By DEAN JACKSON
WZBD.com
OSSIAN – Warning: Not recommended for the faint of heart, or anyone preferring a steady pulse.
Heritage needed five sets Saturday to beat Hamilton Heights in the IHSAA Class 3A regional semifinal at Norwell High School. The Patriots survived 14-25, 25-21, 28-26, 19-25, 15-8 and advanced to the semi-state next week.
Heritage advances to face Hanover Central (28-7), which defeated Hammond Bishop Noll 3-2 in their regional. The Patriots have made a habit of coming back all season. Saturday was simply the latest example. By the end of another comeback, Heritage had secured the third regional championship in program history and its first semistate appearance since 2006.
Heritage coach Shelly Schwartz has seen the ride before.
“They get down, they just don’t freak out,” Schwartz said. “They just come back and they just keep going and going and going and there’s so much fight in these players, it’s unreal.”
The afternoon started with a stumble. Heritage dropped the opener 25-14. Schwartz said the plan was simple, but her team did not follow it.
“The ball was supposed to go to the right side and not to the libero, and every ball went to the libero,” she said. “I told them I had a game plan, stick to the game plan, and they didn’t stick to the game plan. So I chewed them out a little bit.”
Senior Grace Scheumann said nerves played a part.
“I think we underestimated them a little bit, and we had nerves, but we came back in second, so that’s what matters.”
Heritage responded with a 25-21 victory in the second set to even the match.
Set three was the turning point.
Heritage rallied from an early deficit to briefly take the lead before Hamilton Heights surged ahead 20-13. With momentum slipping away and a split match looming, the Patriots fought back again. The Huskies held set points at 25-24 and 26-25, but Heritage scored the final three points to escape with a 28-26 victory. Hamilton Heights repeatedly tested the Patriots throughout the afternoon and nearly took control of the match in the pivotal third set.
Senior Grace Scheumann said the comeback reflected a pattern that has followed Heritage all season.
“We definitely have a very mentally tough team,” Scheumann said. “All season, we always come back at the end. We always finish the game.”
Every time Hamilton Heights appeared ready to seize control, Heritage found an answer. Down 20-13 in the third set. Facing two Huskies set points. Staring at a winner-take-all fifth set. The Patriots never appeared interested in panic.
Heritage appeared ready to seize control in the fourth set, building a 12-9 lead before the Huskies answered with a 13-3 run to take a 22-15 advantage. The Patriots cut the deficit to 23-19 but could get no closer as Hamilton Heights forced a decisive fifth set.
Senior Maya Ehrman said the pressure never rattled the Patriots.
“There was a lot of pressure, but if we worked together as a team it worked out,” Ehrman said. “We don’t like to show it.”
Ehrman said that composure comes from the team’s mental toughness and focus on the next point.
“I think it just comes from being mentally tough and being ready for the next point.”
The Patriots responded in the fifth.
“Kinley started us off with an ace, and it just set the tone for the rest of the set,” Scheumann said. “Coming off of a loss set is hard to get the energy back, and we definitely did.”
Heritage closed out the deciding set 15-8.
Schwartz is still catching her breath.
“They’re gonna give me a heart attack,” she said. “It’s like, can we just win in three?”
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