LAFAYETTE — The Crowley Center was nearly deserted on the afternoon of the big Lafayette Jeff vs. Harrison boys volleyball game.
The match between the local rivals took about 100 spectators on a four-set roller coaster ride.
In the end, it was Harrison who fought back from a 23-19 deficit in the fourth set to win 31-29. And junior Kevin Braxton and sophomore outside hitter Joshua Waller hugged senior kills leader Gabe Brandenburg.
Coach Brandenburg said, “I want them to learn that being a good batter doesn't necessarily make them a hitter.'' “A good hitter always moves the defense out of the setter's position, so the setter has to set hard, or the batter has to hit hard, and those plays can fail. It becomes more sexual.”
Prudence aside, Lafayette Jeff managed to finish the season on a competitive note given his early season struggles. Waller, a 6-foot athlete and college prospect, missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken foot.
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That allowed veterans like Braxton and Brandenburg to lead and hold together a back row and group of batters with little experience in competitive volleyball. Only two seniors played on the Bronchos roster in 2024.
Lafayette Jeff (11-21) has lost six straight to start the year, forcing Braxton and Brandenburg to put extra effort into serving and receiving shots.
“The biggest change is we're a team now,” Waller said. “Before we played as individuals, we were trying to get highlights, trying to get kills, only Score our point. Now it's more like a game and you can get team highlights. When we played as a team, we put ourselves on the map. ”
After a dominating road win over Harrison on April 11, the Bronchos are back in the conversation for a sectional title contender.
Harrison fought back with a sweep of his own two weeks later against Lafayette Jeff at the Crowley Center, but the trio of Waller, Brandenburg and Braxton showed improvement.
Lafayette Jeff brought confidence and dignity every time he scored, and there was a fire that reached its peak at the end of the season.
Lafayette Jeff was unable to participate in the sectional title game, but the fundamentals were solidified. Waller has emerged as one of the most versatile players in the area, both as a defensive specialist and outside hitter. Brandenberg and Braxton each found more kill opportunities, with junior Brody Bettag settling into his role as libero and sophomore Azlan Rodriguez becoming a more consistent offensive option off the bench.
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“This shows we can do just as much work as any other sport,” Braxton said. “I think this game shows that we can fight, win and put everything together.”
All in all, Lafayette Jeff said the sample size that could happen after a memorable battle in the IBVCA semifinals, the IHSAA semifinals one year after men's volleyball was recently recognized as a sport by Indiana's largest governing sports organization. provided.
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.
