Courtney Post smacks a kill past the reach of a Fairborn defender. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)
The most dominant team in the MVL in 2024 is out to another lightning start in 2025. Tipp has yet to lose a set in seven matches after Tuesday’s shutout over Fairborn.
Tipp City, OH – Tippecanoe volleyball coach Howard Garcia appreciates being challenged. And that’s why he took advantage of at least one opportunity in the pre-season to travel to New Bremen to play down three divisions, but up at least two levels in competition to prepare for the 2025 season.
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A regional semi-finalist last season, Tipp didn’t lose a set until their 22nd match of the 2024 season, finishing the regular season at 21-1.
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More, they were rarely challenged in those 63 consecutive set wins. But lacking that key experience of adversity, it eventually caught up with them in the regional round when they were eliminated by Ursuline Academy, 3 games to 2.
“One minute you’re playing Greenville in the tournament, and the next thing you know you’re playing Ursuline,” says Garcia. “That’s a tough jump in competition.”
And if he has any concerns about 2025, and his team’s 7-0 start after Tuesday’s shutout win over Fairborn (1-6), it’s again that issue of sweeping through the season without being significantly challenged in the Miami Valley League, that collectively dropped 54 consecutive sets to Tipp last season.
“We should be pretty strong again,” Garcia said Tuesday night after thrashing the out-gunned Skyhawks in straight sets, 25-4, 25-7, and 25-10.
“I absolutely believe in doing the little things,” says Howard Garcia. “You control the things you can control.”
“We return a lot of girls from last year’s team, they’re a year older, more experienced, and the way we finished last year was a disappointment.”
Garcia is just old-school enough to harp on little things that can make a difference to the experienced eye, yet increasingly out of touch with modern culture of coaching and competition. When all else isn’t enough, do the little things right. Fundamentals matter…focus matters, regardless of an opponent’s quality…personal responsibility, do your job…and even tucking in your shirt.
“Discipline,” he smiles. “The little things help you win. Do enough of the little things and it makes your life better. I absolutely disagree with people who say the little things don’t matter.”
And while Fairborn was no match for Garcia’s crew Tuesday, the focus on execution and doing your job was all the same. Abby Mader, a sophomore, served them to a 5-0 run to start the first set. Fairborn didn’t score until a hitting error by Tipp got the ‘Hawks on the scoreboard. Their passing was crisp. Their execution was on point. Kills were driven on a downward angle at the feet of helpless Fairborn defenders. And a second 10-0 run with Morgan Sessions serving effectively put the set away, eventually 25-4.
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The second set was a carbon copy of the first…a 7-0 run to start behind the serving of Savannah Clawson, and another dominant finish to win that set, 25-7.
The third set took just 21 minutes, and some uncharacteristic sloppiness on Tipp’s part allowed Fairborn to crack double figures in a 25-10 loss.
Tipp’s Livia Hiser blocks a point in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Fairborn at Wampler Gym.
“I think we can be better than last year,” said Mader, one of the young-and-coming stars of the program, with two more seasons to play. “Most of played club volleyball in the off-season, we’re older, and more experienced.
“And,” she admits, “we need to work on staying more focused. It can be hard sometimes.”
“You take care of the the things you can control,” adds Garcia, who won the 2010 Division III title at Bishop Fenwick, and most recently took Tipp to the 2020 Division II state semi-finals before falling to Gilmour Academy.
“Sometimes the best competition we get is in practice. That’s why it was so nice to go to New Bremen this summer and to have that competition. Some of those teams were good enough to compete with Division I programs.”
And what would it mean…to get beyond the hump, to control what you can control well enough to somehow play beyond those things that you can’t control – to compete for another state title with Tipp in 2025?
Garcia smiles at the prospect, and adds, “You never know. Once you get past the district round anything might happen.”
A lot of little things, of course.
And by all means…tuck in your shirt.
Tipp’s Abby Mader eyes a point saved in Tuesday’s sweep of Fairborn.
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