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MIDDLEBURY — Despite getting the head nod and fast-track to becoming a fully supported IHSAA sport two years ago, the number of new boys volleyball teams in the sectional field is seeing just a meager upgrade.
A total of 136 teams enter the IHSAA postseason this week, up from 133 in the sport's first year under the IHSAA umbrella after freeing itself from emerging status.
In The Goshen News coverage area, the number of varsity programs has doubled with the addition of NorthWood. The Panthers stuck to club status a year ago before assuming varsity status under head coach Carrie O’Keefe.
“I think the biggest transition is that we have a lot of new kids this year — new to volleyball in general,” said O’Keefe, who is also an assistant for the girls volleyball team in the fall. “We don’t have a lot of games as well. We play a lot of people twice and we’ve only had 12 games this year, so that’s been the biggest struggle.”
The Panthers are 3-9 as they prepare for the program’s first sectional game this Wednesday. NorthWood plays South Bend St. Joseph in a quarterfinal game at Northridge. The two teams played just a week ago with the Huskies winning 3-0.
The host Raiders are one of the 133 teams returning from last year’s inaugural postseason. Northridge defeated South Bend Adams before losing to Saint Joe as their 2025 tournament run expired a year ago. Now the team is scheduled to play South Bend Washington on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Holding a 13-12 record, Northridge brings a bit of a different look entering sectionals.
“I saw the boys' position open up a couple years ago but I had a newborn son at home so I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” first-year head coach Bri Nannet said. “When it opened up again, I just knew that was something that interested me.”
Nannet, an Elkhart Memorial graduate and former state runner-up, has seemingly changed the outlook for the Raiders’ boys volleyball program — now in its fourth season.
“I came in knowing that the program is growing and I really just wanted to focus on creating a culture that I don’t think they had before,” she said. “I just focused really hard on building relationships with the kids and helping them build relationships with each other and some trust with them on the court.”
Northridge has won 41 of their 74 sets played this season and is 6-2 playing at Jayco Arena. Against the rest of the sectional field, the Raiders are 7-3 with two wins over NorthWood and South Bend St. Joseph and a split against Penn. Unavenged losses have come against Elkhart (3-2) and Warsaw (3-0).
If the Raiders have a chance of competing for the sectional title on their home court Saturday afternoon, their team size might be the reason why.
“They’re big,” Nannet said. “I keep saying that I can’t coach height and it seems like they keep growing even as we’ve been playing. We’re a pretty good blocking team, though we still have some fundamentals that we are learning and growing through there, but it’s very intimidating for other teams when we walk into a gym. The players see us, and many coaches have made comments that they were feeling good that night until they walked in and saw how tall we were.”
Leading the net attack are juniors Owen Holmes and Jayse Runyan. The pair have combined for 340 kills this season.
The impact from upperclassmen continues for Nannet’s squad. Junior Jysen Besser leads the team with 22 blocked shots and 57 total blocks. Behind him is Mehtaab Rai (43 total) and Chris Janatello (37).
But what the Raiders can struggle with is their defensive effort, Nannet said. That’s why she names senior defensive specialist Connor Davis as one of the most important pieces to the team
“I had a couple seniors show up a day or two before tryouts and said that they usually run track, but they thought maybe they’d try volleyball this year,” she said. “I have Connor on varsity, and he had never played volleyball before. I’ve said it many times, but he completely changed the trajectory of our season by adding a DS. The team I have is very, very tall and not very defensive at times. Adding him in at times has saved us in many games.”
While NorthWood is a bit behind when it comes to postseason experience, the Panthers are far from the only program still in the learning stage. O’Keefe says a late lightbulb’s shine can add some ideas for next season.
“I was talking to the guys the other day, like, ‘How many of you guys, like, no offense, have actually watched a boys volleyball or men's volleyball match before?’" she said. “Half of them raised their hands and I was like ‘Timeout, let’s go watch this Ball State game.’ They went five sets against Pepperdine [in the NCAA Tournament] and won, like, let’s watch something exciting, see how they crush the ball like, we’ve got to be competitive.”
“They really enjoyed it, which then gave me the lightbulb to do this next year in the preseason and take them out to Ball State and go watch some volleyball.”
The Panthers have 11 seniors, and O’Keefe estimates half had never played the sport before this season. Many soccer players who were familiar with each other had flocked over to give the sport a try.
She encourages more to do the same next year.
“Take the chance,” O’Keefe said. “Every guy that has been on the team has said they’ve had so much fun. Just jump; dive right in and do it.”
------------
PREP BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Sectional 4 at Northridge
G1: SB Riley vs. SB Adams – Tues. May 12 (6 p.m.)
G2: Elkhart vs. Warsaw – Wed. May 13 (5:30 p.m.)
G3: SB St. Joseph vs. NorthWood – Wed. May 13 (7 p.m.)
G4: SB Washington at Northridge – Thu. May 14 (5:30 p.m.)
G5: Penn vs. G1 Winner – Thu. May 14 (7 p.m.)
G6: G2 Winner vs. G3 Winner – Sat. May 16 (10 a.m.)
G7: G4 Winner vs. G5 Winner – Sat. May 16 (11 a.m.)
G8: Championship – Sat. May 16 (4 p.m.)
Continue reading...
A total of 136 teams enter the IHSAA postseason this week, up from 133 in the sport's first year under the IHSAA umbrella after freeing itself from emerging status.
In The Goshen News coverage area, the number of varsity programs has doubled with the addition of NorthWood. The Panthers stuck to club status a year ago before assuming varsity status under head coach Carrie O’Keefe.
“I think the biggest transition is that we have a lot of new kids this year — new to volleyball in general,” said O’Keefe, who is also an assistant for the girls volleyball team in the fall. “We don’t have a lot of games as well. We play a lot of people twice and we’ve only had 12 games this year, so that’s been the biggest struggle.”
The Panthers are 3-9 as they prepare for the program’s first sectional game this Wednesday. NorthWood plays South Bend St. Joseph in a quarterfinal game at Northridge. The two teams played just a week ago with the Huskies winning 3-0.
The host Raiders are one of the 133 teams returning from last year’s inaugural postseason. Northridge defeated South Bend Adams before losing to Saint Joe as their 2025 tournament run expired a year ago. Now the team is scheduled to play South Bend Washington on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Holding a 13-12 record, Northridge brings a bit of a different look entering sectionals.
“I saw the boys' position open up a couple years ago but I had a newborn son at home so I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” first-year head coach Bri Nannet said. “When it opened up again, I just knew that was something that interested me.”
Nannet, an Elkhart Memorial graduate and former state runner-up, has seemingly changed the outlook for the Raiders’ boys volleyball program — now in its fourth season.
“I came in knowing that the program is growing and I really just wanted to focus on creating a culture that I don’t think they had before,” she said. “I just focused really hard on building relationships with the kids and helping them build relationships with each other and some trust with them on the court.”
Northridge has won 41 of their 74 sets played this season and is 6-2 playing at Jayco Arena. Against the rest of the sectional field, the Raiders are 7-3 with two wins over NorthWood and South Bend St. Joseph and a split against Penn. Unavenged losses have come against Elkhart (3-2) and Warsaw (3-0).
If the Raiders have a chance of competing for the sectional title on their home court Saturday afternoon, their team size might be the reason why.
“They’re big,” Nannet said. “I keep saying that I can’t coach height and it seems like they keep growing even as we’ve been playing. We’re a pretty good blocking team, though we still have some fundamentals that we are learning and growing through there, but it’s very intimidating for other teams when we walk into a gym. The players see us, and many coaches have made comments that they were feeling good that night until they walked in and saw how tall we were.”
Leading the net attack are juniors Owen Holmes and Jayse Runyan. The pair have combined for 340 kills this season.
The impact from upperclassmen continues for Nannet’s squad. Junior Jysen Besser leads the team with 22 blocked shots and 57 total blocks. Behind him is Mehtaab Rai (43 total) and Chris Janatello (37).
But what the Raiders can struggle with is their defensive effort, Nannet said. That’s why she names senior defensive specialist Connor Davis as one of the most important pieces to the team
“I had a couple seniors show up a day or two before tryouts and said that they usually run track, but they thought maybe they’d try volleyball this year,” she said. “I have Connor on varsity, and he had never played volleyball before. I’ve said it many times, but he completely changed the trajectory of our season by adding a DS. The team I have is very, very tall and not very defensive at times. Adding him in at times has saved us in many games.”
While NorthWood is a bit behind when it comes to postseason experience, the Panthers are far from the only program still in the learning stage. O’Keefe says a late lightbulb’s shine can add some ideas for next season.
“I was talking to the guys the other day, like, ‘How many of you guys, like, no offense, have actually watched a boys volleyball or men's volleyball match before?’" she said. “Half of them raised their hands and I was like ‘Timeout, let’s go watch this Ball State game.’ They went five sets against Pepperdine [in the NCAA Tournament] and won, like, let’s watch something exciting, see how they crush the ball like, we’ve got to be competitive.”
“They really enjoyed it, which then gave me the lightbulb to do this next year in the preseason and take them out to Ball State and go watch some volleyball.”
The Panthers have 11 seniors, and O’Keefe estimates half had never played the sport before this season. Many soccer players who were familiar with each other had flocked over to give the sport a try.
She encourages more to do the same next year.
“Take the chance,” O’Keefe said. “Every guy that has been on the team has said they’ve had so much fun. Just jump; dive right in and do it.”
------------
PREP BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Sectional 4 at Northridge
G1: SB Riley vs. SB Adams – Tues. May 12 (6 p.m.)
G2: Elkhart vs. Warsaw – Wed. May 13 (5:30 p.m.)
G3: SB St. Joseph vs. NorthWood – Wed. May 13 (7 p.m.)
G4: SB Washington at Northridge – Thu. May 14 (5:30 p.m.)
G5: Penn vs. G1 Winner – Thu. May 14 (7 p.m.)
G6: G2 Winner vs. G3 Winner – Sat. May 16 (10 a.m.)
G7: G4 Winner vs. G5 Winner – Sat. May 16 (11 a.m.)
G8: Championship – Sat. May 16 (4 p.m.)
Continue reading...
