Semi-State Preview: Huntington North

Kyp Harasymowycz October 23, 2023 @ 10:06 AM

The one thing that the IHSAA does that I like in the girls volleyball postseason is that multiple classes attend the same site for multiple matches. It gives many fan bases the opportunity to watch REALLY good volleyball from around the state and from differing school sizes. The bonus is that all of the teams at HN this Saturday afternoon are ranked in the top five in their respective classes. This week, we talk about four different sites, where two classes each have a match---the winner of which make it to the state final at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State. Here are the four teams coming to Huntington North for their respective matches, and an uncommitted player from each that should do the same to make it to Ball State.   Ratings and records procured from IndianaPrepVolleyball.com after all matches played from regionals.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1A: #4 Blackhawk Christian (28-8) v #2 Southwood (30-4), 1p</h2>   Without these teams seeing each other in the regular season, both will bring a ton of experience, both in high school and in club. The Braves will bring leading attacker [player_tooltip player_id='230529' first='Allie' last='Boyer'] ('24, 6-2 OH), who should be the alpha and omega of the Brave offense. She proved as such this past Saturday in her regional final: 21 kills, .391, 11 digs, 4 blocks is an impressive stat line when the season is on the line. The Knights are no slouch themselves, owning wins this season over volleyball powers Lutheran, Lafayette Central Catholic and Wes-Del, just to name a few. [player_tooltip player_id='239310' first='Grace' last='Drake'] ('25, 6-0 S/Pin) is a do-everything for the Knights. Just look at her stat line from Saturday night: 19 kills, .314, 15 digs, 18 assists, 2 blocks. She's part of a modified 6-2 that is highly efficient no matter who is setting, and should present some real problems for the defending 1A champ if they pass well.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3A: #5 NorthWood (32-4) v #2 Bellmont (33-2), following match #1</h2>   A rematch of last year's semi state AND a match on September 16 (Bellmont won, 3-1), this should be a fun nightcap to be in attendance for at Huntington North. Each have their primary attackers, each have their solid ball control that got them this far, and each have a specific thing they do well to win. For the Panthers, look no further than [player_tooltip player_id='192110' first='Claire' last='Payne'] ('25, 6-1 MB) to control action at the net. The offense clearly goes through her, as she averages nearly four kills per set while hitting over .400 on the season. She also has a defensive side to her, as she owns the team lead in blocks. Bellmont's approach has always been balance, but [player_tooltip player_id='226809' first='MaryKate' last='Scheumann'] ('26, 5-10 OH) has been taking over matches both offensively and defensively lately. Her 16k/11d double-double in the regional final against Benton Central was only bested by her own stat line of 19k/18d in a five-set thriller against Angola in the regional semifinal earlier in the day. This kid is the next big thing to come out of Bellmont, and it's high time the rest of the state recognized that fact.

The one thing that the IHSAA does that I like in the girls volleyball postseason is that multiple classes attend the same site for multiple matches. It gives many fan bases the opportunity to watch REALLY good volleyball from around the state and from differing school sizes. The bonus is that all of the teams at HN this Saturday afternoon are ranked in the top five in their respective classes. This week, we talk about four different sites, where two classes each have a match---the winner of which make it to the state final at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State. Here are the four teams coming to Huntington North for their respective matches, and an uncommitted player from each that should do the same to make it to Ball State.