Congrats to local volleyball sectional champs
First of all, congratulations to the Linton-Stockton Lady Miners and Bloomfield Lady Cardinals on winning their respective volleyball sectionals.
The three area teams that did not advance optimistically look ahead to next season.
In his last column, B.J. Hargis stated that some of his most memorable moments as a sports writer have come during a high school volleyball match. I imagine he will add the Lady Miners' first volleyball sectional title since 2007 to those memorable moments.
Bloomfield's semifinal match with Clay City created one of those memorable moments for me. It was the most intense match I have see this year, with two good teams slugging it out.
I didn't attend Bloomfield's match against White River Valley, but from what I read it seems that match was every bit as intense. Who knows what the outcome might have been had WRV taken the second set that they lost 30-28?
Lady Cardinals coach Ashlea Dunkerly credited the tough match against WRV with getting her girls ready to play Saturday afternoon against Clay City.
WRV was up and down this season, but as B.J. noted, the Wolverines did not resemble a team that finished 9-16 in that Bloomfield match.
Looking ahead to next season, WRV graduates only one senior - Alysa Woodall. The rest of their regular rotation will return intact so there is every reason to believe next year's edition of the Lady Wolverines will be much improved.
Shakamak's season ended with the Lady Lakers' loss to Bloomfield in the sectional championship. Shakamak (8-22) will lose hitter Cassie Wasnidge and back row defenders Kacey McKinney and Bryly Shipman.
Front court performers Diamond Hinkle, Alyssa Garo and Emily McFarland will return, along with three freshmen - Bailey Scott, Kaleigh Fulford, and Jaelyn Secrest - who were part of the regular rotation this season.
"I'm hoping they'll work in the offseason and get even better," Lady Lakers coach Lu Anne Anderson said after the sectional final.
Gina Ingram's Eastern Greene Lady T-Birds finished 19-10, bowing out in the first round of sectional play with a loss to South Knox.
Brittnee Morris is the lone senior for Eastern Greene. The rest of the starting rotation will return, along with a group of six freshmen. One of those freshmen, Timber Falin, started on the front line for the Lady T-Birds.
"We're not outstanding athletes," coach Ingram said prior to the sectional. "We're not a team where one player just jumps out at you. But we're all very good role players."
The team came together and improved throughout the season, winning the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record.
Four consecutive thirty-win seasons and four straight sectionals, three consecutive regionals and a state finals appearances aside, I wonder if this season might have been Gina's best job of coaching?
Unfortunately, there can be only one sectional champion. For everyone else, the season came to an end last week.
Stating the obvious, every team except the state champion loses it last game. Tears are shed as the finality of a season-ending loss sets in.
For most, except for those who will play at the next level, it will be the last time they'll ever put on the uniform.
I know the feeling. I too lost my last game.
We didn't just lose. We were blown out by Clay City in the Terre Haute basketball regional. The game was basically over before halftime.
We stunk it up that day.
I don't recall any tears. We'd gotten hammered so bad a sense of numbness took over.
Linton-Stockton and Bloomfield of course survived to play at the regional earlier this week.
Best of luck to the Lady Cardinals, who won a second straight Class A Regional and will play at the semistate Saturday.
Terry Schwinghammer is a sports writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at (812) 847-4487, ext. 27. He can also be reached via email at tschwing32@yahoo.com.
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register