YORKTOWN — Chalk up the 2021 Greenfield-Central volleyball season as a learning experience.
With a 13-player sectional roster consisting of five freshmen and five sophomores, the youthful Cougars’ season came to an end Tuesday in a Class 4A Sectional 9 quarterfinal match against Pendleton Heights at Yorktown High School.
The Cougars were defeated 3-0 by set scores of 25-13, 25-12, 25-11 against a talented and veteran Arabian club that improved to 30-3 on the season. It was the second meeting of the year between the two Hoosier Heritage Conference rivals. Pendleton Heights won 3-0, in Pendleton, on Sept. 30.
“We have t-shirts on that say ‘Rise Above,’ and I think that was the motto at the end of the year.” Interim head coach and G-C assistant athletic director Elizabeth Mercer said. “Whatever goes on in life whether it’s in volleyball, or in their personal life or whatever it may be, you have to rise above the situation. I think they fought to do that at the end of the season.
“I think our senior, Morgan Hornaday, gave it everything she could and was a great leader for our team.”
Mercer took over the program beginning with the team’s Sept. 20 home match against Plainfield.
She replaced Ron Heck, who was in his third year as the team’s head coach. Mercer, as an athletic director for the school, could not comment on Heck’s departure, citing it as a personnel issue.
Mercer played volleyball in high school and spent five years as an assistant volleyball coach at Western Boone High School in Thorntown.
“I think the girls fought hard and gave everything they could and left it all on the court,” Mercer said. “They definitely have things to work on for next year. They’re a young team, and I think they’re excited for a new start.”
Mercer said the girls adapted well to such a major late-season change, but added that is something student-athletes have had to do more than ever the last two years with pandemic-related protocols.
“I think this was just another situation they had to adapt to,” Mercer said. “I’m proud of them for staying together as a team. When adversity hits sometimes teams can fall apart. I’m proud of this team staying together and fighting for each other and playing for each other and the school.”
In Tuesday’s opening set, Greenfield-Central got the first point, but it was all Pendleton Heights the rest of the way. The Arabians went on a 6-0 run early to extend a slim lead to 11-4.
The Cougars had a pair of first-set combo blocks, one from Hornaday and junior Emma Berty and the other from Berty and sophomore Mya Grigsby. Berty, Hornaday, Grigsby and sophomore Katie Muegge had kills. Frosh Makenna Rankins had a service ace.
In the second set, Greenfield-Central extended play by staving off three set points, getting a kill from Berty, an ace from frosh Avery Roberts and a combo block from frosh Rilee Roland and Berty. Rankins and Muegge had kills earlier in the set and frosh Harper Holden had an ace.
Pendleton Heights jumped out to a 10-1 lead to start the third. Again, the Cougars got some inspired play from their young roster, as well as from the vet Hornaday, who got G-C a point with a service ace and shared a block with Berty. Grigsby had a pair of kills and Muegge added another.
“There’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs this season,” Hornaday said. “We came in knowing we were going to be a very young team. I’m proud of how we developed throughout the year. We’ve overcome difficulties, but overall it was a good season.
“I can say on behalf of the whole team we are very thankful (coach Mercer) could come in. She helped us a lot. We were a week away from senior night and if not for that our two seniors may not have had a senior night. Everybody was very thankful for her.”
Hornaday was the only senior that played on Tuesday. Classmate Lauren Silcox has been out with an injury.
Mercer added that G-C is in the process of looking for a new coach for next season.
It was the third-straight year Greenfield-Central and Pendleton Heights have met in the quarterfinal round and second time the Arabians have come out on top. G-C won last year’s tournament matchup.
Pendleton Heights will play Mt. Vernon (23-6), who gave the Arabians one of their three losses, in a semifinal matchup Saturday at 10 a.m. The Marauders opened tournament action Tuesday with a 3-0 victory over Richmond.
The other Saturday semifinal will pit the winners of Thursday’s quarterfinal games. Muncie Central will take on host and defending state champion Yorktown and New Castle will play Anderson.
Saturday’s semifinal winners will play later Saturday, 7 p.m., for the sectional championship and berth into the regional tournament.
