November 7, 2015
Top-Ranked Indianapolis Cathedral completes Undefeated Season
The top-ranked volleyball team in the country made a great case for itself as Indianapolis Cathedral swept sixth-ranked Carroll of Fort Wayne, 3-0, for the IHSAA Class 4A Volleyball State Championship at Worthen Arena in Muncie.
Sitting a top the national rankings at MaxPreps.com since September 16, the Fighting Irish finished off Carroll, 25-21, 25-13, 25-21, to complete a perfect 36-0 campaign and became the 14th undefeated state champion in state tournament history.
After falling in last year's title match, the Irish returned seven starters and took it all the way this season for the school's seventh volleyball crown, third-most in state annals.
All seven of Cathedral's state titles have come under the guidance of coach Jean Kesterson who became the second Indiana high school volleyball coach with as many and second only to former Muncie Burris coach Steve Shondell (21).
The Irish set a state finals record for hitting percentage in a three-set match with a .352 clip thanks in part to Nia Robinson and Megan Sloan who provided 15 and 11 kills, respectively.
Jacqueline Quade led Carroll with 14 kills and Ellee Ruskaup added 12 digs on defense for the Chargers.
Carroll, under 11th year coach Doug Helsom, settled for its second state runner-up finish to go along with the school's 1988 trophy. The Chargers avenged two regular season losses with tournament victories over ninth-ranked Fort Wayne Concordia and second-ranked Hamilton Southeastern to get to the final.
Audrey Adams named Mental Attitude Award Winner
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Audrey Adams of Indianapolis Cathedral High School as the winner of the Class 4A Mental Attitude Award.
A selection on the 2015 Academic All-State team, Audrey has been a major contributor for the Fighting Irish for the past few seasons, receiving a number of accolades along the way. After being named a 3rd Team All American in 2013 and All-City in 2014, she was placed on the All American Watch list for the 2015 season.
Not only does Audrey hold herself to high standards on the volleyball court, but she also gets the job done and leads by example in the classroom as well. A member of Cathedral’s National Honor Society, she serves on the Student Council, belongs to the school’s Math League, works on the Yearbook staff, and is also a student reporter for PrepVolleyball.com. In addition to her school involvement, Audrey also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.
Audrey is the daughter of Scott and Linda Adams of Carmel, IN. Next year, she will be attending Xavier University where she will play volleyball and study Secondary Education.
Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Class 4A Volleyball, will donate $1,000 to Indianapolis Cathedral High School's general scholarship fund in the name of Audrey Adams.