Semifinal Match #1: Royals and Greyhounds battle in a high-intensity matchup
- indysportszone
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
INDIANAPOLIS - Roncalli continued its postseason dominance with a decisive victory over Carmel, securing its place in the next round as the Royals pursue a fifth consecutive State Championship. The matchup brought together two of Indiana’s premier boys volleyball programs, each entering with strong postseason momentum.
Carmel (28–6) arrived at Saturday’s contest seeking its first State Championship appearance since 2017. The Greyhounds surged through the early rounds of the tournament, sweeping Carroll (Fort Wayne)—a 27–7 squad—by scores of 25–14, 25–17, 25–23, before delivering another straight‑set win over Zionsville, 25–18, 25–12, 25–19, in the Regional Championship. Their last meeting with Roncalli on April 4 resulted in a 3–0 loss, and the Greyhounds entered the rematch looking to reverse that outcome.
Roncalli (31–3), the four‑time defending State Champion, showcased the consistency and firepower that have defined its dynasty. With 17 State appearances and a roster built on depth and efficiency, the Royals controlled the match from start to finish. At the Perry Meridian Regionals, Roncalli swept both Evansville Memorial (25–10, 25–12, 25–9) and Jeffersonville (25–14, 25–13, 25–15) to advance.
Only one Indiana opponent—Perry Meridian—has taken a set from Roncalli this season, underscoring the Royals’ dominance within the state. All three of Roncalli’s losses came against out‑of‑state competition.
Set 1
Roncalli waisted no time as they set the tone with a 11-1 run right out of the gate. AJ Morris, Maddox Butler, Xavier Lawrie and Charlie Spearing were keys to the great start for the Royals. The Royals accumulated 18 kills in this set on 29 attempts to Carmel's 9 kills on 28 attempts.
Carmel slowly started to dig into the Roncalli lead, but were only able to get within eight points on a Ian Czarnecki RIP bringing the score to 16-8. Nolan Hall returned the favor with a kill to force a Greyhounds timeout.
Roncall finished on an 8-5 run to win Set One 25-13.
Turning Point: Roncalli's Ian Czarnecki Rip to tie the set at one apiece.
Score: Roncalli 1 Carmel 0 |25-13
Set 2
Both teams came out sharp, trading points early as neither side gave an inch at the net or in serve receive. Carmel settled in this set and did not allow Roncalli to jump out to a large lead like set one. The first few possessions we saw Xavier Lawrie (deep RIP), and AJ Morris (2 kills) for Roncalli and Eli Philistin-Lynch (RIP) and Jack Kovac (kill) for Carmel battling. a Royal hit error tied things up at 3. The Royals accumulated 14 kills in this set on 39 attempts to Carmel's 6 kills on 29 attempts.
Turning Point: Maddox Butler with a nice RIP and a Noah Meyer ACE to put Roncalli up 16-11 even with a 5-1 run by the Greyhounds near the end of the set
Roncalli went on a 4-0 run to increase their lead 11-5. The match went into a floor timeout. Carmel's Jack Kovac with a huge BLOCK to bring the Greyhounds within three points of a tie.
After the floor timeout Roncalli went on a 3-1 run to force a Carmel timeout. Royals with two kills (Xavier Lawrie and Maddox Butler), Noah Meyer ACE and Jack Kovac BLOCK. With the score 21-14, Carmel came with a Eli Phistin-Lynch RIP, Jack Kovac kill and Thomas Kuehl kill. Along with a few Royal errors the Greyhounds came within three points of a tie.
Final score 25-20.
Score: Roncalli 2 Carmel 0 |25-13|25-20
Set 3
Carmel found success putting pressure on Roncalli with aggressive serving and quick transitions, forcing tough passes and creating scoring chances in system. Roncalli answered with steady defense and timely kills, keeping the match tight and responding whenever Carmel threatened to pull away. The Royals accumulated 18 kills in this set on 43 attempts to Carmel's 9 kills on 33 attempts.
An early lead for Carmel to start the third set. After the Shepard Spidel BLOCK, Carmel had their largest least of 5 points (11-6). This forced a Roncalli timeout.
Score: Roncalli 3 Carmel 0 |25-13|25-20|25-20
The Royals came out for a 6-1 run and tied the score at 12. Key players during this run were Xavier Lawrie (line RIP), Maddox Butler (BLOCK and RIP) and AJ Morris (line RIP). We had several ties throughout the set (@ 2, 3, 12, 14, 16 and 18)
Turning Point: Tied at 18 all, Carmel commits a couple errors to put Roncalli up 20-18. The Greyhounds were not able to recover at this point.
Final
Both teams showed why they’re among the state’s best, and this one had the feel of a championship-level battle—fast, competitive, and packed with big moments.
Roncalli with the sweep in the semi final match to put them into the State Championship final tonight at Lawrence North HS. 25-13|25-20|25-20.
📌 Overview
Roncalli delivered a commanding performance, doubling Carmel’s kill production and maintaining control through elite sideout efficiency. The Rebels’ balanced offense and steady ball control set the tone throughout the match.
🔵 Roncalli — Team Performance
Total Kills — 50
Total Blocks — 4
Total Assists — 49
Sideout Percentage — 68.5%
Point Scoring Percentage — 51.4%
⭐ Top Performers
AJ Morris — 12 kills on 16 attempts (75% efficiency)
Noah Meyer — 17 digs
Brennan Pierle — 25 assists
🟡 Carmel — Team Performance
Total Kills — 24
Total Blocks — 9
Total Assists — 24
Sideout Percentage — 48.6%
Point Scoring Percentage — 31.5%
⭐ Top Performers
Eli Philistin-Lynch — 8 kills
Shepard Spidel — 21 assists
Jett Burke — 8 digs
📈 Indy Sportszone Analysis
Roncalli’s 68.5% sideout rate was the decisive factor, allowing them to maintain rhythm and prevent extended Carmel scoring runs. While Carmel’s 9 blocks showed strong net presence, the offensive gap — 50 kills to 24 — proved too large to overcome. Roncalli’s efficiency, highlighted by AJ Morris’s standout hitting and Pierle’s distribution, anchored a complete team performance.
MSP 5.30.2026
Comments