DANVILLE
The Brownstown Central volleyball team entered the 2020 postseason as the reigning Class 3A state champion, and the Braves were hoping for a repeat.
This year, Brownstown fell short of reaching that goal, capturing one match Saturday in the second week of IHSAA competition, then losing in the regional final to end the season with a 22-12 record.
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The dream was still alive after a daytime showdown versus Cardinal Ritter at Danville Community High School when the Braves prevailed in a sweep 25-17, 25-9, 25-14.
Brownstown was in control of the match the entire way, and it made for a smooth passage into the night’s finals against Brebeuf Jesuit.
It was a tough match against Brebeuf. Each game was tight, but the Braves could not edge away from Brebeuf at any time. Brownstown lost in three games with its tournament participation and season ending with scores of 25-22, 27-25, 25-22.
All three games were neck-and-neck to 25 with the second game going all the way to 25-25 before Brebeuf could pull ahead by two points.
The top performing player of the tournament for Brownstown Central was senior Kendra McCory. She was the leading hitter in both games. Against Cardinal Ritter, she made 38 of 41 hits with 21 kills. In the finals, she made 42 of 44 hits with 15 kills.
As a server, she made 14 of 14 serves against Brebeuf.
Senior Kayla Guthrie also notched a notable all-around performance for the Braves. She was both a top hitter and a top server against Brebeuf. Guthrie made 26 of 29 hits with eight kills and made 14 of 15 serves with two aces. She also had 23 of 24 hits with 10 kills against Cardinal Ritter.
Jennifer Pence was a sharp attacker, too, making 24 of 25 hits against Bebeuf and 29 of 29 hits against Cardinal Ritter.
Reagan Nuss was a top server in both games, making 15 of 15 serves with no aces against Brebeuf and 11 of 11 serves with no aces against Cardinal Ritter.
Against Cardinal Ritter, Erin Singleton and Myka Keltz were the top servers, along with McCory, with Singleton making 16 of 16 serves with the only ace of the set and Keltz making 19 of 19 serves.