Hutchinson setter Meagan Schwarzrock and outside hitter Erin Corrigan have been crucial to the Tigers’ success this season, which includes the a' 25-16, 25-21, 25-22 victory over the Fire on Thursday night at Holy Family Catholic High School.

The seniors are a potent offensive combo. Schwarzrock began the day leading the state with 561 assists while Corrigan ranked third with 245 kills. And they provide the team with confidence.

“It just gives our team consistency in tough situations, we can probably get out of it. Plus, if we need to get into something and get a rotation and a get roll, we can count on those two girls to help us get something started,” Hutchinson coach Dennis Piechowski said.

The girls took different paths to the Tigers' varsity team. Schwarzrock started as a sophomore, while Corrigan didn’t have her breakout season until her junior year.

Piechowski said it’s rare for a underclassman to have such a crucial role for Hutchinson.

“In our program, it’s very unusual to have a freshman or a sophomore come into the varsity ranks because we try to build a consistent program where we have upperclassmen,” Piechowski said.

Last season, Corrigan finished the regular season with 272 kills while Schwarzrock chalked up 262 assists. 

Even though she’s currently leading the state in assists, Schwarzrock lets her actions speak louder than words.  

“If we’re down or something, I try to pick them up. But I’m not the vocal, talking-all-the-time person,” Schwarzrock.

Corrigan is a little more vocal.

“If we don’t need yelling, I’m not going to yell," Corrigan said. "But if we have no energy or anything or we need someone to pump us up, I’ll yell at them."  

Besides being different leaders and connecting on the court, the girls connect off it as well.

When asked how it's like playing with each other, they both described it as playing with their best friend.

Even before the game Thursday, the pair warmed up together.

Schwarzrock said Corrigan has a rambunctious attitude.

“She’s not quiet, she’s loud, she’s funny, she speaks her mind,” Schwarzrock said. “She can kind of be sassy sometimes, but I love her.”

Corrigan offered a similar sentiment regarding Schwarzrock.

“(Schwarzrock) really, really speaks her mind and she doesn’t mean it in a mean way or anything, but she just says it and doesn’t realize it,” Corrigan said. “She does what she wants to and it’s really funny.”

While the bond has impacted both girls, it seems to have affected Corrigan more. As a sophomore, she noticed the chemistry was better on the Tigers basketball team than on the volleyball squad. During her junior year, she realized that she was having more fun on the volleyball team, and she’s “loved” the team bond so far this season.  

Last year, Hutchinson finished 16-12 and lost to Buffalo in the first round of the Class 3A, Section 2 playoffs. This season, the Tigers are 19-1 and look poised to make a deep playoff run with Schwarzrock and Corrigan providing cornerstones for the success.

Corrigan said Schwarzrock makes winning a lot easier.

“When she’s on, she’s so on. It’s so much fun and I’m confident that she can do that every game,” Corrigan said. “If she does well, I’ll most likely do well too. So, we’re just doing really well together and we’re scoring a bunch of points and we’re winning and that’s always fun.”

The last time Hutchinson participated in the state tournament was in 2011, when it lost to Andover 3-2 in the third-place game.

Schwarzrock said it would be awesome to win state.  

“We didn’t see this coming, and now that all of us seniors are back, we’ve been playing since we were little,” Schwarzrock said. “It would be nice to experience something like that with your friends.”

Junior outside hitter Allie Fauth recorded 13 kills and nine digs in Hutchinson’s 25-16, 25-22, 25-21 victory over Wright County East foe Holy Family Catholic Thursday night at Holy Family Catholic High School.

Senior outside hitter Eric Corrigan chalked up 12 kills, 10 digs and one block while senior libero Amber Messner added 20 digs for the Tigers. 

Fire senior right side hitter Natalie Waltz recorded 11 kills and eight digs and teammate senior setter Claudia LaRose had 26 assists and 12 digs. Junior defensive specialist Ally Kirsch tallied 12 digs.

Hutchinson (19-1, 5-0) seeks to continue its 14-game winning streak when it travels to Buffalo next Tuesday, while Holy Family (8-11, 0-3) looks to rebound against Bloomington Jefferson on the same day. 

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