MUNCIE — The final play of Saturday’s Class 1A state championship match between Lafayette Central Catholic and Trinity Lutheran had some symbolism to it.

In the fifth set of this thrilling title match, LCC had the advantage and were one point shy of the program’s third state championship. Trinity’s Bailey Tabeling rose up for the attack, but it was blocked by Carley Barrett and Grace Roah.

The block sent the ball firing backward toward Trinity’s backline. Seniors Kamzi Gross and Ruthie Bingham sprinted toward the ball, dove out to try to get it, but the ball hit the ground first and the Knights began their celebration.

Bingham and Gross, both face down on the court, let out their emotions.

Even though they didn’t get to the ball, they gave every effort they could to try to get to it, symbolizing the all-out effort Trinity’s seniors have given the program over the last four years.

The third senior along with Gross and Bingham is Stella Kleffman, who was on the attack all night long, finishing with 11 kills and 24 digs.

“It was amazing to play with the team that I have now, especially us three seniors,” Gross said. “We played our hearts out.”

It was the second time in three years the Cougars have advanced to the state finals. Gross said having that experience in 2019 helped the team coming into last Saturday.

The Cougar faithful showed out in full force. Their student section was raucous, and the family members and fans were into it from start to finish.

“It was a lot of fun, definitely with our crowd and everything,” Kleffman said. “Especially during the week, we got lots of cool gifts. Especially being a senior, you never want your last game to be it, but to say that you played for a state championship on your last game is a nice way to go out.”

Like the 2019 experience, Trinity came up just short in the five sets.

The Cougars got off to a slow start but rallied late in the first set. Back and forth the two teams went, but LCC finally came out on top 30-28.

Trinity rallied the troops, though. The Cougars won the next two sets 25-18, 25-17.

“I feel like our communication and serve-receive were better,” Bingham said. “I feel like whenever we got down, it was mainly our serve-receive and defense.”

Trinity was one set away from a state title, but LCC took back the momentum in the fourth set, piling up the points in bunches and winning it 25-12.

“I feel like we got down in a hole and couldn’t dig ourselves out,” Bingham said.

“I think we were thinking more of the outcome,” Kleffman said. “We were still one set away from that outcome, and I think it kind of got to us.”

But even after the tough fourth set, the Cougars still had a chance to regroup and try to win it all.

Before the fifth set, all three seniors were talking nonstop, encouraging their teammates.

“We’re right where we wanted to be and that we could do it and we believed in them,” Bingham recalled that she told her teammates.

The outcome wasn’t what Trinity wanted, and look no further than the three seniors to be the hardest on themselves.

Bingham, who led the team in kills with 17 and also contributed 12 digs, said, “Definitely not my strongest game, and that’s why it hurts so bad.”

Gross, who led the team in digs with 26, was just as hard, saying, “I feel like I could’ve picked a few more balls, but other than that, I played the best that I could.”

It’s normal for competitors like those three to feel like they could’ve done more in the immediate aftermath, but if it weren’t for Trinity’s senior trio, the Cougars wouldn’t have reached this point.

The Cougars had a young team and not many thought they could make it to this point.

“I think being a young team and showing people that we can do it,” Bingham said. “We had a lot of people doubting us, and to make it to state when you have people doubting you just makes it even better. We’re just family.”

The family aspect was prevalent after the game. The Cougars were all emotional, but leaned on one another to pick each other up.

“It’s amazing. We always have each other’s back,” Kleffman said. “We’re like a family, so I know when graduation comes in May it won’t be disappointing because we know we’re always gonna be there for each other. Same with the coaches. Yes, I know we’ll be graduated and this is our last season, but no matter what, they’re always gonna be there for us and they’re one call away.”

Their Trinity careers are now over, but all three of them hope to continue playing volleyball in college.

It’s a game they all grew up loving, and even though they were all heartbroken on Saturday, they hope to look back on this and be proud they reached the pinnacle of high school volleyball.

“I can say that since we’ve all started when we were younger, we fell in love with volleyball, and it was like that little 10-year-old girl realized that’s the sport she fell in love with, and that’s what you want to do in life,” Kleffman said. “It is disappointing to lose like this, the state championship in your senior year, but you know if that 10-year-old girl was looking back at it, like, ‘wow, she went out there in front of all those fans and played for a state championship,’ she would’ve been proud.”