The Carmi-White County Lady Bulldogs brought home their third consecutive IHSA Regional Championship on Thursday night, defeating the Newton Lady Eagles in straight sets, 25-14 and 25-11. It was another statement performance from a program that continues to set the standard for excellence in southern Illinois volleyball.
Despite the lopsided final scores, the night didn’t start as smoothly as Carmi might have hoped. Newton came out of the gate with confidence and energy, jumping to an early 5-1 lead that forced head coach Chris Lucas to use a quick timeout. The Lady Eagles were finding success at the net while Carmi struggled to find rhythm in the opening moments.
But as they’ve done all season long, the Lady Bulldogs regrouped and responded. Out of the timeout, CWC rattled off a blistering 12-1 run, quickly flipping the momentum and silencing the Newton crowd. Experience and crisp execution took over, with the Lady Bulldogs dominating on both sides of the ball. By the time Newton managed to slow the pace, Carmi had seized control of the set and never looked back. The Lady Dogs extended their lead to as many as 12 points at 23-11 before closing out the first set, 25-14.
The second set was all Carmi from start to finish. Carrying over their confidence, the Lady Bulldogs opened with a 10-1 surge and simply overwhelmed Newton. The energy from the CWC bench and crowd fueled the team as they continued to build on their lead. The Lady Bulldogs dominated every phase of the game, defense, serve receive, and at the net, and eventually cruised to a 25-11 win to seal the match.
With the victory, Carmi-White County captured its third straight regional championship and its fourth in the last five years. The win advances the Lady Bulldogs to the Benton Sectional, where they will face Carterville in the semifinals on Tuesday at 6 PM. If the Lady Bulldogs win on Tuesday, they will face either Fairfield or Massac County in the Sectional Championship next Thursday.
KILLS:
Caroline Simmons – 14
Jaya Smith – 10
Audrey Taylor – 3
Addi Elliott – 2
Torrie Rider – 1
Callie Winter – 1
BLOCKS:
Torrie Rider – 3
Callie Winter – 2
Caroline Simmons – 1
ASSISTS:
Addi Elliott – 23
Caroline Simmons – 4
Jaya Smith – 3
Audrey Taylor – 1
DIGS:
Caroline Simmons – 10
Addi Elliott – 9
Jaya Smith – 6
Ella Newell – 3
Torrie Rider – 2
Audrey Taylor – 2
Callie Winter – 1
Gracelyn Johnson – 1
ACES:
Caroline Simmons – 2
Addi Elliott – 1