3A Preview: #5-8

<p>Our preview of the top sixteen teams in each of the four classes in Indiana continues with Class 3A, numbers 5-8. Zach McCrite, fellow referee and volley dork, is the purveyor of IndianaPrepVolleyball.com, a website dedicated to Indiana high school volleyball. If you’re at all interested in volleyball in the Hoosier State, check it out.</p> <p>I will also list the MVR, or Most Valuable Returnee, for each team listed below. Enjoy!</p> <p><strong>#8: Bellmont, 25-11</strong></p> <p>What?!? The state runner-up in the #8 spot?!? Why?!? I know the hate mail will be FLOWING from northeastern Indiana, but hear me out. To get out of their own sectional, they won an epic battle over perennial volleyball power Muncie Burris (3A #4) in five. Then they came back from down 1-2 in the regional semifinal to win in five over 3A #9 Angola. Then, later that day, they won the regional final over NorthWood (3A #6) in five AFTER BEING DOWN 0-2. To say that the state semifinal win over New Prairie (3A #13) was a break is an understatement; it was "only" a four-set victory. That’s a lot of really good volleyball in the northern half of the state, and they didn’t even have to face Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger (arguably the best 3A team in the state) or Leo (3A #7) in the state playoffs. The Braves graduate five, with four seeing significant playing time, and one, <strong>Emilee Scheumann, </strong>moving on to play at Evansville. The others graduating? Starting setter in a 5-1 and starting libero. It was a miracle for them to get as far as they did, now to do it without their top attacker, setter and libero? </p> <p><strong>MVR: Sophie Krull, ’21, 5-8, OH</strong></p> <p>This is more than the coach’s kid. We’re talking #2 in kills and #2 in digs returning. I wonder who might join her? Maybe <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85815" first="Emma" last="McMahon"] (’22, 5-5, DS, Prep Dig #11), </strong>the most likely replacement at libero? Or <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="92606" first="Paige" last="Busick"] (’22, 5-4, DS, Prep Dig #24), </strong>another viable option at DS? No, I’ll stick with Sophie. We still don’t have a guess on who else might be attacking, and to make another run in the state tourney, Miss Krull’s arm might fall off to make it just as far as 2019 if no other attacking option exists.</p> <p><strong>#7: Leo, 26-5</strong></p> <p>A victim of the sectional draw. Why couldn’t Dwenger be in the OTHER half of the draw? I don’t like how it’s done here, as if Leo’s amazing regular season didn’t count. It certainly did! They even owned wins over Bellmont (listed above) and Fort Wayne Dwenger. With Louisville-bound <strong>Brooke Smith (6-2, OH/RS) </strong>and <strong>Nevaeh Shugart (5-10, OH)</strong> heading to Division II power Ferris State, who’s left?</p> <p><strong>MVR: Belle Hogan, ’21, 5-11, S, The Citadel commit</strong></p> <p>The kids listed above had to get their kills somehow. Insert stud setter Hogan. In this author’s mind, she could have gone anywhere, but it takes discipline and character to be able to go to a school like The Citadel. With her recruitment out of the way, she can focus on what hopes to be a similarly successful season.</p> <p><strong>#6: NorthWood, 32-4</strong></p> <p>What a run. That record is impressive, and knowing that half of their losses came to 4A #13 Penn and another came to 3A runner-up Bellmont in the regional final, one can definitely be happy with the 2019 season for the Panthers. I doubt they’re satisfied, however. They had the Braves dead to rights, going up 2-0 in their last match of the season. "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a state title." Isn’t that how the phrase goes?</p> <p><strong>MVR: Kendal Miller, ’21, 5-7, DS</strong></p> <p>When the ’bro returns, you always have a chance. That first contact needs to be true, and Miss Miller will lead the charge for the Panthers to get another shot at Bellmont. </p> <p><strong>#5: Fort Wayne Concordia, 22-8</strong></p> <p>This 3A list is riddled with outstanding teams that didn’t get out of their own section. The Cadets’ last match came against ANOTHER team that didn’t make it out of the sectional either, making this particular portion of the state some of the most competitive volleyball around. The Cadets, like the other teams on this list, graduate a bunch of talent, which includes five seniors. But the youth coming up should make an immediate impact come mid-August.</p> <p><strong>MVR: [player_tooltip player_id="102747" first="LonDynn" last="Betts"], ’22, 5-4, DS, Summit</strong></p> <p>The Cadets do lose a ton of offense, but their libero, Miss Betts, is the key. She’s #1 in aces and #1 in digs returning, and after over 300 receptions last fall, she was only aced 5 times. FIVE. She plays up an age group in club for Summit’s 17s flagship team, so that says a lot about her abilities. I’m hoping that we can see more of the Cadets in the fall, as Fort Wayne is only two hours away for me.</p>