By RICHIE HALL
The last time the Hamilton Southeastern volleyball team played Crown Point was on Oct. 31, 2015.
The place was the Class 4A Plymouth semi-state, and the Royals and the Bulldogs were fighting for the semi-state championship. The two teams will meet on Saturday at Frankfort, again for the semi-state championship.
The Southeastern-Crown Point match is scheduled to start at around 6 p.m., as it will follow the 1A semi-state final between Morgan Township and Cowan. That match starts at 4 p.m.
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 6 in the MaxPreps Indiana volleyball rankings, and come into the semi-state with a 30-6 record. That includes an impressive result: A Duneland Conference championship. Crown Point finished league play a perfect 14-0 – two wins against each of its opponents. The Bulldogs won 42 of 49 sets played against their seven opponents.
Crown Point won its own sectional, sweeping all three of its opponents. The Bulldogs took care of Lowell 25-13, 25-12, 25-9; Chesterton 25-14, 25-15, 25-15; and Valparaiso 25-12, 25-16, 25-15.
That qualified CP for the La Porte regional. The Bulldogs won a thriller in the semi-finals, edging past Munster in five sets, 19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 19-17. Crown Point then beat Penn in four sets, 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 25-15 in the championship.
“I have watched them on film,” said Royals coach Jason Young. “Excellent team that is extremely well coached.”
Young noted that the Bulldogs play with great energy on defense. Crown Point has some impressive defensive numbers: Sophomore Lilly Stoddard has made 115 blocks over the season, an average of 3.2 blocks per match. Senior Savana Chacon has collected 550 digs, or 15.7 per match.
As for the offense, senior Maddie Banter leads the way with a season-total 375 kills, or 3.2 per set. Banter also leads in aces with 60 for the season. Sophomore Rachel Rossman has handed out 632 assists (5.4 per set) for the year, with senior Olivia Panepinto dishing out 466, or 4.9 per set.
“They have a balanced attack on offense and they have two outstanding setters running a 6-2 offense,” said Young.
Southeastern has an outstanding offense as well. The Royals come into the match with a 28-4 record, including an undefeated (7-0) Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship. Southeastern is ranked No. 3 in the MaxPreps ratings.
The Royals sailed through the Noblesville sectional without dropping a set, beating Westfield 25-18, 25-19, 25-17; Zionsville 25-12, 25-23, 25-15; and Fishers 25-20, 25-19, 25-19. Southeastern returned to Noblesville for the regional, where it swept Homestead 25-7, 25-8, 25-15 in the semi-finals, then beat a tough McCutcheon team in four sets, 25-23, 25-17, 25-20, 25-9.
Junior Delaney Garner and senior Abby Weber have been a good 1-2 offensive combination for Southeastern. Garner has 343 season kills (3.6 per set) and Weber has put down 337 kills (3.5 per set). Weber also leads the season ace total with 47. The Royals have two solid setters in junior Olivia Phillips (491 for the season, 5.5 per set) and sophomore Emily Weber (453 for the season, 4.8 per set).
On defense, junior Carly Mills has been solid, with 520 digs this season, 16.3 per match. Garner has been a force at the net with 108 blocks, an average of 3.4 per match.
“This week has been a fairly normal week for us,” said Young. “We have stayed with our routines and have focused on getting better. We are looking forward to a great match against a very tough opponent in front of a large crowd.”
Hamilton Southeastern’s Delaney Garner (6) leads the Royals in both kills and aces this season. Southeastern will play Crown Point Saturday for the Class 4A Frankfort semi-state championship. (Kirk Green)