Hauser celebrates Coach Case's 500 volleyball victories

Like many who have had the opportunity to be a part of the Hauser Volleyball Program, I attended the match between the Hauser Jets and the Madison Cubs. After the reserve match, Coach Case was presented a plaque by Tyler Phillips, Athletic Director, and his son, Christian Case, and his daughter, Erica Raisor, for 500 victories.

Mr. Phillips read some stats provided by Christian with just a few below:

• Coach Case has compiled a record of 503-151 since taking the program during the 2002-2003 season. (Due to having two daughters in the program and knowing Coach Case, I have witnessed many of the matches, and I am also well aware of his dedication to the program, the hours he has devoted to his position during, before, and after each season.)
• For 17 straight seasons, his teams have won 20+ matches.
• He has won 10 conference championships with a 130-15 record.
• In IHSAA postseason play, Coach Case's teams have won 12 sectional titles, 6 regional titles, and 1 semi-state crown while winning a total of 55 matches. (I was there in 2008 for Hauser's first sectional title in 2A which included a 5 set match against the Lawrenceburg Tigers that lasted well over three hours.)

The standing ovation rightly carried on for a long time and echoed through the gym, a gym of many wonderful small-school stories. Coach Case stated,

“It was very touching and great to see everyone: players, coaches, parents, school staff, and friends.”

In the match, Hauser got off to a rough start and lost 12-25. I suspect some in the crowd were thinking it would be a short night but not Coach Case and his players. Momentum can swing from one team to the other, in particular in volleyball. The Lady Jets started playing better in the second set before hitting a long stretch which they could not move beyond 20, and the final score was 20-25. As followers of volleyball know, it is quite difficult to come back to win three consecutive sets, but, to the credit of the Lady Jets, they won the next two, 25-23 and 25-13. The fifth set was close throughout with the Lady Cubs prevailing 17-15.

I had the opportunity to speak to this Hauser team before their first match. During that session, I felt as if they were a special group. After watching the players in action on the court and on the sideline several times, I feel even stronger about their specialness.

Before leaving the gym, I walked to their wall of quotes on volleyballs and copied the shortest two:

• ”Persistence beats resistance.”
• ”Profit from your mistakes.”

With words like that circulating around during practice and in matches, I think Coach Case and his team will add significantly to his winning record. At the same time, as I have heard him stress over the years, “It is not just about the volleyball victories; it is about the other victories in life.”