WEST LAFAYETTE – Harrison seniors Connor Blevins and Andrew Hostetler gave each other a warm hug after the final whistle for the historic 2024 season.
The Raiders won their second and final IBVCA Men's Volleyball division championship before IBVCA Men's Volleyball officially joins the IHSAA in 2025.
Harrison (19-8) is a program that is still in its infancy having just completed its second season, but is aware of what it can do and where it needs to go next to become a state championship-caliber team. I understood that.
After a tough four-set victory over area rival Lafayette Jeff on Saturday afternoon, the Raiders were defeated by top-seeded Westfield.
Westfield was quick and sharp with its ball control, routinely dispatching the Raiders' back row in a 25-17, 25-17, 25-23 sweep to win the IBVCA section title game at Crowley Center.
“It's going to take some time and I think it's going to be frowned upon as a community in Harrison, McCutcheon and Lafayette Jeff,” Hostetler said.
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Westfield (25-4) has explosive 6-foot-2 outside hitter Carlo Housden and 6-foot-3 outside hitter Dominick Parisi with strong passing, setting and junior libero Chase They were led by back row support from Graf, right side CJ Fox and sophomore setter. Graham France.
Housden added 14 kills, Parisi added 11 kills, Graf led the back row with 12 digs, Fox had 11 digs and six kills and France had 37 assists.
“We're getting our kids out of here (university), so I don't see why we're not competing at the same level that the schools in Indy are competing at,” Hostetler said.
Hostetler and Brevens are parting ways after leading the program for two seasons. Each player finds their love for the sport in their own way.
Hostetler's mother, Christy, coached the team and had a natural skill for every game and skill he practiced with her at their home base in West Lafayette. Hostetler is now taking the next step by signing a volleyball scholarship to Wabash College in April.
“It's nice in a way to know that we are the foundation of this program and anything that happens in the future is our fault,” Hostetler said.
Blevins was an avid volleyball fan and served as Harrison's women's volleyball manager. He helped the Raiders defeat McCutcheon to win the IHSAA Class 4A division title in the fall.
“All the hard work we put in definitely paid off,” Blevins said. “It's a great experience to play with the girls and learn the game at a very high level, especially with Grace (Klemme) and Riley (Whitlock). We played at a very high level. We learned from them. You can learn a lot by practicing together.”
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Now, Blevins plans to pursue coaching and put into practice the wisdom she gained from Christy Hostetler and women's national team coach Jacquelyn Lahe.
“I learned from them to stay calm and confident,” Blevins said. “They believed in me and my talent, which gave me the confidence to perform to the best of my abilities in any situation.
Ethan Hanson is a sports reporter for the Journal and Courier in Lafayette. You can contact him at:ehanson@gannett.comon Twitter Ethan Hansonand on Instagram Ethan A Hanson.
