Volleyball regional preview: Royals get re-match with Spartans

The first semi-final of Saturday’s Noblesville volleyball regional will be a re-match of last year’s second semi-final match.
Hamilton Southeastern will take on Homestead in the 10 a.m. match at The Mill. This year’s second semi-final will see McCutcheon face off against Fort Wayne Carroll, and will start around noon. The winners advance to the 7 p.m. championship.
The Royals made quick work of the Spartans last season, winning in straight sets. This year’s version of the Homestead squad is 18-11 and has many seniors and juniors, and the upperclassmen lead most of the different statistical categories.
“We have watched film,” said Southeastern coach Jason Young. “They are a veteran-led team. They have the experience from last year to draw on. They are a good defensive team.”
Senior Anna Moster is the hitting leader for Homestead, with 232 kills for the season. She is followed by senior Samantha Flores, who has 122 kills. Sophomore Haley Bidenbach tops the assists list with 431, followed by junior Grace Stedge with 266.
The Spartans have been a strong serving team, with three players delivering at least 30 aces for the season. Junior Lea Mummert has hit 37 aces, followed by sophomore Ellie Spang with 33 and senior Mikayla Kelly with 30. Kelly also leads the defense with 321 digs, while Mummert has made 34 blocks to lead in that category.
Homestead qualified for the regional by sweeping through the Fort Wayne South Side sectional without dropping a set. The Spartans cruised past Columbia City 25-14, 25-20, 25-17; host South Side 25-12, 25-8, 25-8 and New Haven 25-11, 25-17, 25-10. Homestead thus defended its championship and won the sixth volleyball sectional in program history.
Southeastern, which is 24-0 for the season, also defended its sectional title last week. The host Royals beat Westfield 25-22, 25-16, 25-21 in the semi-finals, then toughed out a win over district rival Fishers in four sets, 25-15, 30-32, 25-11, 25-12. They were victories over high-level teams and evidence of the tough schedule Southeastern plays during the season.
“The schedule is by design,” said Young. “We typically have the most difficult schedule in the state. This year due to COVID we lost several high-profile matches. These matches help prepare us for the post season. We are comfortable being uncomfortable. Playing better teams makes you better.”
The Royals have a good mix of experience and newcomers to the team. One of those is freshman Lauren Harden, who leads the hitting with 254 kills. Senior Delaney Garner is next in line with 233 kills.
The two are also on top of the service ace list. Garner has 34 aces to her credit this season, while Harden has hit 30 aces. Junior Emily Weber has dished out 397 assists for the year, followed by senior Olivia Phillips with 327.
“The team is really doing a great job of welcoming all of the new players,” said Young. “We had a bit of turnover from last year’s team. It has been wonderful to see the upperclassmen take the younger kids under their wing. The hope is that you learn and teach the younger players how to do the things necessary to make this a yearly opportunity.”
Senior Carly Mills, committed to Indiana University, is the defensive leader with 378 digs, averaging 17.2 digs per match. Junior Lovie Wallace has been a force at the net with 68 season blocks, followed by Garner with 63 blocks.
COACH YOUNG ON “THE ZONE EXTRA”
Young appeared on “The Zone Extra” Thursday night on WISH-TV, the Reporter’s newsgathering partner, to discuss the Royals’ undefeated season. You can watch the show by clicking this link.