DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
There was little mystery in Tuesday’s opening match between Bellmont and Mississinewa at the 3A Norwell sectional.
The 18-time defending champion Bellmont Braves spent more minutes on the bus Tuesday night than they did on the court, but they’ll now have three days of practice to prepare for a hopeful two more victories and trophy #19 on Saturday.
The first set Tuesday was as lopsided as the Braves had played all year. Bellmont committed two service errors and misplayed one pass to lose a point on four hits and won the set 25-3. Jackie Sutter’s first five serves were not returned by the Indians. Sutter ended the night with four aces and nine kills to along with six digs.
It wasn’t until the second set that Mississinewa picked up their first kill, but Bellmont still dominated the set, winning 25-9. The Braves showed determination despite some vocal behavior from the opposing team and fans.
With the end result well in hand, the Braves went with a different lineup for the third set, allowing Sami Christen to shed her libero jersey for a matching white top to her five senior teammates. The six seniors rotated through and dominated Mississinewa, rarely having to return the ball over the net more than once a point.
In the final official count, MaryKate Scheumann led the Braves with 12, while senior Delaney Lawson had ten.
Hailey Cole was lethal in every facet of the game, picking her spots for five kills and doing her day job with 32 assists. She led the team in digs with 10.
Perhaps more impressive than any other part of Cole’s game was her serving, with her topspin jump serve causing havoc for Mississinewa. She finished with two aces and most of her third-set serves were dug out into the Norwell ceiling tiles before falling back down.
Sami Christen ended the night with five kills in the third set and seven digs overall. Fellow seniors Kaydance Lose and Syd Schultz each had three kills.
Bellmont will face Oak Hill at 11 a.m. for a chance to reach Saturday’s final.
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