The Elkhart Memorial Crimson Chargers and Warsaw Tigers were winners Thursday night in first-round matches of a Class 4A girls volleyball sectional at Goshen High School.
Senior Brittany Anglemyer recorded 18 kills as Memorial defeated Northridge 25-12, 25-9, 25-16. Warsaw topped the Goshen Lady Redskins 25-17, 25-8, 25-14 in the opener.
The sectional continues on Saturday with Warsaw facing Memorial at 11 a.m., followed by Elkhart Central and Concord around 12:30 p.m. in semifinals.
Winners return for the championship match at 7.
Goshen got off to a good start, taking an 8-3 lead on an ace by junior Kaitlyn Troyer.
“The first game we played until a point and then the momentum stopped and never returned,” Goshen coach Kera Maure said.
“We were not hitting. Warsaw didn’t serve many aces in the opening game, but then they started to.
“We are a short team but you still have to get kills. The few times we tipped the ball to the middle we scored.”
Senior Olivia Zepeda had three kills and junior Lizz Kleinsmith two to lead the Redskins. Kleinsmith had 10 assists, senior Jordyn Myers 18 digs, junior Kaitlyn Troyer three aces and 21 digs.
“One thing we did was play defense,” Maure said. “We worked our tails off by going after every ball and trying to keep them from hitting the floor. Troyer played an awesome game. She kept a lot of balls alive.”
Goshen finishes 13-20.
“We were nervous at the start,” Maure said. “If we don’t have anyone believing we can win, how are we going to win? It’s a mental thing we have to get over. We have to starting winning to begin believing we can.
“I’m a competitor and never go into any match thinking we are not going to win.”
Anglemyer was a dominant force for Memorial at the net.
“She elevates above the blockers,” Memorial coach Jacquie Rost said. “If you don’t get a double block on her, you are going to be sorry. She has a fast arm swing. The physical talents like jumping and hitting have always been there, but she has improved this season by becoming a smarter player.”
Northridge coach Jodie Steele said, “Anglemyer was on her game. We tried our best to slow her down, but couldn’t.”
Despite the victory Rost knows her team can and needs to play better.
“We had some problems serving and at this level that is nothing more than a lack of focus,” she said. “We were lucky that didn’t hurt us.
“We consider the state tournament the second season. We have to got better each match, because the competition does.”
Besides Anglemyer, senior Krystle Troyer accumulated nine kills.
“We are fortunate to have girls who can pound the ball,” Rost said. “Our front line is tough and the setter (junior Brianna Moore) did a nice job using all three. She is deceptive and the other team doesn’t always know who she is going to.”
Junior Tori Roberts had four kills, senior Katie Schultz five digs, junior Kerri Doutlick five digs and 12 assists to lead Northridge.
“I thought we played good and stayed with Memorial to the end,” Steele said. “We were able to talk to the girls about playing every serve and not taking time to think about mistakes.”
Northridge lost a key hitter when junior Shelby Schmucker left with an injury when Memorial was leading 4-3 in the third game.
“She came down on another player’s foot and rolled an ankle,” Steele said. “We had to mix things up a little, but (senior) Megan Robinson came in and stepped it up.”
Northridge finishes 10-21.
Sports
Goshen, Northridge bumped by Class 4A powerhouses
- Sports
-
-
PREP SOFTBALL SECTIONALS: Raiders get it done
When you get base hits in softball is at times just as important as how many safeties you accumulate.
-
PREP BASEBALL SECTIONALS: Minutemen romp
Concord moves on while the season is over for both Northridge and Goshen.
-
BOYS PREP TRACK AND FIELD: Area athletes headed to state meet
A total of eight individual athletes and a relay from The Goshen News coverage area qualified for the state meet Thursday night at the Kokomo regional.
-
PREP SOFTBALL: Lakers power way to championship
Lakeland’s Lauren McKibben has been through more than her share of adversity during her high school athletic career: She suffered two torn ACLs and missed the past two softball seasons.
-
PREP SOFTBALL SECTIONALS: On to the finals
Northridge and Elkhart Central are not that far apart from each other, but when the two local high schools clash in the Class 4A softball sectional championship Friday night at Elkhart Memorial it will be the first meeting between the two during the last two seasons.
-
PREP BASEBALL SECTIONALS: Chargers rally, nip Warriors on walk-off single in 7th
There aren’t many ways to improve on a complete-game pitching victory in a sectional quarterfinal game.
-
GIRLS PREP TENNIS: Raiders rally, edge Hornets for title
Momentum hung in the balance Wednesday and Northridge certainly seized it.
-
Raider redemption
This one went to Northridge in what has become a very competitive high school girls tennis rivalry with Fairfield.
-
Two Falcons Regional champs
Sophie Brown and Becca Kropf of Fairfield both overcame obstacles in order to win championships Tuesday night at the IHSAA girls track and field regional in Warsaw.
-
Warriors rally, reach sectional finals
The Westview High School softball team is within one win of a Class 2A sectional championship.
- More Sports Headlines
-



