The REPORTER
The Hamilton Southeastern volleyball team repeated as regional champions last Saturday.
This year’s regional took place at Homestead, and the defending Class 4A state champion Royals beat two Fort Wayne-area schools to take home the trophy. Southeastern swept Homestead 25-18, 25-13, 25-13 in its semifinal match, then got past a tough challenge from the regional host Spartans in the championship, prevailing in five sets, 23-25, 25-9, 25-15, 22-25, 15-7.
The Royals’ victory over Harrison gave HSE its 30th win of the season. Lindsey Mangelson played lights out, hitting 19 kills. Tiffany Snook and Lauren Harden both put down nine kills, with Harden also hitting three aces. Macy Hinshaw dished out 23 assists, with Ava Hunter handing out 14. Sophie Ledbetter collected 16 digs. Breonna Goss dominated the net with four solo blocks, while Mangelson had three.
Southeastern had only dropped two sets for the entire season coming into the regional championship, so Homestead definitely got everyone’s attention when it edged out the Royals 25-23 in the first set. Southeastern came back and rampaged through the second and third sets, but the Spartans took the fourth set 25-22 to force a winner-take-all fifth set. The Royals were able to take control of that set early and that sent them to the regional trophy.
Harden and Mangelson both stepped up, hitting 18 kills each for HSE. Madison Schicker served four aces. Hunter handed out 26 assists, followed by 24 for Hinshaw. Ledbetter had 23 digs.
The Royals are now 31-0 for the season and won the program’s fourth regional title. Southeastern will play La Porte Saturday in the 4A North semi-state, which takes place at 5:30 p.m. at Frankfort’s famed Case Arena.
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Huskies fall in final
Hamilton Heights made its way to the championship match of the Class 3A Monrovia regional last Saturday.
The Huskies won a five-set match over Northview in the semifinals, beating the Knights 23-25, 25-11, 13-25, 25-19, 15-10. That sent Heights to the championship, where it dropped a four-set match to Tri-West, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18.
The Huskies finished their season with a 24-7 record, along with the program’s first sectional title since 2018.