Top Five In 3A This Week: Sectional Openers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here we are at the end of the regular season, and we've yet to do a preview of the state tournament. Soon, we'll have a full preview, but for now, our focus is on the top five in each class. In today's edition, we'll mention two uncommitted players making an impact this fall and the sectional opener for each team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>All records are as of the matches on 10/3.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: NorthWood (25-4)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers have torn through their schedule and pounded out yet another 20-win season. With a mixture of youth and leadership, this team looks to make a deep run in the postseason, starting with their sectional opener against Lakeland (9-15) on October 12. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='192110' first='Claire' last='Payne'] ('25, 6-1 MB)</strong> has the size and skill to take over matches in both phases of the game, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='210181' first='Karis' last='Bennett'] ('24, 5-9 OH)</strong> is a primary passing outside who is the steady and reliable player all teams need to compete for a state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: Benton Central (27-1)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Contrary to what some might think, I feel it's best to get that sole loss out of the way <em>before</em> the postseason starts. No pressure, just play hard. That being said, the Hot Dogs of Frankfort (11-15) will get the brunt of the highly efficient Bison offense on October 12 for each team's sectional opener. Setters <strong>Riley </strong><b>Ho</b><strong>aks </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='499444' first='Izzy' last='Adams']</strong> will continue to run the 6-2 perfectly, and looming matches in the regional and semi state against the three top teams in this class await.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#3: Angola (25-1)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hornets also recently suffered their first loss of the season to Carroll over the weekend. They get another shot at the Chargers this week in the regular season before setting their sights on a tough Bishop Dwenger (17-8) squad in their sectional opener on October 10. Look for young hammer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='237882' first='Maya' last='Harris'] ('26, 5-10 Pin)</strong> to hammer away at the Saints, while <strong>Anna McClure ('25, 5-7 DS/L)</strong> will have the first contact locked down for all of the weapons wearing purple.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2: Providence (22-5)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pioneers have turned in yet another solid season, making mince meat of Southern Indiana in the process. Charlestown (17-8) waits on the horizon for the sectional opener on October 12, which could turn into a tough match if the Pioneers don't take this seriously. The dynamic duo of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143807' first='Makenzie' last='Wagner'] ('24, 5-10 RS)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='210180' first='Lilly' last='Tappel'] ('24, 5-10 OH)</strong> can terminate at will against all types of defenses, and should make things tough for all opponents in the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1: Bellmont (27-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Braves are back on top for the final regular season top five list, and they're primed to make another state title run. Mississinewa (11-11) is their opening opponent on October 10 in the sectional. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226809' first='MaryKate' last='Scheumann'] ('26, 5-10 OH)</strong> has been the leader in multiple categories this fall, most notably in kills and kills per set for the Braves. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242595' first='Sami' last='Christen'] ('24, 5-7 DS/L)</strong> is the solid libero that every state-title-winning team needs, as this just might be their year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->