ROB HUNT
THE HERALD BULLETIN
ANDERSON — The wins have been few, and there have been many dark and foreboding times during Tania Clore’s four years of volleyball at Anderson High School. Pam Murphy is her fourth coach in as many seasons, and the home crowds have been minimal as this year’s team is still searching for its first victory.
But the smile and joy she feels playing the game she loves will not be pushed aside, even during a hard-fought 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-20) loss to Madison-Grant on Thursday.
There were a number of fist pumps as the Indians were competitive with the tradition- rich Argylls.
“Volleyball is my whole life. It’s something I enjoy every day,” Clore said. “I enjoy going to practice. It brings me peace, and it’s my happy place.”
One of three seniors on this year’s squad, the setter and team captain had eight assists and three aces in the losing cause for Anderson (0-5).
She also knows her role as a leader is more important than any numbers she puts up, and she realizes the learning process for her younger teammates is more important than any matches Anderson can put in the win column.
“Just being a senior and being a captain, it takes all those dark days and makes it better,” Clore said. “That’s my job, encouragement. But you can never go wrong in volleyball, in my opinion.”
Murphy, installed as the coach shortly before the season started, is fostering that positive attitude and hustle mentality. She saw talent on the roster when she arrived and is hopeful, with time, those wins will come.
“Teaching them how to approach and the fundamentals of the game because they just weren’t there,” Murphy said. “Those are the things we work on after each game.”
The Argylls, however, perhaps because of a number of recent illnesses in the school or even because this match came on the heels of tough victories over Eastbrook and a one-loss Northfield team in the last two nights, were lethargic at the outset and struggled to keep their energy up.
As a result, Anderson flirted with taking the first set against Madison-Grant (5-4). The Argylls grabbed the early lead, but a steady diet of LaRayna Dabney attacks — and plenty of Argyll errors — led the Indians to a 24-21 lead and three set points.
But, after the Argylls saved the first, libero Reese Box set aside the next two with her serve — including an ace to tie the set at 24-24 — and served out the set as M-G completed the comeback, much to the chagrin of Murphy and the Indians.
That outcome did not change the pride the coach had in the effort of her outmanned team.
“I’m very proud of the hustle,” Murphy said. “They could have talked more, but I’m very proud of them. The one thing I tell them is, ‘If you don’t love what you do, you’re in the wrong place.’
“I love this group of girls. I really do.”
The Argylls looked more like themselves in the second set. They jumped out to an early lead and, despite a midset run from Anderson, put themselves up 2-0, largely thanks to outside hitter Demie Havens.
It was a struggle all night for M-G.
“They don’t feel good, so they were trying to reserve energy because they’re tired because we had to battle all week,” Argylls coach Kayla Jump said. “Everyone is trying to conserve energy, so they were sloughing off out there. It was very awful.”
The third set was another back-and-forth session. M-G jumped on top early, but Anderson surged back and took a three-point advantage at one point. But Camryn Bolser responded with a pair of kills and a key block as the Argylls found the energy to storm back late and close out a much tougher than anticipated
victory.
“We were behind because we were slow. We were never really in rhythm,” Jump said. “Mentally, I thought we were OK when we started, but we have people who — since Tuesday — have not been feeling well.”
The Argylls were led by Havens with 11 kills while Johnna Hiatt hand 13 assists and three aces. Box led all players with five aces, and Kaitley Dickason added
four aces.
Dabney paced Anderson with nine kills while Claire Howells added six kills and a block.
And the match leader in smiles — unofficially — was certainly Clore.
“It doesn’t matter if we win or lose. We’re just trying to have fun out here,” she said. “A win is nice, but as a team, we’re just trying to have fun, and that’s what we do. That’s why we love it so much, and that’s how we keep the positivity.”
The Argylls will return to Central Indiana Conference action Wednesday when they host Mississinewa, and both teams will open Madison County tournament pool play Thursday. Anderson will join Lapel at Pendleton Heights, and Madison-Grant and Elwood head to Frankton.
Contact Rob Hunt at rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.