2019-20 Girls Volleyball State Tournament

November 9, 2019

Cowan tops Trinity Lutheran in five sets for second state title (2012)
The only match-up of No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams of the weekend lived up to its billing as second-ranked Cowan claimed a 3-2 (30-28, 25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 15-5) victory over top-ranked Trinity Lutheran in the Class 1-A state championship match.

The victory for first-year coach Melissa-Paul Gardner’s squad gives the school its second state title after the Blackhawks took home the 1-A title in 2012.

Cowan (30-4) pulled out a marathon first set, that featured 17 ties, then dominated set two.

Lutheran, however, refused to fold and came back for wins in sets three and four – the fourth set featured 10 ties before a Ruthie Bingham ace on set point sent the match into a decisive set.

In that fifth set, Cowan’s Grace Conway had six of her match-high 24 points as the Blackhawks hit .300 in the set.

Cowan’s Martina Demarchi added 20 kills, as well as a match-best 10 aces.

The Cougars of coach Faith Wilder-Newland were led by Kennedy Hoffmand and Hannah Sabotin with  12 kills each. The Cougars finish the season at 30-6.

Trinity Lutheran's Hannah Sabotin earns Mental Attitude Award
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Hannah Sabotin of Trinity Lutheran High School as the winner of the Class A Mental Attitude Award.

Hannah Sabotin is the first Mental Attitude recipient for Trinity Lutheran. Sabotin is involved with the National Honor Society, Student Ambassadors, Events Team, Lutherans of Life, Culture Club, and Riley Dance Marathon Committee. She has demonstrated her willingness to help others through volunteering with Love Chapel, Pregnancy Care Center, and at a nursing home. Hannah is a 3-time AAU All-American, 2-time 1st Team All-State, 2018 Jr. All-State, and Academic All-State winner. Sabotin is also a member of the girls' basketball and track team.

Hannah is the daughter of Doug and Janice Sabotin. She plans to attend the University of Indianapolis and play volleyball. At this time her area of study is undecided.

Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Class A Volleyball, will donate $1,000 to Trinity Lutheran’s general scholarship fund in the name of Hannah Sabotin.

November 9, 2019

Heritage Christian Wins First Trip to Volleyball State Finals
In a match that featured a pair of first-year coaches and two teams with a combined total of four seniors, No. 4 Heritage Christian claimed its first state championship with a 3-0 (29-27, 25-18, 25-23) win over No. 2 Wapahani in the Class 2A title match.

Coach Kyla Thomas’s Eagles finished the season 30-4, winning their 10 matches all without losing a set. Heritage Christian also accomplished a state title with only one senior on its roster.

The loss for coach Kati Weir’s Raiders is the first in six state-title match appearances in program history.

The first set proved the most competitive. Heritage broke out to an early, 4-0 lead only to see the Raiders rally to for a 9-8 advantage. The Eagles came back behind the hitting of Raven Colvin and took a 24-21 lead. The Raiders, however, hung tough to force ties at 24, 25, 26 and 27 before a Lovie Wallace kill gave HC another set point, which it then clinched on a net violation.

Colvin had nine kills in that first set.

The Eagles overcame a 4-0 deficit in set two, clinching it on a Wallace kill, then wrapped up the match in set three. Heritage broke out to a 7-0 lead and led, 21-15 before the Raiders rallied for a 22-21 lead. The Eagles gathered themselves at that point and wrapped up the match on Colvin’s 18th kill.

Wapahani, which features five freshmen on its roster (two of which are starters), will graduate only three seniors after finishing 31-6.

Wapahani’s Alyvia Smith named Mental Attitude Award winner
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Alyvia Smith of Wapahani High School as the winner of the Class 2A Mental Attitude Award.

Alyvia Smith ranks 10th in her class academically and is an active member of Wapahani’s National Honor Society, Riley Club Vice President, Red Rose Club, Raiders Against Destructive Decisions, Random Acts of Kindness Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Delaware County Youth Salute 2019. Her major athletic achievements include the Mental Attitude Award Wapahani High School Volleyball, Most Improved Award Wapahani High School Volleyball, Maximum Hustle Award WHS, Defensive MVP for Volleyball and Softball, All Delaware County Volleyball and Softball, and All Mideastern Conference Volleyball and Softball. She also volunteers her time as a Bell Ringer for the Salvation Army, organizes food at Second Harvest Food Bank, is a cook at Ronald McDonald House, and volunteers at Parker Healthcare Nursing Home. She has been awarded the Academic Excellence 4.0 Award, Anatomy Physiology 100% Club Award, and was Ivy Tech EDUC 101 Elementary Cadet Teacher. Alyvia is also a member of Wapahani’s softball and basketball teams.

Alyvia is the daughter of Billy and Marci Smith of Muncie and she plans to attend Indiana University Kokomo to play volleyball following graduation.

Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Class 2A Volleyball, will donate $1,000 to Wapahani’s general scholarship fund in the name of Alyvia Smith.

November 9, 2019

First Brownstown Central team to win a state championship in any sport
After four tries in program history, Brownstown Central finally reached the pinnacle with a 3-0 (23-25, 25-21, 34-32, 25-19) win over Bellmont in the Class 3A championship match.

The second-ranked Lady Braves (33-5) had lost in the title match in Class 2A in 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003 before the comeback victory over the Squaws.

Coach Jennifer Shade’s club had earlier beaten Bellmont in two sets on Oct. 12, but after the Squaws took the opening set behind five kills by Sophie Krull.

Brownstown began its comeback in set two as it overcame a 21-17 deficit by scoring the final eight points of the set to even the match. Kendra McCory had 10 of her match-high 22 kills in that set.

The pivotal third set proved to be a marathon with both teams having several opportunities to take control. There were 15 ties and nine lead changes in that set before Reagan Nuss closed the set with back-to-back aces.

Bellmont, coached by Craig Krull, took an early lead in the final set, but Addie Wilkerson had four kills and Kayla Guthrie added three to lead the BC attack.

Unranked Bellmont, which started the season 3-7, finished 25-11.

Rachel McBride of Bellmont selected for Mental Attitude Award
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Rachel McBride of Bellmont High School as the winner of the Class 3A Mental Attitude Award.

Academically, Rachel is ranked 9th in her senior class with a GPA of 4.16. She is a part of Bellmont Early College, National Honor Society, Student Athletic Leadership Team, and Student Council. McBride is a 4-year Letter Winner, 1st Team All-Conference Selection of 3 years, 2019 Team Captain, 2019 IHSVCA Academic All-State, and All-Time School Digs Leader with 1,554. Rachel also takes time as Chair for Best Buddies Kickball, a Canned Food Drive volunteer, filled Trick-or-Treat Bags for Decatur Dental Offices, organized Decatur Dental Safety Park, volunteers for Calithumpian Canter 5K, helped with the Cookie Drive at Bridge Community Church, a volunteer for Decatur Park and Recreation Clean-up, Chair of Senior Breakfast, and is a Bingen Easter Breakfast volunteer.

In addition to volleyball, she is also a member of the Bellmont softball team.

Rachel is the daughter of Todd and Jodi McBride of Decatur, Ind. and has received a full ride offer to play volleyball at Bellmont University and plans to pursue a degree in education.

Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Volleyball, will donate $1,000 to Bellmont’s general scholarship fund in the name of Rachel McBride.

November 9, 2019

New Castle Tops HSE for Third Consecutive State Championship
Bailey Cox’s ace on championship point gave New Castle a 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-18) victory over a game Hamilton Southeastern to claim the Class 4A state championship.

The title for coach Sarah Roush marks the third-straight for the Trojans and the fourth in program history. New Castle also won the 4A championship in 2007 and the 3A titles the previous two years.

The Royals of coach Jason Young stunned New Castle in the opening set, hitting a magnificent .481 as a team and pulling out the set after the teams were tied 13 times.

New Castle fought back in set two, breaking out to a 7-3 lead and not allowing HSE within four points the rest of the way. After the hitting performance of set one, the Royals hit only .083 in set two.

Set three proved to be the difference as the Royal were either tied or led nearly the whole way before a Laila Smith kill broke a 23-23 tie to bring the Trojans to set point. Senior Melani Shaffmater then closed out the set with a kill. There were seven ties in the set.

The final set was all New Castle after breaking a 10-10 tie.

Smith and Mabrey Shaffmaster each had 20 kills to lead the Trojans, while Abby Weber led HSE with 13 kills.

New Castle finished 35-1 with its only loss coming to Assumption of Louisville, Ky. Including the final, the Trojans lost only five other sets all season.

The Royals finish 29-5.

Hamilton Southeastern’s Lillian Leiner earns Mental Attitude Award
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Lillian Leiner of Hamilton Southeastern High School as the winner of the Class 4A Mental Attitude Award.

Lillian is a three-year varsity letter winner in volleyball and will earn her 3rd varsity letter in softball this spring. She was voted team captain in volleyball both her junior and senior year and was named to the Academic All-State Team this fall. Leiner has earned her 2nd Team All-Conference in both volleyball and softball. Lillian will be volleyball's Set a Good Example Award winner which requires the winner to set a positive example in word, deed, and appearance. Academically, she ranks in the top 15% of her senior class of 839 students. Leiner has spent time volunteering in the "Water for Life" project and "Adopt a Family" for the holidays along with being very active in the Riley Dance Marathon Club fundraising for Riley Hospital and volunteers at local Fishers nursing homes with HSE's Key Club.

Lillian is the daughter of Ken and Sherri Leiner of Fortville and plans to study Biology at Northern Kentucky University.

Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Class 4A Volleyball, will donate $1,000 to Hamilton Southeastern’s general scholarship fund in the name of Lillian Leiner.