MARTINSVILLE — So who really got the advantage from the Class 4A Martinsville Sectional high school volleyball draw?
Northview's Knights, resilient and tournament-tough, used lessons from their first two matches to post a third consecutive five-game, come-from-behind win, overcoming Terre Haute North 21-25, 23-25, 25-10, 25-22, 15-9 Saturday night for the school’s first sectional championship since, coach Scott McDonald said, 1996.
Having to beat two teams that had already beaten them earlier this season, Plainfield and Terre Haute South, seemed like a hard way to go for the Knights when the tournament started.
But by the time the championship match began, McDonald's team knew it could overcome those odds. Thus when North — a third team to beat the Knights during the regular season — picked up close wins in the first two games, the Knights weren’t spooked at all.
And the Patriots, whose only previous sectional experience was a one-sided, three-game win over Mooresville earlier Friday, may have gotten a little careful.
“I think we attacked games one and two to win,” coach Kris Painter of North said afterward. “But then, instead of wanting to attack and wanting to play to win, we started playing not to lose.
“These girls hate to lose, but trying too hard not to lose tonight did them in.”
“I thought, 'You've got to be kidding me. Down two [games] again?' “ McDonald said in the happy throng of Northview supporters after the match. “But we didn't quit, and that shows the character of these girls and their families ... this was a win for the whole Northview volleyball community. Girls like Kyler Clark and Kaley Huffman, who helped get this thing started? This is about them too.”
Plenty of errors on both sides seemed to indicate how seriously -- and nervously -- both teams were taking the start of the championship match, but North pulled to a six-point lead in the first game with a 7-1 run. Northview rallied with six straight points, but the Patriots countered with the next four and led, semi-comfortably, the rest of the way.
The Knights had leads of 5-2 and 8-4 in the second game before North caught and passed them with another 7-1 spurt. Northview got back on top, including at 21-18, only to have the Patriots get seven of the game's last nine points.
The third game started close, but didn't stay that way long. Northview went on a 12-1 tear on service runs by Brylie Riddell and Kaylee Clark, and finished the Patriots off by getting the third game's last seven points -- four of them aces by Ali Sharton.
It was the first game lost in the tournament by the Patriots, who looked shaky. The Knights, on the other hand, seemed to be finally ready to play.
North overcame Northview's 4-0 lead in the fourth game to take leads of 8-7 and 9-8, and the score was still tied at 10. Then Clark made a spectacular dig to help the Knights get the go-ahead point, and stepped to the service line for back-to-back aces to start a six-point run.
North cut a couple of seven-point deficits to 24-22 thanks to good work from Sara Baugh and Mary Kate Etling, but couldn't get all the way back. And in the decisive fifth game, the Knights had leads of 5-1 and 12-4 before Bri Hill led a mini-rally that was snuffed when Riddell had back-to-back aces to end the match.
“I thought we showed a lot of heart at the end of game four and again at the end of game five,” Painter said later.
“I thought coming into this that if we could play smart volleyball we'd be OK,” McDonald said, “but North played so well. Kris has got them going in the right direction.'
“But we kept our composure, and maybe [the Patriots] started getting tired. Their serve reception late in the game wasn't what it was earlier.”
Northview had its usual statistical leaders, with Brittaney Long getting 20 kills, Clark 22 service points, Ashlen Buck 25 digs and Sharton and Hannah Hayes combing for 45 assists.
That wasn't a long enough list of heroes for McDonald. “Every kid down the line” made a big contribution, he indicated, paying particular attention to the work of Samantha Solomon stepping up to replace injured Alyssa Clarke.
Seniors Hill (13 kills) and Baugh (eight blocks) rose to the occasion for the Patriots, and Painter said, “All four seniors [Kelbie Drebes and Katie Behnke are the other two] had a great year. They'll be hard to replace.”
Those seniors were part of the best season in North history, Painter pointed out. “I told [the Patriots after the match], don't let this overshadow the rest of the year. This team took us where we want to be as a program, and now we've been here [playing for the sectional championship].”
Northview 21 23 25 25 15
Terre Haute North 25 25 10 22 9
Highlights — For Northview, Kaylee Clark had 16 digs, 11 kills, an assist, 22 points and 5 aces; Ali Sharton had 22 assists, 11 digs, a kill, 14 points and 4 aces; Hannah Hayes had 23 assists, 6 kills, 6 digs, 2 blocks, 6 points and 2 aces; Brittaney Long had 20 kills, 5 digs, an assist and 6 points; Brylie Riddell had 7 kills, 6 digs, 2 assists, a block, 10 points and 6 aces; Ashlen Buck had 25 digs and a point; Samantha Solomon had 4 kills, 3 blocks and 3 digs; Lizzie Emmert had 4 kills, 4 assists and a dig; and Brailyn Whitson had a dig.
For North, Laura Mauer had 35 assists, 7 kills, 5 digs, 2 blocks, 3 points and an ace; Mary Kate Etling had 12 kills, 12 digs, 3 blocks, 3 assists, 11 points and an ace; Katlyn Anderson had 13 digs, 5 kills, an assist and 3 points; Kristyn Moss had 5 digs, a kill, 15 points and an ace; Bri Hill had 13 kills, 2 blocks, 2 digs and an assist; Sara Baugh had 7 kills and 8 blocks; Katie Behnke had 4 digs, 2 assists and 6 points; Kelbie Drebes had 4 digs, an assist, 6 points and an ace; Lauren Isaacs had 3 digs; Kinzi Kiefer had a dig; and Danielle Krupa had an assist.
Next — Northview (27-9) plays Saturday at the Seymour Regional. North finished 24-6.
High School
Northview rallies past North for sectional win
Knights show resilience for another 5-game victory
- High School
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It’s a rivalry-filled Memorial Day for sectional contenders
Longtime rivalries figure to determine high school baseball sectional champions throughout the Wabash Valley today, with semifinal and final games scheduled at four sites and a stand-alone championship game at a fifth.
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South tops Oldenburg to win tennis semistate
There was no evidence of rally caps, rally towels and certainly no rally squirrels, but Terre Haute South’s No. 1 singles player Maddie Kesler needed a rally in the worst way.
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New route leads to same place for South girls tennis
For so many years, the road to the IHSAA girls tennis state finals for local teams ran through Vincennes (regional) and Jasper (semistate). In other words, south and more south.
This year, their trip was re-routed through Greencastle (regional) and Center Grove (semistate). So it cnahged to east and more east. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Robinson tops Greenville in sectional semifinal
Robinson jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then cruised to a convincing 12-3 victory over Greenville in a IHSA Class 2A Vandalia sectional semifinal game on Thursday.
Ashlyn Sullivan was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and three RBIs to lead the winning Maroons. -
West Vigo baseball falls in sectional to Owen Valley
West Vigo overcame the odds to win 20 high school baseball games this season with a lineup that often included four freshmen and few seniors.
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South Vermillion softball's late-season surge comes to end
A late-season surge by South Vermillion wasn’t quite enough to halt a high school softball sectional winning streak by the host team Thursday night, as Edgewood got on top early and held on for a 5-2 win in the championship game of the Class 3A Edgewood Sectional.
The loss was just the second in the last 12 games for the Wildcats. The Mustangs, however, haven’t lost a sectional softball game for eight years in a row. -
South takes second, North third at boys track regional
Terre Haute South finished second and Terre Haute North third on Thursday night at the boys track and field regional at Evansville Central, with 11 individuals and three relay teams qualifying for the state finals June 2.
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PREP ROUNDUP: White River Valley baseball holds off Eminence
Three Eminence errors in the top of the sixth inning finally enabled White River Valley to score in high school baseball Thursday night, and the Wolverines went on to a 5-0 win in Class A Shakamak Sectional action.
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Feeling cursed: South bitten in sectional final again
Terre Haute South softball is not even close to being as cursed as a certain northside baseball team in Chicago, but it might just seem like it.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Mundy, Porter, Knight individual regional winners
Chanli Mundy and Keirra Porter of Terre Haute North were among the individual winners in the IHSAA Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
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Thornton puts away South Vermillion
Cody Thornton’s three-run blast over the left-field fence was the finishing touch to West Vigo’s 10-3 victory over South Vermillion in the opening game of the Class 3A Greencastle Sectional on Wednesday.
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Lakers triumph, go home for regional
Shakamak took Class A Clay City Sectional honors in high school softball for the first time since 2009 Wednesday, defeating White River Valley 9-5 in the title tilt.
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North Vermillion avenges losses
North Vermillion avenged two high school softball losses during the regular season to win the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional championship Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph over the host Panthers.
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Pats, Knights will meet in sectional
Adler Ingalsbe pooh-poohed his lack of velocity Wednesday night, yet the Terre Haute North pitcher was throwing BBs in the first game compared to Mooresville’s Brandon Topie in the nightcap.
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South outbattles Northview to reach sectional final
Even the best of high school softball pitchers can’t keep all the batters in the middle of Terre Haute South’s lineup down.
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Panthers get 20th win in sectional
Riverton Parke will face North Vermillion in the Class A softball sectional championship at Riverton Parke today, with action commencing at 6 p.m.
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Plainfield Sectional all about parity
Considering Terre Haute South has won five consecutive Class 4A sectional titles in high school baseball, naming the Braves as favorites to capture the 2012 Class 4A Plainfield Sectional would not seem far-fetched.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North Vermillion in title game
Casey West had a triple and three runs scored to help North Vermillion softball advance to the championship game of the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional on Tuesday.
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North takes second in track regional
Terre Haute North finished second with 74 points, six behind team champion Evansville Reitz, during the Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
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Wildcats advance to sectional softball final; West Vigo falls
Patience, patience.
South Vermillion exhibited great patience, being very selective at the plate and it paid off royally in the fourth inning. -
South, Crawfordsville win in regional tennis semis
Terre Haute South outlasted Fountain Central 4-1 in the first round of the girls high school tennis regional Tuesday, advancing the Braves into today’s championship match against Crawfordsville.
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Braves, Knights open with wins
It was an excellent night for starting softball pitchers to help their own cause Monday night in the Class 4A Northview Sectional.
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Lough dreamt about McMillan
A two-time state finalist in wrestling and a two-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference football player and wrestler, Tsali Lough of Terre Haute South was named the male recipient of the 2012 McMillan Award on Monday night at South’s Senior Awards Night.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
Sarah Burnham pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in high school softball Monday evening as host Riverton Parke defeated defending champion Rockville 10-0 in opening-round action at the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional.
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Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
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Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
West Vigo began a busy week of high school baseball Monday on a winning note, defeating Shakamak 6-3.
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Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
The starting times might prove to be a bone of contention, but otherwise coaches Bill Blankenbaker and Emily Goff are thrilled their respective girls high school tennis teams will begin play today at the Greencastle Regional.
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Northview sectional groups 3 20-win teams
Three teams with 20-plus victories will attempt to claim the Class 4A Northview Sectional crown for high school softball this week, and most of the other Wabash Valley sectional fields also appear to be wide open.
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Terre Haute South softball takes Riverton Parke tournament
Terre Haute South is going into the Class 4A Sectional at Northview on Monday with momentum, confidence, a deep bench and a healthier pitching staff than it has had in quite a while.
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North baseball splits doubleheader with Indy North Central
Some of their incentive could have been sapped a couple of nights earlier, when Center Grove achieved an eight-inning victory over Warren Central to clinch the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball championship.
- More High School Headlines
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