Chesterton volleyball players anticipate ‘mad’ opponent out for revenge in tonight’s home match vs. Lake Central

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com
The Lake Central girls volleyball team, no doubt still smarting from a fall-from-ahead home loss on Aug. 28, seeks revenge tonight at Chesterton for an outcome that broke LC’s 24-match winning streak in the series.
“I think they’re going to mad,” Trojans senior Tenley Davis said. “I know that Coach (Naveed) Nazam was mad, super mad. And they lost to Crown Point in three, got shut out, so I can only imagine what they’re going to be like.”
Showing a remarkable ability to keep the ball from hitting the floor, LC won the first two sets vs. Chesterton, before the Trojans executed a reverse sweep by closing out the match with 25-22, 25-22, 15-13 scores.
Even in a loss, LC made a huge impression on Davis.
“They surprised me how good they were. I didn’t anticipate that,” Davis said. “They balled out those first two sets. I think that’s probably the best team they’ve had since I’ve been here. My freshman year they were good, but this was just a whole other level. Their coverage is great.”
Davis’ most noticeable improvement throughout her career has come defensively, particularly in not letting balls hit the floor. Mindset, she said, is part of what has made her better.
“I try to tell the team any ball that comes over is yours until it’s picked up,” Davis said. “You have to play that way, or too many balls are not going to get picked up.”
Lake Central models that defensive approach well, Davis said.
“They just go. They’re ready for anything. I feel like we get so stuck on expecting one thing, so I feel like if you just going into it, thinking, stay low, react, no matter where it’s coming from,” Davis said. I feel like we have too much uncertainty.”
Davis said she was especially impressed with seniors No. 2 Lilly Barth, a libero, and No. 12 Alexa Iwema, an outside hitter, calling them, “nasty!”
Trojans senior Abby Parrish had a particularly productive match during Chesterton’s big night in St. John, as did junior Maddie Gilliam.
“They’re going to be mad,” Gilliam said of the girls she will play against tonight. “They’re going to have some bad blood in them from our last game. We’re going to come out strong. Especially in our home gym, it’s huge that we execute well and fast right from the get-go.”
Chesterton defeated North Wood and Angola on Saturday and brings a 22-3 overall record and 7-1 DAC mark into the match. Lake Central is 6-2 in conference play.
The JV match starts at 5 p.m. and the varsity follows.