DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Playing in their third successive semi-state, the Bellmont Braves will attempt Saturday to make it a three-peat when they take on NorthWood at Huntington North.
The 2023 semi-state is an exact rematch of the same two matches at last year’s Plymouth semi-state, with Blackhawk Christian taking on Southwood in the first match at 1 p.m. and the Braves meeting the Panthers thereafter.
WZBD will be live beginning at 1:30 p.m. with an extended pre-match show to get volleyball fans ready for all the action.
From a NorthWood perspective, there is plenty of motivation in this match. Seven seniors on this squad have experienced a season-ending defeat to the Bellmont Braves in every year of their high school careers.
Bellmont defeated NorthWood in four sets earlier in the year in a match heard live on WZBD from Angola. The Braves got revenge on the Angola Hornets at last week’s regional, showing that they will have to take NorthWood seriously, with results from the regular season not necessarily holding in the postseason.
The Panthers are led by 6′ 1″ Claire Payne and her 344 kills this season. Payne had 13 kills against the Braves when the two teams met in mid September. Payne is also the team’s leader in blocks at 72.
Senior DS Jessie Price will likely have spent her week studying film of the Bellmont service game after what the Braves did from the service line last week at regional. Price leads NorthWood in digs with 455.
Another top player for NorthWood is Karis Bennett, who is among the team leaders in both kills and digs.
The Braves ended NorthWood’s season a year ago at the semi-state and they also eliminated the Panthers in the regional finals in 2021 and in the regional semifinal in 2020.
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