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Lady Vikings drop heart-breaker at Bedford semi-state
By Dennis Marshall
BEDFORD, Ind. — North Posey’s ninth five-set match of the season ended with a two-point advantage in total scoring over Heritage Christian and a two-point deficit in the set that decided which team would advance.
The Vikings (22-8, 9-3 PAC) held a 103-101 advantage in total points Saturday, Oct. 31, but the Eagles (22-9, 3-2 Indiana Crossroads) secured a 15-13 fifth-set victory on their fourth match point.
“I wish they would take how many total points you win versus the end result, but that’s just not how it goes,” North Posey coach Natalie Macaulay said.
The Eagles put immediate pressure on serve receive, opening with an ace and forcing difficult passes.
“They came out with some really tough serves to start,” Macaulay said.
Macaulay had prepared for senior outside hitter Ella Mensch, who averaged more than four kills per set entering the semifinal, and senior middle hitter Kenley Mitchell, another significant presence at the net.
Limiting Mitchell’s opportunities was a priority, but Mensch presented a different problem. Playing all six rotations, she remained available to Heritage Christian throughout the match.
“We did a good job with maintaining their middle, but it’s hard to prevent an outside hitter from getting the ball, especially when she plays six rotations,” Macaulay said.
The Eagles took the opening set 25-18 before the Vikings answered 25-20 in the second. Heritage Christian regained the advantage with a 25-22 third set, but North Posey responded with its most decisive performance of the afternoon, winning 25-16 to force a fifth.
The deciding set brought a 14-10 lead and four opportunities to finish the match. Three consecutive Vikings points cut the deficit to 14-13 and forced a timeout before the Eagles secured the final rally.
Heritage Christian returned that evening to defeat Indianapolis Scecina Memorial (18-15, 2-3 Indiana Crossroads) in four sets, advancing to the Class 2A state championship against Benton Central (26-6, 7-0 Hoosier).
For Macaulay, the fifth-set finish was familiar territory. Six of the Vikings’ nine matches that went the distance ended in victories, including the season opener and both sectional contests.
“It’s a gamble because that fifth set, you never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “But I was always proud of our effort that we put into the fifth set.”
The season began Aug. 17 with a recovery from two sets down against Gibson Southern. The postseason brought two more difficult victories on the same afternoon.
Perry Central led 9-2 in the fifth set of the Class 2A Sectional 48 semifinals Oct. 17 before North Posey recovered to win 17-15. Later that day, Forest Park won the opening two sets and twice held match point in the fifth. The Vikings saved both before claiming another 17-15 victory and the sectional championship.
A week later at Loogootee, a 27-25, 25-16, 25-22 sweep of Sullivan delivered the program’s second regional championship and first since 2021.
The postseason success came despite considerable changes to the lineup. Five seniors graduated in 2025, including setter Siri Fullop, who had recorded 993 assists, along with several players responsible for much of the serve receive and back-row defense. Avery Little and Taryn Wilson were the only seniors remaining.
Macaulay acknowledged in September that it was technically a building year, though it didn’t feel like one. What people outside the program might not have recognized, she explained, was the experience the returning players had accumulated through years of club volleyball.
“The amount of experience that they had going onto the court was a lot more than what people probably anticipated,” she said.
Many had competed in club volleyball for years, voluntarily spending additional time developing their skills beyond the high school season.
Junior Kenna Hoehn moved into the libero position, becoming a central part of the back-row defense. Macaulay was particularly impressed by her passing platform, court movement and ability to handle the position as the season progressed.
“She just looked like she had been a seasoned libero, and I was pretty impressed with her development over the year,” Macaulay said.
Her twin sister, Ayela Hoehn, took on much of the setting responsibility. Junior Sage Mueller and sophomore Norah Lindenberg provided production on the outside, while sophomore Payton Jackson and freshman Kenzie Reich contributed at the net.
Through the regional championship, Mueller led the attack with 404 kills, followed by Little with 273 and Lindenberg with 162. Ayela Hoehn had 728 assists, while Kenna Hoehn recorded 402 digs and handled 548 serve receptions. Wilson contributed 58 aces.
The most noticeable change for Macaulay between August and October came from the hitters. Their willingness to attack increased, but so did their understanding of when an opportunity called for power and when a more controlled shot would be effective.
“There’s that fine line of swinging tough but not swinging silly, where you’re going to automatically score the point for the other team,” she said.
Little provided an example of that judgment during the regional championship against Sullivan. With North Posey leading 26-25 in the opening set, she approached as though preparing for a powerful swing before taking speed off the attack and tipping into an opening to finish the set.
The senior’s competitive approach also influenced teammates. Macaulay said watching Little attack successfully encouraged other hitters to challenge opposing defenses with greater conviction.
“It’s a catching mentality,” she said.
That influence extended into practice, where Little and Wilson helped younger players in different ways. Little worked with freshman middle hitters on blocking and attacking technique, while Wilson, who had played multiple positions during her career, provided an example through her communication and preparation.
Macaulay credited both with maintaining concentration during practices that lasted two and a half hours, helping younger teammates stay focused on improving rather than becoming distracted after school.
“Avery did a good job teaching the freshman middles how to become better,” she said.
“Taryn always set a good example with her attitude and just how she communicated with other people.”
Both seniors had been freshmen on the 2023 sectional championship team. Their final season added another sectional title, the program’s second regional championship and its first semistate appearance since 2021.
Macaulay also emphasized the work that begins long before players reach varsity. She credited Kaitlyn Lee and Ashton Macaulay at North Elementary, along with Ashley Grimes and Casey Thomas at South Terrace, for developing young athletes’ skills and interest in volleyball.
That work receives encouragement from the high school players themselves. Macaulay said children attending varsity matches and youth nights see hitters such as Little and begin wanting to make the same plays.
“One person sees it and they say, ‘OK, wow, she can hit like that. I want to try to hit like that, too,’” Macaulay said.
