2A Regional Preview: Top Half

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top half of the 2A bracket is the only section of any regional half that has all eight teams ranked in the top twenty in their respective class. That being said, this might end up being, top-to-bottom, the toughest of all of the regional halves in the state. With regional semifinals AND finals happening this Saturday the 21st, we will take time to break down each matchup for all classes. We'll also include Z-ratings, procured directly from IndianaPrepVolleyball.com and updated on October 16. This should be a fun day of volleyball, with no shortage of talent and size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>All All-State honors listed below are from the fall of '22. All records and Z-ratings are as of 10/16.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#8 Adams Central (24-10) v #4 Lafayette Central Catholic (23-9) @ Elwood, 10a</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the first time ever that I've had something to talk about with the Flying Jets. Congrats to this senior-led team and their wildly successful season! <strong>Hillary Tobias ('24, 5-7 MB)</strong> is a springy and hyper athletic middle that averages four kills per set while hitting over .300. Not bad for an undersized middle. <strong>Macy Smith ('24, 5-5 DS/L)</strong> will be put in charge of ball control to ensure that their primary attacker has all of the opportunity in the world to continue that offensive dominance. LCC is a blue-blood in Indiana volleyball as evidenced by their All-State honorees that returned for another late October run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='154812' first='Kaitlyn' last='Kuckkan'] ('25, 5-8 S)</strong> earned First Team All-State honors last fall, but I think the BIG Indiana-shaped trophy is what she wants the most. Fellow All-Stater <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='155571' first='Rachel' last='Vorst'] ('24, 5-6 DS/L)</strong> has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to both receive serve and defend at an elite level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#20 Madison-Grant (21-10) v #1 Burris (27-4) @ Elwood, following match #1</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A five-set upset of then top twenty Eastern (Greentown) placed the Argylls in this spot. However, with two First Team All-State honorees graduated last fall, we don't know much about MG. The Owls certainly do, as their prematch preparation is second to none in 2A. Burris also has the advantage of a win over the Argylls back on August 19. They'll also roll out Second Team All-State honoree <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='155089' first='Lilly' last='Howell'] ('25, 6-2 MB),</strong> who can easily take over a match on both offense and defense. She's accompanied by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='386146' first='Aubrey' last='Miller'] ('24, 5-6 OH),</strong> who will keep opposing defenses honest and away from keying specifically on Miss Howell.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#11 Churubusco (29-5) v #15 Illiana Christian (22-10) @ Rochester, 1030a</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Impressive as the Eagles run has been, it is even <em>more</em> impressive what <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110488' first='Ella' last='Boersema'] ('24, 6-0 MB, Indiana commit)</strong> is doing to the stat sheets. She's averaging over four kills per set while hitting OVER .500 on the season. When everyone in the gym knows where the ball is going and you're still putting away more than half of the balls set to you, you're doing something right. We'll look to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143271' first='Aryssa' last='George'] ('24, 5-4 S)</strong> to make sure that her top attacker is taken care of in this one. The Vikings will be a tough out, however, as they return Second-Team All-State honoree <strong>Avery Martin,</strong> who can do a little of everything for IC. Look for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='171346' first='Delanie' last='Voss']</strong> to be the primary attacker for the Vikings if they want to advance to the final.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3 South Central (32-0) v #14 Pioneer (22-13) @ Rochester, following match #1</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most intriguing of the regionals in this article should be this match. SC is the last remaining unbeaten in 2A, and had to come from behind to beat Pioneer on October 2, which wasn't that long ago. <strong>Tatum Wade ('24, 5-10 OH)</strong> had to have a career night of 30 kills in order to keep her senior season unblemished, and might have to do so again to keep it that way. With over 1300 kills in her career, I'm sure she's used to it. Her opposite, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='557011' first='Samantha' last='Marks'] ('26, 5-8 OH)</strong> is no slouch as an outside either, and can hit double digit kills herself. Pioneer has always had exceptional women's athletics, and the volleyball program is no exception. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110516' first='Brooklyn' last='Borges'] ('24, 6-0 MB/RS)</strong> does just about all of the big-kid stuff in the middle, and is adept on both offense and defense. Returning Second Team All-State honoree <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='244802' first='Mackenzie' last='Rogers'] ('24, 6-0 S/OH)</strong> does all of the dirty work for her squad, from attacking to setting to defense. This should be a fun one to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->