3A Regional Preview: South

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The southern half of the 3A draw for regionals has four of the top five teams in the state. That should tell you all you need to know about the level of play each and every team in this part of the bracket is capable of. Here are the eight teams represented, their records and rankings (if applicable), where and when they play, and a top athlete that should be key in her team's advancing to the semi-state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jasper (23-10) @ Jennings County (25-8), 4p</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first of two unranked matchups this weekend shows where the majority of ranked opponents are in 3A. That being said, there are still plenty of reasons to watch this matchup, which also include an athlete committed to play for an NAIA program. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='709322' first='Carlee' last='Rogers']</strong> (Cumberland commit) does a little of everything for the Wildcats, from averaging four kills per set to stepping up as the setter from time to time. She'll be leaned upon heavily to hopefully pull off a victory Saturday afternoon. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='398587' first='Avynn' last='Belding']</strong> is an uncommitted two-sport stud of a middle that can put balls away from anywhere and is the energetic and springy middle most teams could use at the next level. She also leads in blocks for her squad, all while being just a hair under six feet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5 Northview (30-1) v #1 Roncalli (31-0) @ Cascade, 1p</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cascade is the place to be for the best 3A volleyball there is in the state of Indiana. This is just the first of two top-five matches at the high school west of Indianapolis, and will be well worth the drive to watch. The Knights have had an amazing season, yet again eclipsing the 30-win mark. They are clearly led offensively by Valparaiso commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173242' first='Keira' last='Lucas'],</strong> who will be called upon to do a little bit more to compete against the nationally-ranked Royals. Roncalli's three phases of the game---offense, defense and setting---are all collegiate-level, without a doubt. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152943' first='Logan' last='Bell']</strong> (Oregon commit), a starter for Roncalli since her freshman season, is looking for that epic cherry on top of this tasty sundae of a season for the Royals. There are so many Royals to mention in this forum, but I would look to Logan for leadership, stability and overall volleyball acuity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evansville Memorial (16-11) v Silver Creek (21-12) @ Mitchell, 4p</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two more unranked teams face off in this half of the draw, with each team bringing a uniqueness to the fray. The Tigers are led, physically and emotionally, by <strong>Ryan Scheu,</strong> who sets for her club program at Metro, but is a hammer during high school season. Her 5+kps/.300+ stat line is an enviable one, for sure. The Tigers, however, haven't seen the size and talent of one <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='274410' first='Addison' last='Makun'],</strong> who will be playing ball for nearby Louisville next fall. Miss Makun is a big and physical middle that has no equal in this class--she has size and length for days, plays at a high level consistently (thank you, KIVA), and has a relentless motor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">#2 Tri-West (31-3) v #3 Cathedral (22-10) @ Cascade, 4p</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The nightcap at Cascade on Saturday features the only regional in this half where the teams actually met each other in the regular season. The Bruins swept the Fighting Irish back on September 19, and quickly at that. Tri-West will roll out <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='221477' first='Isabelle' last='Masten']</strong> (Pittsburgh commit), who does a whole bunch of everything for the Bruins. Although she'll be called upon to wear the special jersey at Pitt, she's a full-go, no-quit type of athlete that is as deadly at the net as she is behind the baseline. Cathedral has their own talent at every position, explaining how they got this far. Look for hybrid middle/right side <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='355575' first='Avery' last='Lewis']</strong> (Georgetown commit) to get a bunch of sets her way to hopefully offset the offense the Bruins have.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->