Andrean Sweeps to First Volleyball State Title
In its first-ever appearance in the state championship match, Andrean survived a strong rally by Christian Academy of Indiana in the third set to claim a 25-20, 25-18, 26-24 win.
Coach Grant Bell’s 59ers used a 23-kill, 13-dig performance by senior Jenna Dal Santo to key the victory as Andrean finishes the season 30-8.
Dal Santo had eight kills in set one as Andrean broke from a slim, 17-15 lead to take the 1-0 lead. Set two proved similar as the 59ers held only a 16-14 lead before dominating the final points. Grace O’Brien and Lauren LeGrand recorded the final two kills to close out the set.
In the final set, Andrean held a 15-10 lead, but the Warriors, the 2015 Class A champs who were playing up a class and making their fourth-straight appearance in a title match, rallied to take leads of 20-19 and 24-23. The winners, however, evened the match on a kill by Vanessa Brown, then closed the match with a pair of CAI attack errors.
Dal Santo hit a superb .380 in the match. O’Brien had three aces and five blocks.
For first-year coach Wes Briscoe’s Warriors (34-6), Alli Stumler had 20 kills and 11 digs.
Alli Stumler named Mental Attitude Award Winner
At the conclusion of the state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee, on behalf of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, named Alli Stumler of Christian Academy of Indiana as the winner of the Class 2A Mental Attitude Award.
Stumler becomes the first student-athlete from her school to be honored with an IHSAA mental attitude award.
She has carried a 3.7 GPA and has been involved in and held leadership positions in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and National Honor Society among others. In addition to four years of volleyball, she has also served as team captain for the girls basketball team and will also be playing softball this spring.
Involved in countless community service projects, she will make her third mission trip to Honduras later this year and plans to pursue a lifelong dream of opening and running an orphanage for needy children.
Alli is the daughter of Sean and Jenny Stumler of Floyds Knobs and plans to study Early Education at the University of Kentucky where she will also play volleyball for the Wildcats.
Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior player who was nominated by her principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award in Class 2A Volleyball, will donate $1,000 to Christian Academy’s general scholarship fund in the name of Alli Stumler.