The REPORTER
Two Hamilton County volleyball teams will go for regional championships on Saturday.
Defending Class 4A state champion Hamilton Southeastern travels to Homestead, where it will take on Harrison in a semifinal match. Hamilton Heights, fresh off its first sectional title in 15 years, heads to Monrovia for a 3A regional. The Huskies play Northview in the semifinals.
The Royals have been dominant all season, winning all 29 of their matches with the loss of only two sets. They will take on a Raiders team that is 27-6 and ended the four-year sectional reign of McCutcheon last week at the Logansport sectional.
Harrison beat Kokomo in the first round and Lafayette Jefferson in the semifinals with straight-set sweeps to earn a date with the Mavericks. The Raiders needed five sets to edge out McCutcheon, getting the victory 16-14 in the fifth set.
Senior Riley Whitlock had an incredible offensive night with 25 kills, followed by sophomore Della Bossung hitting 13 kills. Whitlock also served three aces.
Whitlock has averaged nearly five kills per set this season, putting down 463 over 95 sets. Bossung has 215 kills for the year. Sophomore Jillian Deno leads in aces with 59 and has dished out 623 assists. On defense, junior Grace Klemme has 272 digs, followed by Whitlock with 210. Senior Madison Toombs has 49 blocks, followed by senior Paige Davis with 42.
Southeastern cruised through the Zionsville sectional, sweeping the host Eagles and Noblesville in straight sets. Senior Lauren Harden is on top of the offense with 319 kills, followed by junior Lindsey Mangelson with 295. Senior Macy Hinshaw has dished out 529 assists, with junior Ava Hunter handing out 441 assists. Hunter also leads the ace count with 51.
Sophie Ledbetter is another Royals senior, and another leader, as she is first in digs with 359. Three more seniors are on top of the blocks list: Breonna Goss has 74, Tiffany Snook has 55 and Madison Evett has 41.
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Hamilton Heights will be trying for a first-ever regional championship on Saturday. The Huskies are 23-6 and play a 24-9 Northview team in the day’s opening match at Monrovia.
The Knights came out of their own sectional, which they easily won last week. Northview swept South Vermillion in the first round, straight-setted Indian Creek in the semifinals, and cruised past Owen Valley 25-5, 25-9, 25-7 in the championship.
Junior Keira Lucas has had a strong season, with 493 kills in 94 sets – a 5.2 kill per set average. Sophomore Karsyn Buck has 380 assists, and also leads the serving with 64 aces. Senior Audrey Lee has 56 aces to her credit, followed by Lucas with 51.
Junior Bradee McDonald leads the defense with 564 digs, while junior Rachel Rounds has the most blocks with 46.
Heights triumphed at the Bishop Chatard sectional, where it swept the Trojans in the semifinals, then beat Guerin Catholic in four sets to win the trophy. Sophomore Macie Smith has been a force, with 416 kills over 86 sets, a 4.8 per-set average. Senior Lauren Lewis has 241 kills for the season.
Two Huskies have shared the setting role. Junior Ellie Miller has dished out 440 assists, with sophomore Sierra Bramel providing 365 assists. Lewis leads the ace count with 67.
Junior Kennedy Cherry has made 427 digs for Heights this season. Smith leads the blocking with 58, followed by junior Emma Blanton with 43.