1A State Final : #2 Tecumseh v #5 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We made it! The state championships in all four classes descend on Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University, and we have no shortage of talent in any of the four matches. All eight of the teams playing on Saturday are in the state top ten in their respective classes, including the 1A final, which we will touch on today. Here are the two 1A teams, their records, and the players that will be needed to bring home the big trophy with a first serve at 11a.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>#2 Tecumseh (31-4)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Braves have, for the most part, produced nothing but athletes in women's sports for as long as I can remember. Looking at their schedule, their only loss to a 1A squad was to now-eliminated Trinity Lutheran, which shows how talented the Braves really are. The roster has talent in each graduating class, with the majority of the production coming from the class of 2024. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='230530' first='Jenna' last='Donohoo'] ('24, 5-10 OH/RS)</strong> is the most impactful player for the Braves, as evidenced by her double-double in the semi state (12 k, 10d) against Lutheran. A couple of Jenna's fellow classmates contributed to the quick sweep on Saturday, with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='157434' first='Payge' last='Johnson'] ('24, 5-8 S/OH)</strong> producing her own double-double (26a, 10d), while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241704' first='Emily' last='Hall'] ('24, 5-6 S)</strong> did her part in the 6-2 with 13 assists of her own. The Braves will have to expect a little more from an up-and-coming freshman defender in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='241703' first='Lydia' last='Wilson'] ('26, 5-5 DS/L), </strong>whose 13 digs led all players in the semi state. Her success should lead to success for the Braves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>#5 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (33-4)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>These</em> Braves have exactly ZERO losses to 1A squads, and one of them is to current 3A #4 Bellmont, who's in the state final later on Saturday. If there are hallmarks to what Blackhawk is as a program, they have size and they have club experience. Like their opponents on November 5th, each graduating class has their own level of talent, with the junior class being the most represented in the "size" category. I'm pretty positive the "southern Braves" haven't seen size like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='230529' first='Allie' last='Boyer'] ('24, 6-2 OH)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='230528' first='Abbie' last='Cresse'] ('24, 6-3 MB).</strong> Allie led all attackers in their semi state against Southwood with 19 kills, while fellow big Abbie added 12 kills and 4 blocks on the day. <strong>Emi Wood ('23, 5-6 DS/L)</strong> is the senior leadership in the perfect position, and her 30 digs last Saturday were the difference in the win. Setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='154811' first='Leena' last='Leichty'] ('25, 5-8 S)</strong> runs a great offense, knows how to located the ball, and can keep teams off-balance with her deception. She had 40 assists in the four-set win over Southwood. All four of these kids train at Empowered, and that training should show through on the 5th.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->