With each of his fingers taped and his right shoulder wrapped up in blue tape, Roncalli boys volleyball player Xavier Lawrie kneeled down on the court with a marker in hand on Saturday night.
The Royals (31-3) were a few minutes removed from their sweep over Jeffersonville (25-14, 25-13, 25-15) in the regional finals at Perry Meridian. The senior, who recorded eight kills, added his signature to a pair of t-shirts for two young kids.
It was an autograph from Roncalli’s kills leader. A senior that helped the Royals clinch a regional title in their latest quest for state championship glory. An outside hitter that played with a chip on his shoulder against the Red Devils.
“He brings it and he’s a big source of energy,” said Roncalli senior Jack Hovanec. “We can just feed off it.”
His energy was on full display in set one.
When his first kill attempt was deflected by the Red Devils (24-10) and the ball bounced back, Lawrie stayed poised and made contact on the ricochet. The boys in the white and red nearly crashed into one another and couldn’t stop Lawrie’s strike.
A few moments later, Roncalli setter Brennan Pierle threw up an assist towards Lawrie. The 6-footer soared through the air and faked a massive hit before he tapped in the kill.
It gave the Royals an 18-11 lead in the opening set.
Hours after the four-time defending state champions swept Evansville Memorial, Roncalli issued that same decree against Jeffersonville.
“Honestly we just played together, we had fun,” Lawrie said. “When we just play good as a team, I mean, you can’t lose.”
Think of Roncalli as a 99 overall team in a 2K video game. The kind of squad that you’d beg your friend not to choose as your opponent. A squad too hard to overpower, too talented to outpace, too united to catch lacking.
Lawrie has been a catalyst for that Royals team and its championship crusade over the last few years. He started his volleyball career as a libero before he established himself as an attacker as a freshman.
He entered Saturday’s postseason extravaganza with a team-high 329 kills with 3.7 kills per set. He also had 178 digs to his name, defensively.
“He’s not the biggest kid, he is not the most physical kid but the amount of shots and different things that he can do as an outside (hitter) he just has all-around, probably, the best touch in the state,” said Roncalli coach Nick Jennings. “He just wants to go out and play hard every time. He wants to show that he’s one of the best and I think he is one of the best players in the state.
“He does a great job of proving that with his passing, with his hitting, with his defense and everything. So, he’s kind of our energy guy and we rely on him to bring it, not just playing, but with also his energy.”
With Lawrie on the outside, the Royals have dominated in the postseason. In fact, they’ve been a dominant force over the last weeks. They’re riding a 10-match unbeaten streak, dating back to May 2. They’ve dropped just two sets in that stretch, with their last setback being to Perry Meridian on May 7. They’ve blanked every opponent since then.
Jeffersonville was their latest casualty.
Lawrie exuded his competitiveness against the Red Devils. The kind of aura that is contagious in Roncalli volleyball. He put his body on the line for digs. He wasn’t afraid to get up in the air and attack the ball. He played like he belongs at the hierarchy of Indiana high school boys volleyball.
He’s a captain that uses his voice to make things fun. That powers a Roncalli team that plays its best volleyball when they balance fun with focus.
The Royals are two wins away from securing their fifth consecutive championship and second under the IHSAA banner. Lawrie’s playful spirit defined the team’s latest checkmark in the postseason.
“I try to be a calm leader,” Lawrie said. “If I can be that person that every one looks for, that’s what I’m shooting for.”
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Xavier Lawrie powers Roncalli boys volleyball past Jeffersonville in regional finals
Reporting by Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
