By Rick Cassano

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP – The biggest challenge of the season so far got thrown at Harrison High School’s girls volleyball team Tuesday night … and the Wildcats are still unbeaten.

Harrison survived a match point in the fourth set while playing without head coach Philip Deak and outlasted host Lakota East 25-17, 18-25, 19-25, 26-24, 15-7 in a nonconference thriller, pushing the Wildcats’ record to 10-0.

“This was definitely one of the most fun games I’ve had,” said sophomore Madison Waite, one-third of Harrison’s 6-foot-1 trio at the net that includes classmates Aubrey Templin and Madison Meibers. “I love sweeping teams, but I’d much rather play a good game than kill teams left and right. I think it’s great to play these games. It’s good for team chemistry.”

Templin, the squad’s kill leader all season, said getting through that match point in the fourth set showed the Wildcats’ mettle.

“I’m proud of our team’s fight and our ability to overcome adversity and just keep on going,” Templin said. “We’re really excited about this team. We have very high expectations. We have some of the best offense and defense in the state.”

Deak missed the match because of a death in the family, so assistant coach Sophia Fanelli directed Division II Harrison to victory.

Fanelli said her belief in the Wildcats never wavered.

“We were challenged in ways we hadn’t been challenged yet this season, but I’m super happy with our girls’ performance,” she said. “We know what we want to accomplish this season. We know what our standard is. We were going to get it done no matter what. The coaches have trust in the girls, and they have trust in each other.

“I think tonight was a special night where it was going to take all 12 of us. Whether they were on the court or off the court, it was a team effort. I can’t say one person stood out. It was everybody collectively.”

Harrison athletic director Mark Meibers said records dating back to 2004 show that this is the only Wildcat unit to start the season 10-0.

That perfect mark figures to get a big-time challenge Thursday night when Harrison hosts Seton (11-0), the two-time defending Division I state champion. The Saints haven’t dropped a set this season.

“Our motto this year is we always want to be 1-0. The most important game is the one we’re playing right now,” Fanelli said. “We’ll take that into our game against Seton as well.”

Senior setter Kenna Faris distributed the ball among the hitters all night against East (4-5), while 5-9 junior Regan Oaks added to the hitting power for the Wildcats.

Templin said a lot of people thought this would be a trap game for Harrison between a win over Anderson on Saturday and the showdown with Seton.

“They’re a very good team,” Templin said of the Thunderhawks. “I think our serve-receive was struggling a little bit, and we were getting blocked a lot. But we battled through it. We did a good job communicating where to hit the ball because we started noticing that they weren’t picking up the tip very well.”

“I think we came out thinking we were between two really good games and we were going to come out and just win,” Waite said. “We were just so distracted with so many things. I feel like that’s why it went to five. I don’t think that was how we should’ve started off playing, but we finished. That’s all that matters.”

East coach Matt Ellis said his girls weren’t intimidated by the Wildcats’ record.

“Certainly not,” Ellis said. “We know they’re really good. We know what they bring from the outside and the power that they’re capable of. I thought we did a good job of standing up to it. We came in pretty confident with what we had and how we were going to attack the ball and move the ball down the lines away from them. I was proud of the way we executed. We just needed a little more.”

Ellis liked the play he got from junior right-side hitter Bella Dickerson, who’s moved from her middle position due to some injuries. Senior setter Kennedy Baker was also a standout for East.

“Kennedy did some damage for us moving the ball and making sure we got 1-on-1s with their hitters so they weren’t able to double us up and put a lot of blocks together,” Ellis said.

He said it was disappointing that the Thunderhawks couldn’t finish out the fourth set and allowed three straight Harrison points.

“I think at the end of the fourth our emotional battery kind of drained out because we forgot to cover the last two at the end,” Ellis said. “In the fifth set, everything just kind of faded on us. That’s us. As we mature, I think that’ll come to us. I really like us.”

East is 3-1 in Greater Miami Conference play and travels to Sycamore (7-4 overall, 4-0 GMC) on Thursday. Ellis believes the Thunderhawks will be a tough out once the Division I postseason begins.

“I’d like for our name to be on a line waiting for a bottom team because nobody wants to get at us early,” Ellis said. “We’re young, but there’s a lot of potential on this team. I think our ceiling is really high and our floor is raising each day, and I’m proud of the work that we’re putting in. Our fight is really good right now. I want to see them continue to push it.”