By Fred Solis
Hutchinson Tribune
ANDALE—The six Andale volleyball players shared a collective senior moment at Tuesday’s last home triangular of the season as they led the Indians to 2-0 victories over El Dorado and Rose to bolster their No. 2 ranking in 4A in the state.
Thursday, Andale also beat Clearwater 2-0 and Collegiate 2-0 to end the regular season on a 19-game winning streak and sew up the AVCTL IV League championship. That sets the Indians up to host a substate Oct. 25, 2025.
Senior co-captains Mayla Spexarth, Hayden Grimes and Mia Aouad were joined by fellow seniors Addy Davidson, Carley Keller and Bella Cates as they took the floor Tuesday to start the night’s first game against El Dorado.
Buoyed by emotions, the Indians mixed in service aces to go with kill after kill to take an 11-3 lead, forcing the Wildcats’ first timeout. It only got worse for El Dorado, though, who scored just one more point by the end of the 25-4 set.
In Set 2, Andale again jumped out to a big lead, 17-7, that prompted another call for a pause by El Dorado. The Indians capitalized on four straight service aces during the set to close out a 25-10 victory.
In the Rose Hill game Andale Coach Scott Johnson followed the same pattern of play with seniors getting most of the playing time. The Indians took an early 9-3 lead over the Rockets in the first set, which led to a Rockets’ timeout.
“I was getting people in and out, especially on senior night,” Johnson said. “I want the seniors to get some playing time. We’re getting different people in, but these girls that maybe don’t see as much playing time are still contributing and they’re still playing good volleyball.
“It’s not a big drop when these girls come on the court. They come on ready to play,” he said.
Rose Hill rallied and took advantage of six straight Andale errors close the gap to 14-9. But the mix of Indian players responded with a service ace and 10 kills to close out the set 25-14.
Andale kept the pressure on in Set 2 and forced a Rose Hill timeout with a 15-7 lead. The Indians weren’t to be denied on the momentous night and finished the set with a 10-2 run for a 25-9 win.
“Our senior leadership last year was amazing,” Johnson said. “The seniors last year maybe weren’t the most talented, most physical, but they were leaders. They really embraced that role.
“I was concerned this year because of the leadership we lost last year that these 2026 senior have big shoes to fill, and they’ve done it. The leadership hasn’t dropped one bit.
“That’s not just our three senior co-captains, that’s every senior on the team that’s been a leader and led by example regardless of whether they’re playing one rotation or six rotations. That’s not always the case everywhere,” Johnson added.
It’s clear from their play and their record, though, that this year’s senior corps took their responsibility seriously.
“There’s been pressure, but I think that we handle it well and we try not to show it on the court,” Aouad said. “We lost a lot of seniors last year and a lot of people have had to step into some big roles.
“I think everybody steps up, not just us; every senior steps up, too. It’s a really fun environment to be in, especially with a new coaching staff. It makes the game more fun. We just try to build each other up.”
Spexarth said she thought team cohesiveness played a big part of the team’s success so far this season. “I feel like the thing that is making us good is our team chemistry,” she said. “We really connect as a team this year.
“Out of all the years, we go really well together and play together instead of for ourselves. We’re all selfless on the court and we trust each other,” Spexarth said.
“This year is definitely something special to all of us,” Grimes added. “Coming from last year I feel like all of us have really had a big role just coming in the gym every day and stepping up as teammates and overall players.
“Tonight was really special to have all the Andale community here because it really means something special to me and all the girls on the court,” she said.
Action was paused following the El Dorado game for Andale senior night festivities, and when it came time to recount their favorite high school career memories, several deferred their comments to Nov. 1, the second day of the 4A state volleyball tournament.
“We’re confident. Expectations are high. It’s not just coming from me, it’s coming from them (players), and that’s a good thing because they believe they can win it,” Johnson said.