Indiana High School Volleyball State Finals: Carroll Three-Peats, Tri-West Wins First Title

Carroll defeats Center Grove for its third consecutive Class 4A championship, while Tri-West Hendricks makes history with a four-set victory over West Noble in Class 3A.

Carroll's Lillie Fisher chugs milk to celebrate her team's win over Center Grove after the Chargers captured the Indiana Class 4A state volleyball championship. | Tyler Hart

The final two matches of the 2026 Indiana high school girls volleyball state championships delivered a pair of memorable performances Saturday, with four ranked teams battling for Class 3A and 4A titles.

For Tri-West Hendricks, it was a historic breakthrough. For Carroll, it was another chapter in a growing dynasty.

The No. 2-ranked Tri-West Hendricks Bruins captured their first state championship with a four-set victory over No. 10 West Noble in the Class 3A final. In the day's final match, top-ranked Carroll defeated No. 6 Center Grove in four sets to secure its third consecutive Class 4A championship.

Both champions were pushed by determined opponents, but each found a way to finish the season with a state title.

Class 3A: Tri-West Hendricks Wins First State Volleyball Championship

The Class 3A final featured two first-time state finalists, with No. 2 Tri-West Hendricks (30-6) facing No. 10 West Noble (32-3).

The Bruins had finally broken through with the first semistate victory in school history after four consecutive regional championship appearances.

Led by Southern Methodist University commit Caroline Ward and junior setter Tatum Hatch, Tri-West entered the championship match with two of Indiana's most productive players.

Ward had recorded 651 kills, while Hatch led the state with 1,187 assists entering the final.

The Bruins and Chargers battled through four competitive sets before Tri-West secured a 3-1 victory, winning 25-21, 24-26, 25-16, 25-22.

West Noble's lone set victory came in the second, when the Chargers prevailed 26-24 after the set went beyond the usual 25-point finish.

Ward delivered another outstanding performance, finishing with 26 kills on 83 attempts to establish a Class 3A state finals record.

Two other records were matched or established during the championship.

West Noble's Lydia Mead tied the Class 3A state finals record with two solo blocks, while Tri-West's Finley Dakin recorded 31 digs.

Tri-West coach Alexis Padgett acknowledged that her team had played better volleyball earlier in the postseason but praised the Bruins for finding ways to overcome West Noble's challenges.

And step up they did.

Senior Blain Benner contributed 11 kills, while junior Chloe Canada added 10 kills and 14 digs. Hatch finished with 40 assists and eight digs.

The fourth set featured eight ties and four lead changes as West Noble fought to extend the match.

But Hatch delivered the final blow, serving an ace to secure the first state volleyball championship in Tri-West Hendricks history.

Class 4A: Carroll Completes Three-Peat Against Center Grove

The final match of the day featured top-ranked, two-time defending state champion Carroll against No. 6 Center Grove.

The nationally ranked Chargers entered the championship hoping to extend their volleyball dynasty while adding to an extraordinary week of athletic success at the school.

Carroll had already captured boys and girls cross country state championships the previous weekend, putting the volleyball team in position to deliver the school's third state title in seven days.

While Carroll cruised into the final, Center Grove earned its opportunity by upsetting fourth-ranked Yorktown in the semistate.

The Chargers ultimately prevailed 3-1, winning 25-16, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17.

But the Trojans refused to go quietly.

After dropping the first two sets, Center Grove rallied from a 14-9 deficit in the third, tying the score at 17 before pulling away for a 25-22 victory.

The comeback forced Carroll to regroup, but the Chargers responded by taking the fourth set 25-17 to clinch their third consecutive championship.

Carroll's offensive balance proved difficult for Center Grove to contain.

Three Chargers finished with double-digit kills. Senior Sarah Stegall led the way with 18, junior Katelyn Peters added 17, and junior Paityn Lauck contributed 11.

Junior defensive specialist Cala Haffner anchored the back row with 23 digs.

For Stegall, the championship provided a memorable finish to her high school volleyball career.

With three consecutive state championships, Carroll has established itself as one of Indiana's premier girls volleyball programs.

And the Chargers may not be finished.

Several of the team's leading contributors are underclassmen, giving Carroll a strong foundation as it looks to extend its championship streak in 2027.