A sophomore who has seniority on most of the older players on the Chesterton boys volleyball team, Declan Ringler weighs in on what he likes about each of his eight senior teammates

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

Typically, honorees on senior night are the most experienced athletes on the team and imparting wisdom about the games they play is a big part of what they contribute to teams.
But since this is just the second year of boys volleyball as an IHSAA-sanctioned sport, that’s not necessarily the case.
Chesterton’s most experienced volleyball player in Thursday night’s 3-0 win over Hebron was sophomore setter Declan Ringler.
His experience extends back to fifth grade.
“In intermediate school they would hold intramurals for the girls and I thought, ‘That sounds interesting. I might want to join,’” Ringler said.
So, he contacted the woman who ran the intramural league, inquired as to whether it was open to boys, was told it was and he signed up.
“Even though a few other boys came, we lost them along the way,” Ringler said. “I really loved the game from there.”
He loved it so much that playing wasn’t enough, so he became manager of the middle school team before he was in middle school. Then, in addition to playing for the middle school, he managed the Chesterton boys club team as a seventh and eighth grader and in that role was able to play against older athletes in practice.
Ringler’s experience shows. He seems to have a knack for being in the right place and isn’t as burdened by hesitation as some introduced to the game at older ages.
He was manager of the varsity club team when the current senior class members were freshmen, back when not many of the eight had taken up volleyball yet.
Ringler took a moment after the Hebron match to share what he likes about each of his eight senior teammates.
Ringler’s thoughts on what he likes about each of his senior teammates, listed here in numerical order:
On No. 1 Adam LeNeave: “When I started managing back in seventh grade, it wasn’t his first year playing but he was a freshman so he was in his first year here. He was already playing at St. Pat’s. I like playing with him a lot. He’s a great libero. Working with him these past two years has been great. I hope that we improve our connection together as the year goes on.”
On No. 3 Caden Koedyker: “Caden’s probably one of my favorite people on the team. Personality wise he’s someone who’s always excited, wants to start cheers, stuff like that. I feel like he’s great for that reason.”
On No. 4 Carson Chaffee: “Carson is very committed to the sport and that’s what I like. Even though he only started playing last year, the commitment I’ve seen from him has been extraordinary.”
On No. 5 Jackson Whalen: “I haven’t been on the floor too many times with Jackson, but I also know him through soccer, so I feel like we’ve become pretty attached. He’s funny, he’s committed, he wants to improve.”
On No. 6 Zach Marchese: “I’m probably the closest with Zach compared to everyone else on the team. I’ve been to little camps with Zach. I’ve been to open gym with Zach. I’ve been to the Y with Zach to improve. One of my best friends on the team, for sure.”
On No. 7 Keith Ward: “I also know Keith through soccer too, even in those summer months before tryouts. I like Keith a lot, too. I really enjoy working with Keith as a setter pair. We can bounce off of each other even though we have two very different setter styles. We both complement our hitters very well.”
On No. 10 Bryce Sartin: “Bryce started playing last year. He’s always focused on the game, which I 100% appreciate. He’s always committed to getting better, shows up every single day, and I love it.”
On No. 15 Randy Deutscher: “He started playing when he was a freshman here, the year I started managing here. He’s tall, so that definitely helps his case for being here. I like him a lot. I played club with him for one year last year and it was super fun. I like him. He has definitely gotten a lot better."