UPDATED: Eastern Greene tops Miners for volleyball sectional title

Eastern Greene freshman Kierstin Southern leads the cheers from the bench during the volleyball sectional. The Lady Thunderbirds won its first post season title in 15 years, beating North Knox, Bloomfield and Linton-Stockton at the Class 2A Bloomfield Sectional. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

The youthful Lady Thunderbirds, who's starting line-up features three juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen, defeated Linton-Stockton 25-22, 25-15, 25-14 here Saturday night to win the Class 2A Bloomfield Sectional at Glover Gymnasium. It was the first such title by EGHS since 1994.

"I am speechless right now," said junior setter Rikki McCann, who contributed 29 assists, eight digs and three points. "I am so happy about this.

The Eastern Greene volleyball team poses with the team trophy and game ball after beating Linton-Stockton at the Class 2A Bloomfield Sectional at Glover Gymnasium Saturday night. [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"It's been a long time since we've won a sectional. I feel honored to be on the first team in 15 years to win one."

Junior hitter Samantha Reed (five kills and one assist) said they are now even with assistant coach Stacy Ivey, who was a member of that 24-2 team in 1994 that also won the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference and then defeated Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington North to win the Edgewood Sectional.

"Our coach Ivey was on the last team to win it," said Reed. "She kept saying that you guys are almost as cool as me.

Eastern Greene juniors Samantha Reed (left) and Rikki McCann (16) lead the celebration after the Lady Thunderbirds received the Class 2A Bloomfield volleyball sectional championship trophy Saturday night at Glover Gymnasium. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

"She jokes around with us. She is really excited for us."

Ivey said she knew early on this team, which will take a 30-4 record into the Eastern Greene Regional against Tri-West Hendricks at 11 a.m. Saturday, had a chance to be special.

"You could see it back in the summer," said Ivey. "This has been our goal since day one.

"It has been an easy transition," she said about the influx of freshmen, five ending up on the 10-person sectional roster. "There has not been any bickering, like sometimes you will have when you have an age difference with teenage girls.

"But we did not have any of that. We did not have any problems at all. They got along so well and played well together. I am so happy for them."

Game one was tied at one, two, three, four, 10, 15, 17 and 18.

Eastern Greene freshman Scott Ingram (five points, 13 kills, 12 digs, one block and one assist) pounded down a kill to make it 24-22 and then sophomore Brittany Igel (nine points, one ace, eight kills, two digs) served an ace to end the opening game.

The second game also was tight early as a kill by Linton-Stockton's Courtney Barnes (8 of 8 serving, seven kills, nine digs and one block assist) tied the issue at 7-all. But Eastern Greene outscored the Lady Miners 18-8 the rest of the way to take a two games to none advantage.

Game three was unlike the first two. The Lady Thunderbirds jumped out to a 15-4 advantage and cruised to its seventh sectional title, denying Linton-Stockton its fifth.

Bradlea Beard had 23 assists for the Lady Miners, who had 24 kills, led by the seven of freshman Courtney Barnes.

But Eastern Greene had 15 more kills -- 39 -- than the Lady Miners. Ingram led with 13, but six different Lady Thunderbirds had at least three.

"After the first game, I felt the momentum was definitely in our court," said Eastern Greene coach Gina Ingram. "I think we had Linton down. If they would have won that first game, we definitely would have had a huge battle on our hands. I felt we gained a lot of momentum after that first game. It was really tight as we missed four serves. That gave them a lot of firepower. They covered the floor incredibly well.

"In the second game, we served a lot better and the kids just kept plugging away. We gained momentum as the match went on. And I think they lost a lot in games two and three. We mixed things up in game two and then we just came out and pounded the ball in game three. That was the difference for us -- our firepower."

Linton-Stockton coach Jill Fougerousse watched her team, who finished 18-15, lose its three-year stranglehold on the conference crown and for the second year in a row come up short in the sectional finale, but not without a fight.

"We hung right with them in the first set and I thought if we could have pulled out set one that we could have carried the momentum on into the next set. It just didn't turn out that way," said Fougerousse. "Eastern just over powered us. They are a team that makes few unforced errors. They served aggressively and aced us six times to our two aces.

"Blocking was not our strong point this season and we were unsuccessful on blocking Eastern as well. It's kind of the nature of things when 5-4 girls are matched up with 5-10 girls on the front line. Eastern has a nice team and they have not developed that kind of talent just by playing volleyball during volleyball season. Many of those girls have put their time into travel ball and it shows. They will be a force to be reckoned with for the next few years."

Defending regional champion Brownstown Central will take on Forest Parke in the second semifinal match at Eastern Greene at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The two winners will play in the title contest at 7 p.m. Saturday.

"It's going to be awesome because it is our home-court advantage," said EGHS junior Whitney Richardson. "We are going to work hard and hopefully pull out a win."

Coach Ingram added that it has been a really long road since June, but she doesn't mind playing at least another week.

"I am incredibly honored to coach them because they are a pretty tough group of kids," said Ingram. "I have pushed these kids, maybe sometimes to the limit.

"Nobody but coach Ivey and myself and the kids know what we put them through and how hard they have worked. We talked about all of that hard work paying off. I told them I rode them hard for a reason. But my expectations have been really high for them with the hopes of what they could achieve."

Class 2A Bloomfield Sectional

Championship Match

Saturday

Eastern Greene Statistics

Casey Divine -- eight points, one ace, three kills, 11 digs, one assist, one block.

Brittany Igel -- nine points, one ace, eight kills, two digs.

Leanna Bailey -- 11 points, four aces, seven digs.

Scottie Ingram -- five points, 13 kills, 12 digs, one block, one assist.

Whitney Richardson -- four points, one ace, three kills, 10 digs, one block.

Rikki McCann -- three points, eight digs, 29 assists.

Chelsey Bailey -- four digs.

Samantha Reed -- five kills, one assist.

Linton-Stockton Statistics

Savannah Mason -- 4 of 5 serving, 14 digs, one kill.

Sam Butt -- 9 of 9 serving, 6 kills, 1 assist, 7 digs.

Courtney Barnes -- 8 of 8 serving, 7 kills, 9 digs, 1 block assist

Kelsey Andis -- 4 digs.

Hali Murray --12 of 12 serving, one ace, 5 kills, 2 digs, 1 block assist.

Darien Huffman -- 9 of 11 serving, one ace, 5 digs.

Bradlea Beard -- 4 of 5 serving, 23 assists, 8 digs.

Jannae Jackson -- 5 kills, 2 digs.