There’s no time like the present for Kendal Miller, center, and NorthWood as they prep for Bellmont in the Norwell Volleyball Regional. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

OSSIAN – It almost seemed that there was a bigger presence pushing NorthWood through the sectional at Tippecanoe Valley. After knocking out the hosts in the morning, Wawasee gave NorthWood everything it could handle in the title game, pushing the defending champs to five games and plenty of match drama.

A 15-12 fifth-game closeout of Wawasee moved NorthWood into a position the 2020 returners have wanted for a full year.

Bring on Bellmont.

“It’s kind of funny for the people that experienced all of those games last year,” said NorthWood senior Alea Minnich, whose team will take on Bellmont in game one of Saturday’s Class 3-A Norwell Volleyball Regional. “We look at that Bellmont game, the court there at Norwell, and we’re like, ‘This is not happening again.’ We’re not letting that happen to us again. We’re going to be hype. It’s a huge opportunity for us to show how much we’ve grown and that we’re all fighters and that we’ll fight to win the game.”

Bellmont, ranked No. 1 in the state, reached the state finals a year ago, but it was a monster rally last year against NorthWood in the regional final at Norwell that left NorthWood extremely bitter, and possibly overly motivated for those who carried on to a girls basketball state championship.

NorthWood’s stars also finally aligned with a full roster, getting Minnich back from contact tracing for the sectional and continuing to rework Ali Knepp and Annika Bennett back into the rotation after tracing had them out toward the end of the regular season. All three were extremely important to No. 9 NorthWood’s win over Wawasee.

NorthWood’s stats don’t jump off the page, but the team has had several do a little of everything. Knepp leads the team at the net with 224 kills, but is literally followed by Minnich and Alana Lehman with 223 kills. Six different Panthers have over a 100 digs in its trademark defensive presence, five of those over 250 led by Macy Lengacher’s 411.

Kendal Miller has been a dual threat, working the backline with 340 digs, but has set up 813 points this year. Annika Bennett has given opponents fits in worrying about where Miller is setting up, giving NorthWood a second capable setter with 169 assists and 312 digs plus 95 more kills.

“There is so much fight in these kids,” said NorthWood head coach Hilary Laidig. “I don’t think it matters who they are playing, they are going to compete against anyone.”

But as NorthWood has multiple players great at multiple things, Bellmont isn’t No. 1 in the state for nothing. The Squaws (21-4) have five players with with 100-plus kills, led by Sophie Krull’s 205, and five players with 100-plus digs, led by Emma McMahon’s 326 digs.

As NorthWood has two capable setters, so does Bellmont. Lauren Ross has 401 assists and Brooke Lepper has 335 assists, making it very tough to determine who to guard in the setup.

Should NorthWood (26-7) be able to ‘upset’ Bellmont, life won’t get any easier as No. 3 Fort Wayne Dwenger (29-2) will meet Eastern (22-13) in the second regional. Bellmont and Dwenger are the top two-ranked teams in the state tournament after Bellmont knocked out Steve Shondell’s No. 2 Muncie Burris, 3-0, in the Delta sectional semis.

“Such a tough regional!” exclaimed Laidig. “I love our defense and the chance it gives us in a long day. Bellmont and Dwenger are loaded, and as much as I don’t know about Eastern, if they would be there, that would be impressive. I will take this group and their love to compete and rise in adversity over and over again.”