Westfield’s Kenna Robinson prepares to serve the ball during the Shamrocks’ win over Franklin Central on Thursday. (Richie Hall)
By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com
WESTFIELD – The Westfield volleyball team is rolling to begin its 2025 season.
The Shamrocks improved their record to 5-0 on Thursday by winning their first Hoosier Crossroads Conference match of the season. Westfield overcame a solid Franklin Central team in four sets, rebounding from the loss of the first set 22-25 to win the next three, 25-17, 25-21, 25-12.
Bresnahan
The Rocks won their first three matches of the year – over Yorktown, Pendleton Heights and Trinity Lutheran – in three-set sweeps. Harrison took Westfield to five sets on Tuesday before the Shamrocks prevailed 15-8 in the fifth.
Westfield has a new coach this season. Sean Keeve was an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s College, then spent four years as an assistant at Butler University. He is currently the director of the Monon Select, which is part of The Academy club.
“I think this program has great families, great kids, a ton of potential,” said Keeve. “Every single person in this program deserves to be here. They’re all competitive. At the end of the day, we know we can win with whoever’s out here. That’s something I was excited about coming into this program, knowing that whoever we have is going to put us in positions to win and to be successful.”
The Flashes scored the first three points of the match before Westfield before Rocks senior Georgia Bresnahan hit a kill to get her team on the board. The first set was close, with neither team leading by more than three points. Kills by Audrey Bassett and Paige Rudolph got the Shamrocks up 16-14 before FC scored three straight points, then won the set on a kill by Delaney Cooper.
Westfield quickly went up 4-0 in the second set, a run that included a net tip from Bresnahan.
“The first set showed that we weren’t in the game fully,” said Bresnahan. “We just needed to bring the energy up and that was our focus in the following sets, just bring up the energy.”
Emily Blevins helped out in the middle of the set. With the Shamrocks leading 8-7, Blevins served six straight points, including two aces. Bassett also nailed two kills during that run.
The Flashes used their own run to get back within 14-12, then 16-15. Westfield made a successful tip to go up 17-15, then took control, winning nine of the next 11 points to take the second set and even the match. Bresnahan hit two kills, while Carsyn Comer hit one and Bassett put down a kill on set point.
The third set was closer, and the Rocks had to come back again, as Franklin Central led 18-17 at one point. Blevins served Westfield out of trouble again, making a run of five straight points to put her team up 22-18. Bresnahan and Audrey Davis each hit kills, while Madden Showalter and Rudolph teamed up for a block. Rudolph hit a kill on set point, and the Rocks led 2-1 in sets.
Westfield cruised through the fourth set. Comer served five straight points to put the Shamrocks up 13-4, including two aces, with Bassett hitting a kill and making a tip during the run. Kendyl Strack served six consecutive points to give Westfield a 22-8 advantage. Laynie Holman put down back-to-back kills to set up match points for the Shamrocks at 24-10; the Flashes saved two before Westfield prevailed.
Bresnahan hit 17 kills, while Rudolph had 10 kills. Five different Shamrocks reached double figures in digs, starting with Blevins, who collected 15 digs. Bresnahan had 13 digs, Strack made 12 digs, while Brooke Neale and Kenna Robinson each had 11 digs.
Blevins dished out 23 assists, while Robinson handed out 19 assists. Davis made three blocks.
Westfield travels to the Yorktown Invitational on Saturday, where the Rocks take on Bellmont, McCutcheon, Crown Point and Concordia Lutheran.
