3A Regionals: Southern Edition

<p>With five of the top ten 3A schools in the southern half of the draw, these four regional semifinal matchups should make for a fun Saturday of volleyball south of I-70. All eight teams have uncommitted diamonds-in-the-rough that have largely gone overlooked because of the committed stars on each squad. Here they are, in their respective brackets, with a chance for you to vote on the winner of each.</p>   <h2>At Monrovia:</h2>   <h2>10a: #6 Western Boone (24-6) v #10 Northview (28-5)</h2>   <p>Wow. Coming straight out of the starter's gate is a top ten match made for those that love sophomore pin attackers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='154814' first='Raegan' last='Durbin'] ('25, 5-10 OH)</strong> is the engine that makes the Stars go, and has relentless work ethic. She's worth the price of admission by herself. For the Knights, they have their own class of '25 outside hitter in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173242' first='Keira' last='Lucas'] ('25, 5-10 OH)</strong> who can hit from anywhere, and usually does. We'll list her as an outside because of her all-around skill and where she might project in the future. You can't go wrong with either player as the main cog in a volleyball roster, and it will be fun watching these two go back and forth.</p>   <h2>12:30p: Speedway (16-14) v Guerin Catholic (15-17)</h2>   <p>A rare near-.500 matchup marks the second regional semifinal in Monrovia. The Sparkplugs play a tougher-than-average schedule to prepare themselves for moments like this, and will be leaning on junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='149837' first='Taylor' last='Ridge'] ('24, 5-9 OH) </strong>to do so. She plays a little middle for Speedway as well, but we project her to see the most time on the left pin at the collegiate level. On the other side of the net, there's a ton of senior leadership and club experience, which might make the difference in this matchup. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='99587' first='Ella' last='Murphy'] ('23, 5-9 OH)</strong> is still looking for a home in the fall of '23, and her primary-passing abilities and well-rounded skill should help her do so sooner rather than later. Look for the Golden Eagles to lean on Ella when they need a kill.</p>   <h2>Vote for your winner of the Monrovia regional:</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-crowdsignal wp-block-embed-crowdsignal"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://poll.fm/11224077 </div></figure>   <h2>At Corydon Central:</h2>   <h2>11a: #7 Greensburg (33-0) v Evansville Memorial (16-8)</h2>   <p>Once again, the Pirates find themselves in rarified air, undefeated at the regional semifinal. This time, they have a ton of experience and a couple of committed kids <strong>([player_tooltip player_id='85922' first='Josie' last='Nobbe'], Indiana State </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='106295' first='Ella' last='Chapman'], Florida Gulf Coast)</strong> to lead the way. Now into the final 16, the Pirates will need to focus on ball control rather than the attack, so we're looking at <strong>Abigail Hoeing ('23, 5-5 DS/L)</strong> as the first-contact master. The Tigers are no slouches themselves, and are senior-heavy with their experience in club. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='158334' first='Caroline' last='Jones'] ('23, 6-0 MB)</strong> will do her best to slow down the size and strength of the Pirates while putting a few balls away herself.</p>   <h2>1:30p: #5 Barr-Reeve (33-1) v #1 Providence (27-6)</h2>   <p>This is the match of the day in the southern half, in this author's humble opinion. Both programs are constant and consistent 25+ win programs, with the Vikings showing their prowess up a class in 3A. B-R has a stud of a freshman in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226808' first='Addison' last='Jones'] ('26, 5-11 OH)</strong> that plays with a maturity not normally seen in a kid this young, and will be asked to carry more of the offensive load in this match. Providence is a volleyball blue-blood through and through, and will make Barr-Reeve's defense work for every point. Recently-placed libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='114355' first='Camila' last='Adams'] ('24, 5-8 DS/L)</strong> is a converted outside who trains over the Ohio River at KIVA, and her ball control will be much needed to get through this match, let alone make it to the state final. </p>   <h2>Vote for your winner of the Corydon Central regional:</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-crowdsignal wp-block-embed-crowdsignal"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://poll.fm/11224082 </div></figure>

With five of the top ten 3A schools in the southern half of the draw, these four regional semifinal matchups should make for a fun Saturday of volleyball south of I-70. All eight teams have uncommitted diamonds-in-the-rough that have largely gone overlooked because of the committed stars on each squad. Here they are, in their respective brackets, with a chance for you to vote on the winner of each.