The Almosts: 4A Teams And Players That Deserve More Attention

<p>Our final edition of "The Almosts" places us in the 4A class, where all five teams mentioned are still alive in the sectional playoffs, playing in each of their respective sectional finals in just a few hours from now. Here are the teams and players that deserve more attention regardless of their finishes this evening.</p> <p><strong>McCutcheon (25-6)</strong></p> <p>Coming from an admittedly weak conference and an even weaker sectional, the Mavericks play everyone and anyone in Indiana to make them better. Mission accomplished, as they won their first regional championship last fall, and look to go even farther this fall. They get Lafayette Harrison in the final tonight, but someone needs to complement Penn State commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85895" first="Chloe" last="Chicoine"]. </strong>Insert <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110524" first="Isabella" last="Humphrey"] (’24, 5-9 OH), </strong>who averages 3+ kills per set and is a primary passing outside through and through. </p> <p><strong>Brownsburg (25-6)</strong></p> <p>The Bulldogs, after knocking off rival Avon in straight sets, get Plainfield in the sectional final tonight. Again, this squad needs a complement to their big banger, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85853" first="Kendall" last="Meller"] (Colorado commit), </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85896" first="Quinci" last="Thomas"] (’23, 6-3 OH)</strong> is up to the task. She’s crushing more than four kills per set while hitting north of .300 as a pin. Those numbers are more than adequate for her to advance her squad to higher highs than last fall.</p> <p><strong>Fishers (19-5)</strong></p> <p>The Tigers, having watched their rival and 4A #1 Hamilton Southeastern get knocked off by Carmel in the semis this morning, cannot rest knowing that the sectional title is <em>this </em>close. Although this is a well-balanced offense, I’m supremely impressed with the play of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85826" first="Ava" last="Vickers"] (’23, 6-0 MB)</strong> whose one-footed attacks are second to none in this class. She’s in elite company, banging more than three kills per set while hitting over .400 in the process. </p> <p><strong>Castle (28-2)</strong></p> <p>The champs of the Southern Indiana Conference have always had a solid program since I moved here in ’04, and I can’t remember a time when they weren’t in the mix for a regional or state championship. There are plenty of attackers that can show up tonight against Jasper, but the x-factor for me is sophomore <strong>Katie Kopshever (’24, 5-11 OH/RS).</strong> Her ability to terminate as much as the upperclassmen on this list will be key for the Knights moving forward.</p> <p><strong>Columbus East (26-4)</strong></p> <p>Champions of the Hoosier Hills conference, the Olympians have already played two matches in this sectional, with a four-set win over Bloomington South earlier this week, and a sweep over Bloomington North this morning. Drawing a tough and strong Martinsville team in the final should be a great match for this larger-than-life squad. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85903" first="Gabby" last="Dean"] (’23, 6-4 MB, Illinois commit)</strong> will definitely anchor the middle and will be the big banger that the Artesians can’t match. But what if she has a rare off match? Then let <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85934" first="Saige" last="Stahl"] (’23, 6-1 OH)</strong> hammer away in CE’s fast offense. She’s one of four attackers on this balanced squad to average over two kills per set. </p>