By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
The Noblesville volleyball team’s post-season run took it all to the way to the regional championship on Saturday.
The Millers played in the Class 4A Muncie Central regional, their first appearance at that level of the post-season in 15 years. Noblesville overcame the loss of the first set in the semi-finals to stomp 10th-ranked Fort Wayne Carroll 17-25, 25-9, 25-19, 25-14. In the championship, the Millers took on No. 1 ranked Yorktown, which swept to a 25-19, 25-18, 25-14 victory.
The first set of the semi-final was close until the Chargers started putting together small runs of three consecutive points to move ahead 18-11. Noblesville came back to within 18-15 thanks to a pair of kills from Lexi Almodovar and another kill by Alexa Roberts. But Carroll won seven of the next nine points to take the set.
That snapped the Millers to attention. Noblesville built leads of 4-1, 7-2 and 9-4 early in the set, with Almodovar at one point serving three consecutive aces. Then, with the Millers leading 9-5, Abbey Brown served 10 consecutive Noblesville points to put her team ahead 19-5. Lexie Bowler helped out with two kills and a block.
“It seems to be a trend so far for us,” said Millers coach Steve Hawthorne about his team’s comebacks after dropping the first set. “I was really proud of the kids, once again, to be able to lose like that and to be able to step back up the very next set and to play with confidence and play hard.”
After that, the Millers were in charge for the remainder of the match, although Carroll did give them a battle in the third set, leading 17-16. Noblesville finished the set by winning five straight points; Bowler made a block and a kill, and Stephanie Meysembourg hit two aces, including one to win set point.
The Millers finished the fourth set with an equal flourish, winning 10 straight points from 15-14. Emily Kiser made a successful block, Brenna Everingham served an ace, and Almodovar hit three kills, including the putdown to win the match.
Almodovar and Bowler each hit 16 kills, with Bowler also making three blocks. Kiser had three blocks to go along with six kills. Roberts had eight kills. Everingham made 20 digs, and Maddie Hine handed out 47 assists.
In the final, Noblesville battled with the top-ranked Tigers early, but they began to slowly pull away after leading 16-13 in the first set, then 22-17. The other two sets followed the same pattern.
The Millers were within 15-14 of the Tigers in the second set before Yorktown won seven of the next eight points to take control. The Tigers then jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the third set, and again slowly added to their lead.
Noblesville finished its season with a 23-14 record.
Noblesville’s Maddie Hine (center) goes up to make a tip during the Millers’ regional championship game with Yorktown Saturday at Muncie Central. (Kirk Green)