3A State Title Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We made it! Worthen Arena, on the campus of Ball State University, will host all four classes of the girls volleyball state championship matches. Today's preview talks about the only repeat match from last fall, in which Providence knocked off Bellmont to win it all. We'll also mention each team's record (according to MaxPreps), their state rating (according to IndianaPrepVolleyball.com), and a few players that have made impacts this season and those that could be x-factors in their squads taking home the big trophy. The action starts on Saturday, November 4 at 430p. Here we go!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2 Bellmont (34-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The question for the Braves is never IF they make it to the state title match. The question should be WHEN do they win the title. The standard is the standard at Bellmont, and there's no hyperbole in the expectation to win a state title every year. They're always in the conversation, and they always play the toughest schedule to peak at the perfect time. That being said, the Braves have a nice mix of youth and experience in both club and high school play. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='226809' first='MaryKate' last='Scheumann'] ('26, 5-10 OH)</strong> is the clear catalyst in this offense, leading the team in kills this fall, and once again at the semi state against NorthWood. Her pass-to-attack skills are second to none in her graduating class, and is a double-double machine (14k/12d in the semi state). It's not just her, though. Returning First Team All-State honorees <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110518' first='Delaney' last='Lawson'] ('24, 6-1 OH, Utah State commit)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242595' first='Sami' last='Christen'] ('24, 5-7 DS/L)</strong> bring their own skills to the court. Delaney is a big terminator, and does a little of everything for the Braves (Semi state stats: 10k/12d/4b). Sami is a first-contact queen that can pass half the court in serve receive and anticipates better than most on defense. Returning Second Team All-State honoree <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239312' first='Hailey' last='Cole'] ('24, 5-10 S)</strong> has produced over 1000 assists this season alone, and runs an efficient and balanced offense. In all, the core of what makes Bellmont great is back for a repeat performance at Worthen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#1 Providence (30-5)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you graduate the heart and soul of your team (Grace Purichia, current starting setter at IUPUI), there should be an area of growth that needs to happen before making it back to the title match. But back-to-back seasons? It can be argued that this year's team is <em>better</em> than last year's, simply because of the roster's balance and consistency. Returning First Team All-Stater <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143807' first='Makenzie' last='Wagner'] ('24, 5-10 RS)</strong> is a lefty hammer that can set in a pinch if you need it, and was highly efficient in the semi state last Saturday (18k/.615). She's joined by fellow senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='210180' first='Lilly' last='Tappel'] ('24, 5-10 OH),</strong> who also earned First Team All-State status last fall and is just as efficient in her pass-to-attack skills (11k/.524 in the semi state). That pair of attackers, along with senior libero <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='114355' first='Camila' last='Adams'] ('24, 5-9 DS/L),</strong> are the solid core of what makes the Pioneers so good---their constant, consistent and efficient play produces 30-win seasons year-in and year-out. The Pioneers will probably run a 6-2 with <strong>Reese Carver ('24, 5-5 S)</strong> and <strong>Addison Smith ('26, 5-7 S),</strong> and both keep this high-performance engine running. But is it enough for a repeat? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">PREDICTION: Bellmont over Providence in five.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading -->