3A Updated Rankings: Sectional Draw

<p>Less than a week remains in the regular season here in Indiana, and the cream has already risen. Now it’s time to see what matchups each team drew and what players will be important in their team’s success. A big thank you goes out to Zach McCrite and IndianaPrepVolleyball.com for his Z-rankings that we use to write all of these features.</p> <p><strong>#5: Heritage, 23-3</strong></p> <p>The Patriots remain in the top five with sweeps over Jay County and Lakewood Park Christian. Their last match of the regular season pits them against 3A #3 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, and their first round match in the sectional is against 3A #2 Muncie Burris. If they happen to defeat Burris, 3A #1 Bellmont awaits in the semifinal. No place like your own sectional to test if you can go far in the state tournament. The Patriots’ balanced offense has four players averaging two kills per set or better, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="92611" first="Allison" last="Richman"] (’22, 5-11, S) </strong>leading the way in their 6-2 offense.</p> <p><strong>#4: Evansville Memorial, 14-6</strong></p> <p>Losing three of their last five stretched out over the last few weeks does not bode well for the Tigers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="103404" first="Traeston" last="McCutchan"] (’22, 6-2, RS)</strong> might be Memorial’s only option on offense, but a great one at that, averaging nearly four kills per set. Despite all of what’s gone on this season, they still have a chance to avenge a loss to Mount Vernon (Posey) if they meet up in the sectional final. After that, it’s anyone’s guess, as this author thinks the southern half of 3A is wide open.</p> <p><strong>#3: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, 25-2</strong></p> <p>Moving up two spots to #3 in 3A is no small feat, and their win over Concordia Lutheran (16-8) last night solidifies that accomplishment. Next up is 3A #5 Heritage, then 18-5 Woodlan in the first round of the sectional. Winner of that one could get 23-2 Garrett. In the final, you could get defending sectional champ Angola, coached by none other than Lloy Ball. It doesn’t get easier for the Saints, for sure, but they’re peaking at the perfect time, what with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85813" first="Eva" last="Hudson"] (’22, Notre Dame commit)</strong> leading the way.</p> <p><strong>#2: Muncie Burris, 18-4</strong></p> <p>Holding steady, again, at #2 are the Owls from Muncie Burris. They’ve already won their conference, and currently hold exactly ZERO losses in their own class. Their next two matches, however, will make or break their season. 2A #2 Wapahani is tomorrow night, and drawing 3A #5 Heritage in the first round won’t be easy either. The winner of that match gets the privilege of playing 3A #1 Bellmont in the sectional SEMIFINAL. Get through that gauntlet, and the Owls would be well-tested going into the regional and, hopefully, state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="103403" first="Abigail" last="Kesler"] (’22, 5-11, MB) </strong>continues her assault of all things middle, and all of her nearly four kills per set, her .350 hitting percentage and her block per set will be needed to make that run.</p> <p><strong>#1: Bellmont, 16-4</strong></p> <p>With their only 3A loss coming to #3 Dwenger, and having arguably the toughest schedule among all 3A teams, the Braves are battle-tested to make yet another strong run in the state tournament. They’ve been #1 for quite some time, and their last regular season matches host the best-of-the-best. Saturday’s Bellmont Quad pits them against 2A #2 and state runner-up from 2019 Wapahani, followed by defending 1A state champ Cowan. Only getting the winner of the Burris/Heritage match in the sectional semifinal bodes well for the Braves, as they will not be tested in the sectional final if they get that far. This disciplined, well-run offense is so balanced that four players average over two kills per set. Those four players, with surprise addition <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110518" first="Delaney" last="Lawson"] (’24, 6-1, OH)</strong> in that mix, will be the key to getting over the hump and earning that state title.</p>