McCutcheon boys volleyball falls in sectional, but sport's growth a win
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LAFAYETTE − McCutcheon volleyball refers to senior Jackson Pelfree as one of its founding fathers.
Four seasons ago, he was a member of the first Mavericks volleyball team.
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On Saturday night at Resler Gymnasium, Pelfree played his last high school volleyball match in a much different setting than the ones with which he began.
Zionsville defeated the Mavericks 22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-18 in a sectional championship match, but now on a team competing in its second postseason as a sanctioned IHSAA sport.
The challenge to win McCutcheon's first sectional championship in boys volleyball will continue even without Pelfree and fellow seniors Korbin Vanette, Kai Inoue and Nolan Grigsby.
The real quest, coach Keith Crisler said, is continuing to expand boys volleyball's popularity.
"As our program is growing here at McCutcheon and then other surrounding schools, we're also trying to grow a club program as well to get those younger boys who are interested in playing and get some of the fundamental skills laid out in the offseason so when we do play, we have a little bit of a leg up," Crisler said.
Crisler is doing his part as a teacher at McCutcheon, trying to recruit students not participating in a spring sport to give volleyball a try.
A lot of that recruiting also comes from within with word of mouth among players on the team.
A sectional title would've been a nice cake topper, but Pelfree said the increased turnout of boys participating in volleyball is the real victory.
"Our JV, they just started fresh, a bunch of freshmen, and they're playing better than obviously people who haven't touched a ball," Pelfree said. "It makes me very proud every day. I like to compare them to my kids, even though I'm a teenager. ...
"It's my favorite part, just teaching people the sport I love and getting through it as a team."
McCutcheon finished the season with a 17-6 record. Zionsville avenged its regular-season loss to the Mavericks and advances to the regional.
"Yeah, winning is always fun, but I am more concerned about how they do in the game themselves," Crisler said. "I want good volleyball. Typically, when we do things right and consistently, and we're disciplined, that's reflected on the scoreboard."
McCutcheon now moves forward as currently one of four area schools with a boys volleyball program, including Crawfordsville, Harrison and Lafayette Jeff, which has long offered it as a club sport before the IHSAA sanctioned it and girls wrestling in 2024.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon boys volleyball falls to Zionsville in sectional final