By Tara Martin | Social Media Editor

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Avon volleyball knows what it takes to win a state championship. For the second year in a row, the girls will compete for the Indiana 4A Volleyball Title. The match against Yorktown will be held at Ball State University on Saturday, Nov. 3.

While Avon is ranked second in the state, Yorktown is ranked first. The Orioles faced Yorktown early on in the season, losing 0-3 to Yorktown in the Orioles’ second match of the season. Senior Holly Eastridge said that she is still in shock that Avon will be playing for their second state title in a row. Overwhelmed with excitement, Eastridge said the team has been preparing for Yorktown.

“We’ve just been working on improving our skills and knowing which players we need to key on against them,” Eastridge said. “We played them earlier in the season but we know we’re a different team now and we’re all excited for the game Saturday because we think it will be really good.”

With the state championship being the final time many of the girls will play as an Oriole, senior Ava Torrance said she wants to walk away from Avon volleyball with one last win for her high school career.

“Avon volleyball is so successful because we all work extremely hard, we all have a great relationship, and we have amazing coaches,” Torrance said.

According to junior Aderinola Adewopo, Avon’s previous three titles add both pressure and confidence to the team. While past success heightens expectations and the need to win, it also can act as a comfort for players, knowing that many teammates have won before, even in a high stakes match like the state championship.

“I think state will be our most challenging game of the season since Yorktown is a good team, but I believe that we can win,” Adewopo said. “If we all do our jobs and have each other’s backs and believe in each other, there’s no doubt in my mind that we can beat them. We have amazing players in each position and everyone is capable so we just need to do what we do with heart and confidence and I believe we will be able to win.”

Photo by Tara Martin