3A State Final: Brebeuf v Bishop Dwenger

<p>We made it! With masking up, social distancing, quarantining, sanitizing and any other "-ing" you can think of, we have finally arrived at the 3A state championship in Indiana. As we get to the larger schools, some of the recruits in question fall into the "high profile" category, and more classes are represented among the players to watch. Here’s our preview.</p> <p><strong>Brebeuf, 23-11</strong></p> <p>Don’t let the record fool you. The Braves had to go through a gauntlet of teams just to get here, including a sweep of defending 3A champ Brownstown Central in the regional final, and a four-set win over a scrappy Silver Creek program in the semi-state. Youngster <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85918" first="Sydney" last="Robinson"] (’23, 5-8, OH)</strong> is a high-flyer that paces the Braves at nearly four kills per set, including her 17 much-needed kills against Silver Creek last Saturday. Joining her on the pin is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85847" first="Maddie" last="Siegel"] (’22, 5-11, OH), </strong>with three and a half kills per set, also matching Miss Robinson’s total from last week at 17 kills. The offense goes through these two, and they have little problem carrying the load. Defense, however, carries this team, and is led by freshman phenom <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110498" first="Lola" last="Schumacher"] (’24, 5-4, DS), </strong>who plays significantly more mature than her years suggest. The younger Schumacher was the main defender in the semi-state, with 25 digs against Silver Creek. But Lola’s defense is only part of the strength. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85727" first="Sophie" last="Weber"] (’21, Grinnell commit)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85711" first="Bella" last="Schumacher"] (’21, 5-7, DS) </strong>make this three-headed machine average over 10 digs per set. Now, let’s add the turbo-charged setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85920" first="Naija" last="Gadis"] (’23, 5-8, S) </strong>to this mix, and you’ll see almost immediately the reason for the Braves’ success. Naija is hyper athletic, with quick, soft hands and always sets a hittable ball regardless of the condition of the pass. Smart, young players run this squad, and they should be on this stage for the foreseeable future.</p> <p><strong>Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, 32-2</strong></p> <p>Speaking of youth running the show, the Saints have proven, time and again, that leadership comes in all ages and sizes. A trio of juniors lead the way for BD, starting with Notre Dame commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85813" first="Eva" last="Hudson"] (’22, 5-10, OH).</strong> Her six (!!!) kills per set while hitting over .400 is the primary reason for Dwenger being here. She also adds her team-leading aces and team-leading blocks to this mix. Another pin hitter, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115018" first="Kristin" last="Bobay"] (’22, 6-0, RS/OH), </strong>brings another two and a half kills per set, while hitting well over .300. This one-two punch is hard to contain, let alone stop. Our third featured junior is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115017" first="Emma" last="Lyons"] (’22, 5-7, DS), </strong>a smooth and confident libero who stays on her feet far longer than most defenders in her class. No flash, she just gets the job done. All of this is powered by senior setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115019" first="Olivia" last="Tellez"] (’21, 5-7, S), </strong>who averages nearly 12 assists per set in this offense. That number is far and away the most of any setter that runs the show this Saturday, in any class. </p> <p><em><strong>Prediction: Dwenger over Brebeuf in four sets.</strong></em></p> <p>The magic number is .335. That is the TEAM hitting percentage for the Saints. No one, in any class this Saturday, hits at that level. The Braves have not seen this level of efficiency nor this level of attack in quite some time. By the time Brebeuf figures it out defensively, I’m not sure if they have the horses or the size to slow Dwenger down. Dwenger has dropped exactly three sets since their last loss in the end of September, a six-week period. I am looking forward to seeing this Saints squad for years to come.</p>