Record-breaking Indiana Deaf team faces great expectations

From: Indianapolis Star - Indianapolis,IN,USA - Oct 30, 2004

By Kristen Leigh Porter
kristen.leigh.porter@indystar.com
October 30, 2004

Two plays.

That's all that separated the Indiana School for the Deaf from playing in today's Class A volleyball regionals.

Indiana Deaf lost a heartbreaker to Lutheran 25-10, 18-25, 17-25, 27-25 and 17-15, a week ago in the sectional final, which kept the school from earning its first sectional volleyball title.

But the 30-4 team still had a school-record number of wins, led by Micaela Paulone and Justine Jeter of Fishers and Amanda Krieger of Carmel. The Deaf Hoosiers beat metro teams like Arlington, Heritage Christian, Lapel, Northwest, Cardinal Ritter, Sheridan and Tech, plus other deaf schools from around the country.

"It was a wonderful team this year, and we have broken many school records -- 39 entries in 26 categories," coach Aimee Bippus wrote in an e-mail. "We are looking forward to another great year in 2005, and we have a lot more expectations."

Paulone, the team's setter, had 589 assists to set a school record.

Jeter, a 5-9 middle hitter, had 171 kills and 37 blocks. The junior is third in career kills and tops in career blocks. Krieger, a 5-5 junior, added 182 kills from her outside hitter position.

Chelsea Nemer of Evansville (197 kills, 111 aces) and Nukeitra Hayes of Anderson (190 kills and 46 blocks) were other standouts.

Bippus said the players have been competing together since they were in the fifth grade.

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