most diffacult teams we play are in the first quarter of the season. You have a lot of kids who are playing varsity minutes for the frist time this year, but they want to be playing their best volleyball in October, not necessarily in August,” said Athletics Director Jim Inskeep.

While the Indy Star said that Carmel had lost too many seniors and had slim hopes, they also said that Cathedral’s winning streak ended last year. According to the Indy Star, the team to look out for would be Avon, who beat Cathedral in regionals last year and are prepared to bring in an experienced line up for this year, and it shows this year in their games already. The Orioleshave won all their games 3-0 with the exception of Center Grove, which was still 3-1, who Cathedral also won against 3-1. But there are no scheduled games for Cathedral and Avon to play each other until State. But Carmel is keeping their head in the game still.

“We’re just focusing on one game at a time,” May said.

“I think although the papers don’t expect much from us, we’re really going to step up to the plate, especially during post season,” said Lucich. With returning players such as Lexi Muir, senior, Paige LLoyd, senior, Maggie Harbison, junior, Emily Reber, junior, Kristen Neher, senior, and Liz Holt, senior, Lucich said the team should do well this year.

“I think that just since we got a taste of State,” Lucich said. “Now we’re going to want it more than anyone else.”