Northview clinches fourth straight conference title

It’s been a year full of milestones and round numbers for Northview’s volleyball team, and that continued in its regular season finale at West Vigo.

With the 3-0 sweep, Northview extended its winning streak to 20 games, and in doing so, became outright Western Indiana Conference champions for the fourth straight year, an achievement the senior class – Brynlee Clarke, Keira Lucas, Bradee McDonald, Morgan Oellig and Rachel Rounds – can add to their list of accomplishments.

“We felt when this group of seniors were freshmen, they could get us to what is always our first goal, which is winning the conference. Winning four straight without losing a match in that time is truly amazing,” said Northview head coach Scott McDonald. “The kids year after year really buy into what we want to see. They also buy into our scouting reports and practice hard to prepare for each match.”

In the win, Oellig, who can often go under the radar with the number of stars Northview rosters, surpassed the 1,000-career assist mark. She becomes the fifth member of the Lady Knight program – either as a coach or a player – to hit a milestone marker this fall, joining Scott McDonald (400 wins), Bradee McDonald (2,000 digs), Keira Lucas (2,000 kills) and Karsyn Buck (1,000 assists).

“Morgan has made tremendous improvements over her career. She has become a very steady setter for us. She has excellent hands, and the ball comes out with very little movement. This allows the hitters to make a variety of shots as opposed to one option,” said McDonald of Oellig. “She has made the biggest difference in her defense. She has really become a great defender for us, whether it is reading a tip or digging a big swing. She has also become a weapon behind the service line as well. She is a huge reason for our team’s success and our players' big seasons.”

Finishing the regular season with a 28-1 record, which has the program ranked No. 5 in the most recent Indiana Prep Volleyball Class 3A rankings, Northview will now get itself prepared for the postseason. The Lady Knights drew an opening round bye in the Class 3A Speedway Sectional and will await the winner of Cascade (19-12) and Speedway (17-8) in the sectional semifinal Saturday afternoon as they look to bring home their third sectional championship in as many years.