Springs Valley Community High School

It was all gas, no brakes for the Springs Valley volleyball team on Thursday evening when it hosted Paoli. The Blackhawks stuck it to their Orange County rival, defeating the Rams 25-11, 25-13, 25-16 to take their 14th win in the programs’ last 15 meetings. That was a welcome sight for Springs Valley coach Erin Carnes, who’s seen past teams hit a bump in the road after big wins like her current ‘Hawks had both at the Class A Showdown last weekend and against Loogootee on Tuesday. “Usually after Blue River we have a letdown against Loogootee, so there was a small concern in my mind that since we didn’t against Loogootee we could against Paoli, but the girls quickly threw that concern out the window,” Carnes said. “I just felt like they were all business tonight. It wasn’t perfect, but we got to play some (different) kids and like to be able to do that.” Springs Valley’s presence at the net was a key component of its win on Thursday and has helped fuel its success all season, really. The Blackhawks had eight blocks as a team, led by Alayna Denbo and Bella Nottger, who each chipped in on three of them. Maddie Carnes and Tynley Kluesner were each a part of two blocks and Brynne Buchanan got in on one as well. That sort of production, along with their size, allows them to frequently toy with opposing attackers and though it’s the big stuff blocks that get most of the attention, just the threat of the Blackhawks’ blockers is enough to alter the game. “Sometimes we don’t even touch the ball but when kids are going up and their back row is trying to tell them where everyone is, we’re everywhere,” Erin Carnes said. “It just frustrates offenses a lot and you can see that with the balls they hit long or the balls that go in the net. That’s the effect that it has on teams.” With the win, Springs Valley (24-4, 5-0 PLAC) clinched at least a share of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference championship. It’s the Blackhawks’ eighth title in a row, their 10th under Erin Carnes, and their 24th overall. They’re not done quite yet though as they’ll try to finish off their conference run with a win at Perry Central next Thursday. “I’ve seen them work throughout the winter, in the summer, and set those goals. Now for them to come through to fruition, it’s nice for them,” Erin Carnes said. “They see that hard work paying off and the conference is important to them. If they want it, I want it for them so we’re going to do whatever it takes to keep that trend going.” Before that, the Blackhawks will play their final home match of the regular season on Tuesday. They’ll host Salem that night and beforehand they’ll celebrate a senior class that’s won more than 100 matches, four conference titles, and at least three sectional titles to this point in their careers. It’s going to be an emotional night for the program, but it’s one that the Blackhawks are looking forward to. “This senior class is special to me because I’ve been with them for so long, more than most, so there are going to be emotions but we have to keep those emotions in check,” Carnes said. “We have to stay focused on what we do and just continue what we’ve been doing to try to keep it as normal as possible even though it’s not going to be. I want that night to be special for our seniors.” SPRINGS VALLEY 3, PAOLI 0 Paoli 11 13 16 — 0 Springs Valley 25 25 25 — 3 Springs Valley: Leigh Carnes 10 kills, 12 assists, 5 digs, 3 aces; Maddie Carnes 8 kills, 17 assists, 3 digs, 2 blocks, 4 aces; Tynley Kluesner 4 kills, 1 dig, 2 blocks, 1 ace; Bella Nottger 4 kills, 2 digs, 3 blocks, 3 aces; Brynne Buchanan 2 kills, 7 digs, 1 block, 2 aces; Alayna Denbo 1 kill, 3 blocks; Kinsey Saliba 1 kill; Molly Tucker 8 digs, 3 aces.