State Championships (Saturday at Worthen Arena)
Class A: Lafayette Central Catholic (39-0) vs. Christian Academy of Indiana (28-8) - 1 p.m.
Class 2A: Wapahani (26-11) vs. Speedway (27-9) - 1 p.m.
Class 3A: Yorktown (38-1) vs. Providence (36-3) - 3 p.m.
Class 4A: Carroll (Fort Wayne) (34-3) vs. Indianapolis Cathedral (35-0) - 5 p.m.
But this Saturday, the Cardinal faithful have a chance to see another member of the Neal family shine in a different sport.
Riley’s little sister, Rhyen Neal, and the Yorktown Tigers volleyball team will travel about 10 miles to play in the IHSAA 3A volleyball state championship at Worthen Arena. With the Cardinals playing a Thursday night football game this week, it sets the scene perfectly for Riley to support his sister in her pursuit for a ring.
The pair share a funny and competitive relationship, they said. Rhyen said she likes to joke around with her brother, and she’s looking to get one-up on him with a win in the championship.
“He definitely gets a lot more attention than I do over sports and stuff,” Rhyen said. “So I guess a state championship would be one thing I have over him.”
The people of Yorktown know about Riley’s abilities as a quarterback. He led the Tigers to a sectional football title in 2014 and the first 11-win season in school history.
But volleyball at Yorktown is a different story.
“It’s something taken for granted, honestly, compared to other sports,” Riley said. “I know when we went to regionals in football, we all thought that was a huge deal. But if volleyball doesn’t sweep regionals, something is wrong.”
The Tigers’ volleyball team is 38-1 this season, with its only loss coming to Muncie Central in a midseason tournament. Yorktown is ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 25 in the nation, according to maxpreps.com.
Yorktown will take on Providence High School, the state's No. 7 team, in the state title match on Nov. 7. Rhyen said she and her teammates are looking forward to the biggest contest of the season.
“I kind of get to experience what Riley experiences every week, playing for a school in its hometown,” Rhyen said. “We’ll definitely have a good fan base there just because we’re literally like five minutes away. It’s just going to be very fun.”
As successful as Riley was at Yorktown, Rhyen has established herself as a solid outside hitter for the volleyball team. She’s third on the team with 250 kills this season, and credits the Tigers’ success to the hard work they’ve put in.
This summer, Rhyen’s AAU volleyball team won the national championship and she was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. As a testament of their relationship, Riley tweeted at his sister saying congratulations, but added that he and their younger brother Reid were still the best athletes in the house.
“Yeah, my mom wanted me to acknowledge that she did that,” Riley said, laughing. “So I had to throw a little sarcasm at her because I didn’t want to sound too nice to her. It’s all friendly, though. We want each other to do well.”
When she’s not playing for one of the state’s best volleyball teams, she’s in the stands at Scheumann Stadium, watching Riley lead Ball State up and down the field. She said she admires his hard work and patience and calls him her “role model in sports.”
Just like his sister supports him, Riley will be in the seats at Worthen Arena Saturday to watch Rhyen try to win a state title and get a one-up on her brother, a Division I starting quarterback.
Maybe even using it as a springboard to talk a little smack.
“If we win state, I can’t wait to rub it in his face,” Rhyen said jokingly.
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