Mishawaka is 0-10 against La Porte since October of 2016 but things could change on Saturday. The Cavemen will take on the Slicers at 12:30 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
La Porte will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Mishawaka extended their winning streak to four last Thursday. The Cavemen blew past Jimtown 3-0.
Mishawaka was especially dominant in the third set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-17, 25-17, 25-8.
Mishawaka's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Andie Shieldsa1 led the charge by getting 11 digs and two aces. That's the most digs Shieldsa1 has posted over her last 14 matches. Kallahan Steinman was another key player, getting four digs and two aces.
They weren't the only good servers: Mishawaka was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 13 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least six aces in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and La Porte had no trouble coming through when it counted. They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over South Bend Riley on Thursday. The win continues a trend for the Slicers in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won six in a row.
Mishawaka better focus on containing Shayla Sorg and Evelyn Shirk as the pair were huge in La Porte's win. Sorg had 11 digs and two aces, while Shirk hit 75% for six kills and five digs, three aces, and one block. Shirk is also on a roll when it comes to assists, as she's now posted 15 or more in each of the last six games she's played.
La Porte's victory bumped their record up to 17-15. As for Mishawaka, their win bumped their record up to 24-7.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's matchup: Mishawaka has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 7.6 aces per game. However, it's not like La Porte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.1 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Mishawaka suffered a grim 3-0 defeat to La Porte in their previous meeting back in October of 2023. Thankfully for the Cavemen, Bella Meier (who had 16 digs and one block) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
