Eastern Greene to host volleyball regional Saturday

The Eastern Greene High School volleyball team poses after winning the Class 2A Bloomfield Sectional Saturday night, defeating Linton-Stockton in the championship match at Glover Gymnasium. It was their first sectional title in volleyball since 1994. They will play Tri-West Hendricks at 11 a.m. Saturday in the first match at the Eastern Greene Regional. (By B.J. Hargis/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

Eastern Greene (30-4), Tri-West Hendricks (19-14), Forest Park (16-18) and No. 2 Brownstown Central (27-4) make up the field at the Class 2A Eastern Greene volleyball regional, set for Saturday.

The host Lady Thunderbirds will take on Tri-West in the first match at 11 a.m.

Forest Park, making its second straight trip to the regional, will take on defending Class 2A state runner-up BC at 12:30 p.m.

The two survivors will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday for the right to go to the Final Four, set for Saturday, Nov. 7 at Delta High School then the title contest at the Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie.

"We are excited about playing the regional at home," said Eastern Greene setter Rikki McCann, who runs the Lady Thunderbird 5-1 offense. "It makes me want to win even more because it's on our home floor. We want to defend our house."

Eastern Greene coach Gina Ingram said they are approaching the regional, like they have all season.

"We view everything one match at a time," she said. "We are so young and we cannot put the cart in front of the horse. The kids are pumped up about the regional. We have talked about this for a while.

"We took Monday off and got back to business Tuesday. I know the kids are excited to be playing the regional at home in front of big crowd. It will be nice to show off our nice, new facility. Obviously not having to travel is nice. It will help to be in a comfort zone."

Eastern Greene is the only recent newcomer on the regional block. Tri-West has won two straight sectionals, giving the Lady Bruins 10 total.

Tri-West ended a 23-year sectional drought in 2008. They defeated North Putnam and Covenant Christian to win the Tri-West Sectional Oct. 24. They avenged a regular-season loss to the Covenant Christian in three with a victory in four games Saturday night.

Aubrey Cook is the top hitter for Tri-West, averaging over 12 kills per match. Stacey Rogers coaches the Lady Bruins.

Forest Park has won seven sectionals, including the last two. They won five in a row from 1999-2003 in Class 2A.

Brownstown Central has now won 13 sectionals in a row, 15 total. They will be gunning for a 12th regional championship, eighth consecutively.

Setter Sammie Bane, a 5-3 junior, dished out over 1,100 assists last year, when Brownstown Central went 29-8, losing to Muncie Burris in last year's Class 2A title game.

Middle hitter Emily Sommers, a 5-7 senior; junior hitter Olivia Hackman; and junior middle hitter Katelyn Shoemaker were key returners for the Lady Braves, who are coached by Jennifer Shade.

Sommers had 16 kills on 25 of 26 hitting in the two sectional wins Saturday. She also was 43 of 45 serving with 27 points.

Stephanie Smith and Briana Baughman also play key roles for BC.

Ingram said that sophomore Brittany Igel is one of their most improved players.

"Oh my gosh. Where do you start with Brittany Igel," Ingram asked rhetorically. "I don't know if I have the words for how much Brittany has improved.

"To step on the floor and start as a freshman and lead us in kills, probably surprised everyone. From that point to the matches she had in the sectional this year were just phenomenal. She has come a long way. ...If she ever understands what she can do, there will be no stopping her. She has become quite a volleyball player. She has served very well for us. When this kid is on, she is really on. She has come so far from last year to this year. The firepower she has added this year for us has just been incredible."

She said that McCann leads by her play on the floor and that Whitney Richardson, another junior, is another leader, whether in the back row or up front.

Ingram added that junior Sam Reed, along with McCann and Richardson, had shown quiet leadership and will be expected to do so at the regional.

"I am incredibly honored to coach these kids because they are a pretty tough group of kids," said Ingram, who will use freshmen Casie Divine and daughter Scottie Ingram in the starting line-up with McCann, Richardson, Reed and Igel.

Freshmen Leanna Bailey, Brooke Butler and Chelsey Bailey also contribute, mostly in the back row. Sophomore Kierstin Southern rounds out the 10-player tournament roster that Ingram used at the sectional.

"This group has earned the right to compete at the regional," said Ingram. "They have worked so hard.

"These kids have battled in the trenches all season. It will be exciting for them to play the regional at home. They are really pumped up. I expect us to come out and play well."

Tickets are $5 for each regional session or a season pass, good for both, costs $8. Tickets will be available at the door.

Notes: Brownstown Central has disposed of the local Class 2A winner in recent years at the regional. They beat South Knox in three games a year ago at Forest Park.

In 2007, the Lady Braves took out a 27-win Linton-Stockton team in three games, also at Forest Park.

In 2005 at Mitchell and 2004 at Forest Park, Brownstown Central defeated Linton-Stockton in the regional semifinals.