After an unforgettable sectional championship victory, the University volleyball team will have its first-ever try for a regional title on Saturday.
The Trailblazers will play at the Class 1A Morristown regional. University takes on Indianapolis Lutheran in the second semi-final, which will start around noon. The first semi-final begins at 10 a.m. between Bloomfield and Hauser; the winners advance to the 7:30 p.m. championship match.
The Lutheran Saints (12-20) have already played at Morristown, where they won the sectional title last week. Lutheran beat Providence Cristo Rey 25-11, 25-13, 25-14 in the semi-finals and Greenwood Christian Academy in the championship 25-14, 26-24, 25-12.
Sophomore Dara Milivojac is the Saints’ offensive leader with 341 kills and 48 aces. Lutheran is a strong serving team, with senior Molly Phipps and junior Chloe Andre hitting 36 and 33 aces respectively.
Andre is the team setter and has dished out 714 assists. On defense, Milivojac has 328 digs and is one of three players with 30 total blocks; the others are senior Rylee Morris and junior Olivia Terry.
University is 18-7 and won its own sectional last Saturday. The Trailblazers beat Traders Point Christian 25-12, 25-20, 25-9 and Bethesda Christian 25-12, 25-14, 25-19 to reach the final, then outlasted International in five sets, 25-18, 21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 21-19, in a match where both teams held multiple match points.
Junior Stella Behforouz leads University in kills with 248. Five Trailblazers have served at least 38 aces, with freshman Jillian Sager hitting 64. Next in line are junior Gillian Monroe with 56, Behforouz with 48, junior Lindsey Syrek with 40 and senior Violet Worth with 38.
Monroe is the setter and has dished out 478 assists this season. Behforouz has 282 digs on defense, while Syrek has dominated at the net with 56 total blocks.
As for the first semi-final: Bloomfield is 19-9 and won the Clay City sectional by beating North Central Farmersburg 25-11, 25-13, 25-12 and the host Clay City 16-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-16.
Junior Elizabeth Combs is the leader in kills with 199 and aces with 37; sophomore Kylee Shelton has served 35 aces. Another sophomore, Malea Ramsey, is the setter and has handed out 437 assists. Shelton leads the defense with 240 digs and Combs has 45 total blocks.
Hauser is 20-4 and won its own sectional, defeating Jac-Cen-Del 25-9, 25-3, 25-11, Southwestern Shelbyville in a tight match 25-20, 25-14, 26-28, 29-31, 15-13, and Rising Sun in the championship 25-19, 25-10, 25-18.
Sophomore Hannah Johnson has hit 293 kills for the Jets. Four players have at least 50 aces for the season: Junior Shelby Fugate with 58, junior Melanie Taylor with 52, junior Mary Branum with 51 and Johnson with 50.
Sophomore Aunaka Wasil has dished out 781 assists. On defense, Taylor has collected 394 digs, while Johnson has 53 total blocks.
University freshman Jillian Sager leads the Trailblazers in aces with 64. (Kirk Green/File photo)