By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
The Bloomington North Cougars Boys Volleyball Team played their first IHSAA Sectional Tournament Game on Saturday Morning and beat Evansville Reitz in a five-set thriller in the Semifinals at Martinsville. The Cougars are competing in Boys Volleyball for the first time this season in just the second year of the IHSAA sponsoring the sport.
The Cougars took the first two sets 25-10 and 25-13. Evansville Reitz came back to win sets three and four 25-14 and 25-21 and the Cougars won the final set 16-14 and become the first Monroe County Team to win a Boys Volleyball Sectional Game and advance to the Championship Game.
Evansville Memorial beat Bloomington North in the Championship game 3-1 as the Cougars first season comes to a close but one that will go down in History and never be forgotten. Evansville Memorial won the first two sets both by the score 25-23 the Cougars won set three 25-12 and Evansville Memorial won the fourth set 25-22 to lift the sectional trophy for the first time after losing to Martinsville in the Championship Game a year ago.
Evansville Memorial opened the sectional with a 3-1 win over Terre Haute South 25-19, 25-22, 21-25 and 26-24 and took down Martinsville in a five set thriller in the second semifinal. The Artesians won the first two sets 25-22 and 26-24. Evansville Memorial came back to win the final three sets 25-21, 25-22 and 16-14.
Bloomington South competed in last years Sectional lost in the opening round to Martinsville 3-0 as the Artesians have beaten the Panthers four times in the last two season including a second straight sectional win to end the Panthers season. Martinsville won 25-21, 25-19 and 25-22.
Evansville Reitz opened the sectional with a 3-1 win over Terre Haute North. Evansville Reitz won the first two sets 25-23 and 25-20. Terre Haute North won set three 25-19 as Evansville Retiz closed it out in set four winning 25-19.
Bloomington North had an incredible first season including two wins over Bloomington South. The Cougars and the Panthers got to play their first meeting on April 20, at Wilkinson Hall the Home of Indiana University Women’s Volleyball. The Cougars hosted the Panthers in the second game on May 4 and Cougars swept the Panthers in both meetings.
Bloomington South has struggled the first two seasons but the Panthers and the Cougars are growing the sport of Boys Volleyball in Monroe County and it is going to get bigger and better. Bloomington South was the first have a team and Bloomington North is the first to win a sectional game and it’s only a matter of time before the City of Bloomington brings home a Sectional Title.