DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Sometimes success takes all the fun out of things.
No matter how this season went this year for the Bellmont Braves, there was always that feeling of inevitability that the season would boil down to one matchup: Angola in the regional.
After not having to even face the Angola Hornets in last year’s regional final, the Braves returned to the IHSAA State Finals for the second consecutive year. They looked well on their way to a third trip when they got off to a fantastic start this season. A loss to Hamilton Southeastern was written off as irrelevant for the most part, with the Royals being considered a superpower on a national level. The Braves won’t have to worry about 4A opponents until they win a few more matches this year.
But then came Angola. It was a match momentous enough for WZBD to travel all the way north and cover and the Hornets won 3-1. The Braves were very competitive in the first two sets, but Angola rose to the occasion for the win. Bellmont deserves credit for coming back to take care of NorthWood later on in the day.
Every win for the Braves since that day has seemed somewhat irrelevant because fans, players, and maybe even coaches, have simply wanted to get Angola back on the opposite side of the net and play that one again.
Credit does go to coach Craig Krull, who did his best to preach to his team not to do what this article has described – look forward to Angola and lose sight of everything else. After winning the conference, he urged his girls to take in the moment. He preached discipline and enjoying the moment at Norwell last weekend. 19 sectionals in a row is worth celebrating, for sure.
But now it’s Angola.
The only thing that will keep Bellmont from bringing a massive crowd to Norwell Saturday will be the absence of those competing in the cross country regional and a few more who left the state for the school’s fall break. Otherwise, there should be a full section for what is likely to be the match of the year for the Braves.
Coach Krull says that one thing he looks for from his girls is to get them out of their comfort zone, something that was hard to do in the three straight-set victories the team had at the Norwell Sectional.
“We need to find ways to play outside our comfort zones,” he told WZBD Thursday. “We need to do our jobs well, of course, but I think one of the biggest things we need to do is be able to control their serving.”
The Fall Break has certainly been an advantage for Bellmont and the team’s attitude and preparation, if not just from a conditioning and rest standpoint.
“They have been very determined,” said Krull. “They’ve been a lot more involved in strategies and plans. We’ve been loose and going about our daily business, knowing what’s on the line.”
Angola will take the court Saturday morning with a record of 33-1, slightly better than Bellmont’s 31-2 mark. The only blemish is a loss to Carroll, a team Bellmont beat.
A Talented Team
Most of the discussion around this Angola team centers around Notre Dame-commit Morgan Gaerte. Her injury in last year’s regional round hampered Angola’s efforts to win the title, but it almost elevated her to legendary status here locally. Saturday will tell local fans just how good she is.
Gaerte has reached 400 kills this year and is well-known to the whole Bellmont team. She plays Team Pineapple, like many Bellmont players current and past, but at 6′ 4″, she poses quite a challenge for the Braves at the net.
Both MaryKate Scheumann and Delaney Lawson have similar kill numbers to Gaerte and her teammate Maya Harris.
Another name to watch is Mya Ball. The senior leads the entire state in aces at 126 and Gaerte is not far behind her at 110. Harris also has 97. Those numbers certainly back up coach Krull’s statement on worrying about the Hornets’ serves.
For comparison’s sake, Bellmont’s ace leader is Jackie Sutter with 48.
Featured Broadcast
The highly-anticipated match will begin at 10 a.m. at Norwell High School. Tickets for the match will be $10 or $15 for both sessions. Athletic Director Kelby Weybright could tabulate some pretty interesting data by tracking the sales data of those in purple compared to those in navy Saturday morning.
The match will be broadcast live on 92.7 FM. Fans can listen on their radios or by clicking on the red “Listen Live” link on the homepage of WZBD.com.
The second semifinal will feature Benton Central (31-1) against New Castle (26-8). Bellmont beat Benton Central in straight sets to win last year’s regional title, their 17th in school history.
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