The volleyball teams favored to reach the championship match at the Class 4A Greenwood Sectional demonstrated why on Thursday.
Convincing semifinal victories by Franklin and ninth-ranked Center Grove put the rivals on a collision course for Saturday morning’s final, which will determine which squad advances to next week’s regional at Bloomington North.
The first serve is scheduled for 10 a.m.
“It’s a good rivalry. Franklin is always considered the underdog, so I think whenever they play Center Grove they come out with as much fire and tenacity as possible,” said Trojans coach Chris Due, whose squad will be playing the Grizzly Cubs for a third time this season.
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“Franklin’s looking really good right now in sectional play, and they’re going to be out for blood.”
The Grizzly Cubs opened the semifinals with a 25-12, 25-13, 25-20 defeat of the host Woodmen; the Trojans followed by eliminating Martinsville, 25-12, 25-20, 25-15. These were essentially repeats of regular-season matchups, both of which resulted in 3-0 sweeps.
In the nightcap, junior outside hitter Anna Line led the way with 12 kills for Center Grove (27-6). Setter Madison Hammill produced 28 assists and 10 kills, while Jamie Brown had seven kills and Calista Stafford and Grace Boggess added six apiece.
The Trojans rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Franklin in the first meeting this season; the second match wasn’t quite as suspenseful, with Center Grove winning in three close sets.
“It definitely gets tougher every time we play them because they make the same adjustments, and they’re getting better at the same rate we are,” said Line, who credited Hammill for her big night statistically.
“We call her the Wizard. She’s on point all the time.”
In the first semifinal, Franklin (27-7) received balance offensively as senior Isabell Mahin and sophomores Cami Kelsay and Kabria Chapman had seven kills each. Junior Madelyn Durst added five kills, while senior setter Brooke Phillips produced five service aces.
Leading the Woodmen (12-16) were senior middle hitter Alyssa Stilley and junior Joy Maze with five kills apiece. Sophomore outside hitter Siena Halfaker added four.
Afterward, Greenwood coach Amanda Ratliff let each of her four seniors — Stilley, setter Maddy Limbach, defensive specialist Lawson Roberts and outside hitter Lauren Battinau — speak to teammates in the locker room.
“I let them talk about their experience, so the younger girls can finally hear what they’ve been through because we’ve really turned the program around the last four years,” Ratliff said. “More than just wins and losses. It’s a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff.
“We’re still working toward that goal of being the team people don’t want to draw. It’s my fourth year of coaching, so (seniors) are kind of my group. I’ve gotten married and had two kids in those four years, so they’ve been through a lot with me personally. It’s an emotional thing for the five of us.”
