CULVER – The Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association (IHSVCA) has announced its Academic All-State honorees. A total of four CGA Varsity Volleyball players were selected.
Those named to this list are varsity rostered seniors who have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.5. Especially impressive for the 2020 list, the combined average of all those named for 2020 is a GPA of 3.93.
Capping off the program’s best season since 1982, CGA Seniors Grace Trefren, Luci Landry, Catherine VerMeulen, and Mary Boland all earned recognition on the squad.
Landry led the team in Aces (39), recorded a 91% serving percentage, was third overall on the team in serve receive rating (1.80), while recording 155 digs and producing 15 blocks.
VerMeulen finished tied for second on the team in aces (33), led the team in server rating with 2.45, tied for second on the team with 131 kills, led the team in hitting percentage (.296), and recorded 14 blocks on the year.
Boland, Landry, and VerMeulen also served as team co-captains for the 2020 squad, alongside fellow junior teammates Taylor Bowen and Samantha Jorgensen.
The team finished with an overall record of 20-7, including an undefeated 5-0 home record. Additionally, the team captured a Sectional Title, beating Wheeler High School and Kankakee Valley High School to claim the program’s fourth-ever Sectional Championship and the first since 1982.
“I think what separated this team from recent teams was their mental toughness,” said head coach Matt Boland. “We were Sectional Runners Up the past two years, and this year we lost the first two sets in the final.”
In the 2020 Sectional Final against Kankakee Valley at Kankakee Valley, CGA fell 21-25 in the first set, then again in the second 26-28.
“Even though we lost the second set, they battled. We were down 11-20 at one point, then they brought to 18-21, then managed to force a couple of ties, making it 26-28,” he said. “We were able to build that momentum and then capitalize on it. They have a lot to be proud of.” CGA went on to rattle off three straight-set wins, 25-18, 25-19, and 15-8 to claim the 3-2 win.
During regular season play, the team also managed to capture two tournament wins, with the first coming on August 29th at an event hosted by Manchester High School, and the second on October 10th at Macanoquah High School.
