Reagan Turk, recipient of the IHSAA 3A mental attitude award, holds awards with parents Erin and Tony Turk at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
(PHOTO BY JOHN SMITH)

By Al Stilley
Editor

A tiny area on the Southside easily could be called Libero Row in honor of recent Roncalli High School girl’s volleyball stars.

That list includes senior libero Reagan Turk of the two-time 3A state champion Royals who also garnered the Indiana Farm Bureau-sponsored mental attitude award Saturday evening at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

For Turk, a West Virginia commit, her success becomes part of a small neighborhood in the Gray Fox Woods subdivision.

It’s truly in the ‘hood.

The lineage began a few years ago with defensive specialist Grace Irmer and sister Hannah Irmer, who played college volleyball at Ohio Northern University. They were back row standouts for serve receives and setting up the ball to the setter. They played club volleyball for The Academy.

Then along came liberos Emma Halter (Texas), Allie Kirkhoff (LSU) and Turk (West Virginia). They played club ball for Team Indiana.

Halter is a senior at Texas where she helped lead the Longhorns to back-to-back NCAA championships during her freshman and sophomore years.

“I can’t think of another area where our players come from that was this close together,” Roncalli coach Christina Erazmus said. “It is unusual, and they’re all good players and good students.”

Each student-athlete also came through St. Jude Catholic School.

The icing on the cake was Turk’s reception of the mental attitude award with parents Tony and Erin Turk on the Gainbridge court. A $1,000 scholarship in her honor goes to Roncalli from Indiana Farm Bureau.

“The Roncalli community is amazing,” Turk said. “And it’s even better to go out winning (state) two years in a row.”

One of eight Roncalli seniors, Turk added, “Every single senior played a great role on this team. I’m proud of every one of them.”

She is a multi-sport athlete, including basketball and track & field. She is a member of Roncalli’s Champions Together program, Athletic Leadership Ministry, National Honor Society, and CYO volunteer.
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Turk plans on majoring in business at West Virginia.

Roncalli holds high its second consecutive IHSAA Class 3A girls’ volleyball state championship trophy Saturday after defeating Ft. Wayne Bishop Dwenger at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

​(PHOTOS BY JOHN SMITH)

Royals pose for championship photo opportunity after winning second straight IHSAA Class 3A state title at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Roncalli senior Addie Haberthy (24) raises arms in triumph after making the final serve in Royals’ 3A championship match Saturday. Haberthy, who suffered an ACL injury one week before season, returned to serve and celebrate with Lily Jones (12) and Ava Stone (5).
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By Al Stilley, Editor :  Roncalli Nation turned Gainbridge Fieldhouse into its own homecourt Saturday evening for the IHSAA 3A girls’ volleyball championship game.

“Roncalli pride,” Royals’ coach Christina Erazmus said. “Look at this, the whole place was packed with red, white, and blue.”

Roncalli students, fans, and family practically filled most of the lower section of Gainbridge Fieldhouse about 21 hours after some had cheered the Royals to a 4A Sectional football championship Friday night at Bishop Chatard.

This was the first time since 2006 at Hinkle Fieldhouse that the state championship returned to Indy.
At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Roncalli fans cheered pre-game when players were shown on the big screen above the court and during pre-game intros against Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger.

They even did the wave. Coach Erazmus even wore a sequined silver blazer that her aunt wore at her 70th birthday party.

“I told her I wanted to wear that blazer if we made it back to state two years in a row,” she explained.
The loudest cheers from the Royals’ backers came just before they scored their final point to sweep the Saints in three sets. Leading 24-19 in the third set, senior Addie Haberthy entered the match, her first action since tearing an ACL one week before the season began. Haberthy served and the Saints return came to senior libero Reagan Turk dove for a pass to classmate Addie Phillips who set and passed to outside hitter Lily Jones who made the title-clinching kill.

Jones and Haberthy hugged each other and the celebration began.

The Royals have earned five state championships; these are their first back-to-back titles under their sixth-year coach.

They worked their way through adversity after Haberthy’s injury by placing freshman Norah Bell, only 5-6, from defensive specialist to setter. There were many lineup changes as they produced a 26-5 regular season.
The Royals capped it all Saturday with Haberthy on the floor by disposing of the Saints 25-22, 25-19, 25-19.
“We started out down in each set and fought our way back, just like the story of our entire season,” Erazmus said. “We started off slow and rose to the occasion.”

The Royals trailed 20-16 before closing 9-2 to win the first set, trailed 17-16 before closing 9-5 in the second set, and scored the final five points in the third set.

“We definitely had our nerves, but that’s going to happen in the state finals,” commented Turk, who was the recipient of the 3A mental attitude award. “We had to plug into our game and just play Roncalli volleyball.”
The Royals team effort featured Bell with 40 assists, Turk 15 digs, Lydia Stahley 19 kills, Lily Jones 12 kills and one block, Faith Schoettle eight digs, Kaelin Quinlin seven digs, Ava Stone, three kills and two blocks, and Ella Stone two blocks.

Roncalli will graduate eight seniors from this year’s team. Bell and five returnees are expected back next year.

Due to IHSAA’s success factor, the Royals advance from 3A to 4A next year.