Patriots steamroll Blackford

Players, family and friends lingered on the court long after the final ball hit the hardwood on Monday night.

The hugs, pictures and smiles closed the curtains on a jubilant evening from start to finish, highlighted by a resounding Patriot victory.

The Jay County High School volleyball team celebrated senior night in style, trouncing the Blackford Bruins, 25-12, 25-9, 25-10.

Not only did the Patriots honor their six seniors with a postgame ceremony, but they also deployed the group in unique ways in the win.

“It was a lot of fun that we got to let some of these seniors do some things they don’t normally get to do in a lineup,” said Jay County coach Amy Dillon. “I kind of had it planned, if it was going well … so it was fun to get them to try some of that stuff tonight.”

That included allowing middle blockers Maria Hemmelgarn and Mya Kunkler rare opportunities to serve, while also giving back line mainstay Kayla Jetmore a shot to attack up front.

The role swaps didn’t impede the Patriots, who bashed down 20 kills in the victory. The performance provided strong evidence of the squad’s versatility and reliability.

“They’re just a really steady group,” Dillon said. “They’ve done a lot better the last few games, playing consistently no matter who’s on the court, and that’s kind of what I tell them, ‘We’ve got to be able to throw people out there and still play at that level.’ And I think they did a pretty good job with that tonight.”

While the Patriots (12-6) enjoyed the new-look lineups on Monday night, they didn’t abandon what has made them so dangerous all season. Jay County’s potent pair of senior middles, Hemmelgarn and Kunkler, combined for 13 kills and eight blocks.

The duo posted those lofty totals in spite of a methodical Bruin (7-16) offense that forced Jay County to adapt.

“It is hard, because we’re used to blocking a lot of fast offense teams,” Hemmelgarn said. “So when we get to a team that has a little bit of a slower offense, we have to kind of slow down and line up with the blocker, and just not jump too early … and I think we did a really good job of that tonight.”

Though Blackford’s slow pace forced the Patriots to adapt, Jay County pummeled the Bruins with its own quick attack, with many of the finishes by Hemmelgarn and Kunkler coming on swift connections at the net.

“We tried to double block, but they run a fast offense, and our girls weren’t ready for that,” said Blackford coach Angie Mendoza. “They just weren’t quite fast enough to get there to cover that block.”

Hemmelgarn and Kunkler weren’t the only seniors to make their mark. All six members of the Class of 2026 featured prominently in the match. Elizabeth Barnett (five aces, four kills), Kayla Jetmore (two aces, one kill), Lani Muhlenkamp (four aces, 13 digs) and Paisley Fugiett (13 assists).

“It’s good that we have a rotation where it’s just seniors on the court,” Hemmelgarn said. “That rotation was so special.”

For the Patriot seniors, Monday was a full circle moment, as the crew has been playing together for over half a decade.

“The other five seniors, we’ve been together since seventh grade,” Kunkler said. “And it really meant a lot.”

After the Patriots sealed the dominant victory, all six of the seniors were honored in a post-match ceremony that included an emotional Dillon extolling each of her six soon-to-be graduates.

“Leaders. Every one of them,” Dillon said. “My underclassmen don’t have to question who to go to. They can go to any (of the) six of those girls and they know that they’re going to support them and talk to them. They’re just such a great group. They portray everything I want in the culture of Jay County volleyball.”

From the first serve to the final ball to the senior night ceremony and the post-match festivities as the Patriot faithful celebrated long into the evening, joy was a constant presence in Jay County’s gym.

“I don’t know,” Hemmelgarn said. “It was just an ecstatic night, it was great. I loved it.”