VB STATE FINALS: Top-ranked teams all roll to titles

By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

Indianapolis Cathedral wins the tiebreaker!

The top-ranked Fighting Irish (36-2) bounced back from a Game 1 loss to No. 2 Muncie Central to sweep the next three games Nov. 8 and capture the Class 4A state title. Each school had entered the championship tilt with five state titles and three runner-up finishes.

This was the fourth time that the two had faced off in the 4A finals, with Cathedral now holding a 3-1 edge following its 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-21 victory.

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CLASS 3A

Morgan Bergren had 34 assists for Delta, which won back-to-back state titles in 2001 and 2002. Fittingly enough, the match ended on a Dorton spike that was assisted by Bergren.

CLASS 2A

They are a machine. So sayeth Executive Director Mike McGraw, who had just witnessed the top-ranked Muncie Burris Owls' three-game dismantling of No. 2 Brownstown for the Class 2A state championship. Burris, which captures its 12th consecutive 2A title, methodically beat down Brownstown by scores of 25-16, 25-11, 25-20.

A pair of Taylors (Morey and Unroe) led the way for the Owls (36-4), who net their state-record 20th crown overall (Burris has reeled off 82 straight wins in its miraculous postseason run). Taylor Morey tallied 19 points in the quick affair, including 15 kills, while her similarly monikered teammate had 17 kills on her way to 17 points.

Mia Tabberson added 39 assists for coach Steve Shondell's machine, which has beaten Brownstown seven times during the dozen-title run.

CLASS A

Serving and defense. That was the story for top-ranked Marquette Catholic as the four-time defending Class A state champion swept No. 4 Barr-Reeve in three games at Ball State University, the school's fifth consecutive title and eighth overall.

The Blazers (36-4), whose only losses came to defending 4A state runner-up Elkhart Memorial (twice) and fellow 4A schools Munster and Mishawaka, were led by the game-high 18.5 points of Ashley Edmond. Edmond had 14 kills, with Amber Cerrillos adding 31 assists.

The Blazers have now won state championships under three different coaches, with Troy Campbell being the latest.

Results from the 37th Annual IHSAA Volleyball State Finals:

CLASS A
#1 Marquette Catholic def. #4 Barr-Reeve 25-19, 29-27, 25-16

CLASS 2A
#1 Muncie Burris def. #2 Brownstown 25-16, 25-11, 25-20

CLASS 3A
#1 Delta def. #3 Mishawaka Marian 25-21, 25-18, 25-19

CLASS 4A
#1 Indianapolis Cathedral def. #2 Muncie Central 21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-21

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