3A Regional Preview: Top Half

This is gonna be GOOD. Seven of the eight teams in the top half of the 3A regional are listed in the top twenty in the class, and three of the four matches are rematches from the regular season. There's a ton to unpack, so here are the matchups.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3 Angola (33-1) v #1 Bellmont (31-2) @ Norwell, 10a</h2>   If there was one match you needed to go see on Saturday, it's this one. A rematch of their battle on September 16, where the Hornets came away with a 3-1 victory, is the perfect setting for a state final, let alone a regional semifinal. There's a ton of committed talent on both squads, with one kid in particular that will be turning heads during the match that has yet to commit because of her youth. For the Hornets, look no further than the biggest kid in the gym, [player_tooltip player_id='110486' first='Morgan' last='Gaerte'] ('24, 6-4 OH, Notre Dame commit). She's been the do-everything, primary-passing outside that has limitless energy and keeps her cool no matter the match situation. [player_tooltip player_id='110487' first='Mya' last='Ball'] ('24, 6-1 RS/S, UCF commit) has a bit of everything in her game as well. She can set at will, put balls away regularly, defend at an above-average level, and is deadly from behind the service line. These two should dictate how this match ends up tomorrow. As for the Braves, they bring a long history of volleyball success to Norwell Saturday morning. [player_tooltip player_id='110518' first='Delaney' last='Lawson'] ('24, 6-1 OH, Utah State commit) is the obvious choice for a physical leader, but the true champion of volleyball talent is contained in primary-passing outside [player_tooltip player_id='226809' first='MaryKate' last='Scheumann'] ('26, 5-10 OH). Her ability to put balls away from anywhere while passing half the court is unmatched, and she might have to do a little extra to pull off the revenge win.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4 Benton Central (31-1) v #11 New Castle (26-8) @ Norwell, following match #1</h2>   As if you needed extra incentive to stay at Norwell, these two teams have had epic seasons, but have yet to play each other. The mystery to their successes will fade instantly, as the Foster kids run the show for the Bison. [player_tooltip player_id='260994' first='Calista' last='Foster'] ('26, 5-10 OH) is an exceptional primary passing option for the next level, while older sis [player_tooltip player_id='110506' first='Sienna' last='Foster'] ('24, 5-9 OH, Purdue commit) is a person you should not serve to, ever. Both are the Wonder Twins for this squad, and together, the two have totaled nearly 70 wins in the last two seasons. The Trojans have their own talent, most of which plays at Munciana. [player_tooltip player_id='487338' first='Lauren' last='Wilson'] ('25, 6-0 OH) has the size and the talent to take over a match offensively. The most impressive kid on this roster, however, is setter [player_tooltip player_id='234692' first='Ella' last='Young'] ('24, 5-8 S, Lees McRae commit). She just surpassed 1000 career assists, but spent her junior season being a primary attacker. She's done virtually everything asked of her during her time at New Castle, and should be the catalyst if she wants to pull off a Trojan upset.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#20 Culver Academies (27-6) @ #5 NorthWood (30-4), 10a</h2>   So, if I'm reading the bracket correctly, four of the top five teams in 3A are in this half of the bracket. Such an unbelievable amount of talent lies in this class, and most of it is in the northern half of the state (Stop yelling at me, #2 Providence, we'll get to you later.). A very upperclass-heavy matchup will be the emphasis of the first match at NorthWood, and it should be fun. The Eagles roll out a pair of seniors to lead the way, starting with [player_tooltip player_id='237881' first='Jenna' last='Kerr'] ('24, 5-11 MB). Her size and strength will be much needed to slow down the attack of the Panthers, while also keeping their defense honest. Fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='394369' first='Megan' last='Gifford'] ('24, 5-10 Pin) can put the ball away from anywhere, and will need to do a little bit more to take the offensive pressure off of Miss Kerr. The Panthers aren't accidentally here, as they've already recorded a sweep over Culver back on September 23. Junior middle [player_tooltip player_id='192110' first='Claire' last='Payne'] ('25, 6-1 MB) has been the consistent physical leader for NorthWood, as she leads in multiple categories statistically. Also, look for [player_tooltip player_id='210181' first='Karis' last='Bennett'] ('24, 5-9 OH) to use her all-around game to keep things going for the home squad into the Saturday evening regional final.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mishawaka Marian (18-16) v #18 Bishop Noll (27-8) @ NorthWood, following match #1</h2>   The Knights pulled off an epic upset of then-top twenty New Prairie by sweeping them last Saturday. That win set up a revenge opportunity for the Knights, as they lost in a close 2-1 battle on September 23 to these very same Warriors. Co-captains Abby Hester ('24, 5-8 RS) and Anna Desmarais ('25, 5-3 S) are the cogs that make this Knight engine go, and both will be needed to kick it up a notch or three to pull off yet another upset this fall. The Warriors come in with all of the confidence in the world, having won their last ten straight, a streak that started with a win over this same Knight squad. Bishop Noll's talent sits in the junior class, as Zariah Winton ('25, 6-0 Pin) and Sophie Nowacki ('25, 5-9 OH) lead the way. Zariah has the size and strength to contain Marian's attackers, while Sophie is a smooth and reliable outside that does a little of everything for the Warriors.

This is gonna be GOOD. Seven of the eight teams in the top half of the 3A regional are listed in the top twenty in the class, and three of the four matches are rematches from the regular season. There's a ton to unpack, so here are the matchups.