Set scores: 21-25, 25-19, 24-26, 30-28, 15-10
Ranked matches in September don’t carry the same weight as ranked matches in October. But they carry information. And what Wednesday night at Hamilton Southeastern told Indiana Preps is worth paying attention to before the calendar turns.
The No. 4 Royals outlasted No. 2 Westfield in five sets — dropping the first, winning the second, dropping the third, surviving a 30-28 fourth-set battle, and closing the fifth 15-10 without hesitation. The result snapped a 14-game Westfield winning streak and moved Hamilton Southeastern to 17-2 on the season, winners of 17 of their last 18 home matches.
The match was not one-sided. Two-point margins in the first, third, and fourth sets tell you everything about how evenly contested this was for four sets. What Hamilton Southeastern did — particularly in a fourth set that required 58 combined points to decide — is the more meaningful data point. They survived the most difficult situation of the match and then controlled the fifth set from wire to wire.
That’s a program that knows how to win close.
What Westfield Brought
Westfield arrived at 15-1 with momentum and the ranking to match. Their setter Emily Blevins ran the offense with 29 assists, nine digs, two aces, and a solo block — a complete performance from a player who gave the Shamrocks every opportunity to win this match. Kendyl Strack added 14 digs and four assists in a losing effort that reflected genuine competition, not a mismatch.
The Shamrocks won sets one and three. They pushed the fourth to 30-28. This was not a statement win for HSE built on Westfield underperforming. It was a statement win built on the Royals performing when the match was on the line.
What Hamilton Southeastern Showed
Indiana Preps profiled Maggie Sliwa — HSE’s Class of 2028 setter — in the opening piece of The Net Effect series this summer. We described her as the best example of a Power Four setter prospect in Indiana, a player with the size, technique, and competitive environment to develop into something significant. Wednesday night was the most visible stage she has had yet.
Running an offense against No. 2 Westfield over five sets requires more than physical tools. It requires composure in the moments that decide matches — the fourth-set battle that extended past 28, the fifth set where the margin had to be protected. Sliwa managed both. The Royals hit efficiently enough, served aggressively enough, and made the plays that mattered when the match demanded them.
Hamilton Southeastern is 17-2. The two losses are to programs that belong in the conversation. The 17 wins include one that just snapped a 14-game winning streak from the No. 2 team in Indiana.
That conversation just got more interesting.
What It Means for the Rankings
Indiana Preps volleyball Power Rankings update weekly. A five-set win over the No. 2 team in the state — at home, with a 14-match winning streak on the line — earns movement. HSE entered at No. 4. The result of Wednesday’s match will be reflected in next week’s board.
As for Westfield, a 15-2 record and a five-set loss to a legitimate contender is not a crisis. The Shamrocks have enough to compete for a state championship. What Wednesday showed is that the path to one runs through programs that have been quietly building all season.
Carroll is still Carroll at No. 1 and 70 straight. But behind the Chargers, Wednesday night confirmed that this ranking conversation is far from settled.