Like it seems every game on their way to a 22-5 record in 2012, the Anzar Hawks started Tuesday’s match against Carmel slow.
They had miscommunication on the defensive end, and they missed some opportunities to score on offense. Despite those struggles, Anzar was always in striking distance of Carmel.
But team captain Delaney McKinney, a senior, was tired of seeing the team stumble in the beginning.
Entering the contest with Anzar down, the older McKinney sister gave the Hawks a much-needed boost. Instantly, the Hawks made a run. Down 15-20, the Hawks scored 10 of the next 11 points to take the first set 25-21. They never looked back from there in a 3-0 victory over Carmel. Tuesday’s win was only a continuation of how 2012 has gone for Anzar.
Slow starts, energized middles and strong finishes define the best volleyball season in the school’s history. And thanks to sisters Raleigh and Delaney McKinney, the Hawks are capable of that every night.
The younger McKinney sister – Raleigh – is the Hawks’ offensive soul. She leads the team in kills – averaging more than 20 a night. Delaney McKinney, meanwhile, is the team’s captain and emotional leader, injecting energy every time she reaches the floor.
“I don’t thing we could do it without them,” head coach Chloe Goldman said. “I don’t think we can miss anybody but especially not them.”
On Tuesday, the McKinney’s were once again irreplaceable in the Hawks’ success. Raleigh led the team with 15 kills and 20 digs. Delaney McKinney, meanwhile, finished with a team-high three blocks and four kills.
But mostly, she brought energy to the team when it need it the most.
“I push the energy the most and try to get the girls talking,” she said. “Encouraging people more than others. I try to bring the most energy every game. I think it helps. Toward the end of the game when people realize that we need to start clicking everyone is willing to listen. It’s really nice.”
That energy flowed to her sister – Raleigh McKinney. The junior has taken the role of the Hawks biggest offensive threat, replacing last year’s Mission Trail Most Valuable Player Alex Flores.
She doesn’t have the same power as Flores, but McKinney wins with smarts, she said.
“Well, it’s obviously big shoes to fill,” Raleigh McKinney said. “Alex was a really good hitter but I know I don’t hit as hard as she does. But you don’t have to hit hard if you know where to hit it. Seeing holes and knowing here you’re going to go before you hit and knowing what’s open is just as good.”
With Raleigh on the floor, the Hawks are at there best, sister Delaney McKinney said.
“She is one of our strongest hitters,” Delaney McKinney said. “And it really helps to have her out here. She is one of the main focuses on the team. Her and Mali help keep the team really focused. It’s easier to have people push when they have a seriously good player on their team.”
Overall, during the extremely successful Anzar season, it’s been a complete team effort every night. Whether its Mali Gonzalez, Monica Medina, Morgan Newman or the McKinney sisters, the Hawks play strong defense and force their opponent to work hard for every point.
“That is our gameplan,” Goldman said. “We commit to it every single time. We definitely win because of our defense. We just kept picking away, point by point. We made some good digs and whenever someone makes really good digs it brings up the team.”
On Tuesday, the Hawks recorded 83 digs, led by senior Gonzalez. It’s that defense that’s been the catalyst for the strong year. That strong play stems from the McKinney sisters each game.
It’s been a surprising year for everybody but the actual Hawks, Raleigh McKinney said.
“Well, coming in a lot of people didn’t expect us to be very good – we lost a good hitter – and I think we’ve proved a lot of people wrong,” she said. “We can still play with our ball control and be up there.”
That’s why the Hawks are on their way to another CCS tournament berth.
