The NorthWood Girls Volleyball team opened IHSAA Sectional play with a strong performance Thursday night, defeating Wawasee in straight sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-15, at West Noble High School. The Panthers delivered a balanced effort on both sides of the net to secure the first-round victory and advance to Saturday's semifinal matchup. Ella Branham led the offensive attack with 16 kills, while Emily DeFreitas and Grace Thompson each contributed 6 kills. Kenzie Miller paced the serving game with four aces, followed by DeFreitas with three. Defensively, Miller and Nola Nephew led the way with 7 digs, while Branham added 6. At the net, Addie Davis recorded 3 blocks, with Branham contributing 3 as well. Allie Yoder guided the offense with 21 assists, while Davis added seven assists. With the sectional-opening win, the Red Slam turn their attention to the next round. NorthWood will face Fairfield on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. in the IHSAA Sectional semifinal at West Noble. The Panthers will look to carry Thursday night's momentum into the next round as they continue their postseason run. Next Match: IHSAA Sectional Semifinal vs. Fairfield Date: Saturday Time: 12:00 p.m. Location: West Noble High School Digital Ticket Link: https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=212104