Five Hamilton County girls are celebrating winning a national title June 18, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fla. The Boiler Juniors, a 14U team out of Lafayette, have enjoyed much success the past few years, winning two consecutive AAU national championships and three in the last four years.
The Academy Volleyball Club started in 2014. Today, it has three locations — the original academy in Indianapolis, one at Grand Park in Westfield and The Boiler Juniors in Lafyette. With boys and girls volleyball clubs, the academy has about 1,500 total players. The Academy also hosts practices, clinics, camps and other programs year-round.
Part of what makes the academy so successful is that regardless of the number of players, there is a personal connection that makes it feel smaller and more individualized, according to Katelyn Storms Rizer, The Academy Volleyball Club marketing director.
“We pride ourselves on exceptional training and keeping a small club feel even though we have a number of athletes,” Rizer said. “It’s the coaches. They’re the main people who really make that feeling happen just by taking a vested interest in all of our athletes and celebrating each and every one of their accomplishments.”
After winning, the team took pictures outside with the famous ESPN globe, went out to eat and swam in the hotel pool. The celebration didn’t last long, though, as the team started preparation for the June 27-30 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National championship in Indianapolis 14U tournament.
The Fishers girls, Madison and Raegan Miles, Bre Morgan and Mia Walpole, are entering ninth grade at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Teammate Reese Resmer will be a freshman at Noblesville High School.
Madison and Raegan Miles are twins who have been playing volleyball together since fourth grade, their mother Olivia Miles said. She enjoyed seeing her daughters thrive in the championship.
“I know that they were under a lot of pressure, and it was great to see how they didn’t get rattled, even though there’s cameras and lights and big crowd,” she said. “It was thrilling to see when they had big success. They’re just so cohesive that no matter what was the buzz going on around them, they had their goal in mind and it was neat to see them actually follow through and be able to accomplish that.”
