Cheers erupted from the bleachers Saturday, November 11 as Huntley Project’s (HP) Volleyball Team scored the 25th point of their fourth set against the Townsend Bull Dogs, earning them their 15th state title in a row under Head Coach Iona Stookey.
HP’s Lady Red Devils have dominated the Class B volleyball scene for the last 15 years. Townsend has been to state several times in recent history, and took third place last year, but they were still searching for their first title over the weekend.
On Saturday, Harlie Murphy made 27 kills and two blocks for the Red Devils. Madison Akins and Sannah Windy Boy added two each, respectively. Delayne Lindeen led HP’s defense with 34 digs while Brynn Wandle came with 48 assists. Kirra Ban had two aces.
The Red Devils were on track for a swift victory as they won the first two sets 25-18 and 25-23. But the Bull Dogs took the third with a score of 19-25, sending the tournament into an extra set to decide who would be the 2023 state champion.
The score was neck and neck for the first few minutes of play in that final set. Then, Huntley kicked it into overdrive. It was Sannah Windy Boy, a newcomer to the HP team, who sealed the deal by scoring the final two points, leaving their opponent in the dust with a score of 25-12.
HP Senior Harlie Murphy said, “I definitely think it’s very cool we get to participate in this, and be such a big part of it.”
Murphy further said the team was a little anxious after losing the third set, but she reassured her teammates they could get the job done. “We just kind of regrouped after that,” said Murphy.
“It’s amazing just having that support at home,” said Kirra Ban. While she did feel like she had big shoes to fill (her older sister’s), Kirra said, “You’re never going to be up to that expectation. You just have to try your best.”
Brynn Wandle stepped up to the plate this season to fill Macy Murphy’s spot as setter. She told YCN Sports, “I definitely knew I had big shoes to fill, so I just tried to work as hard as I could and just not compare [myself] in any way, and just trusting in my teammates.”
Coach Stookey said she and the girls felt the pressure this …. Read More here.
