It's a family tradition to participate in state championships if you live in the Equihua household.

Annie (Kvachkoff) Equihua is one of Crown Point's most famous athletes, having scored 1,910 points in her four-year basketball career while leading the Bulldogs to state championships in 1984 and '85 and a runner-up trophy in '83. She went on to play at Purdue, where she was an All-American and is in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Her daughter Alex is the next to follow suit.

The 5-foot-9 junior setter helped Crown Point win the regional title last season before this year's run to the Class 4A state championship volleyball match.

The Bulldogs (36-3) will face defending state champion Indianapolis Cathedral (30-4) at 4 p.m. Central time Saturday at Ball State's Worthen Arena.

CP defeated the Fighting Irish in five games on Aug. 27, but both teams will be very different.

A win for the Bulldogs would give the school its first girls state title since the basketball team's 48-31 win over Wawasee in 1985. Annie Equihua was the leading scorer in that game with 19 points.

Alex Equihua is still awestruck by the whole experience.

“I still don't know what to feel,” said Equihua, who had 59 assists in the semistate championship win over Zionsville. “If you would have asked me my freshman year if we'd ever go to state, I'd say it was impossible.

“But as this season has gone on, it's become more of a reality and as each postseason game goes it's like we've come too far to lose.”

One good thing for Alex Equihua is that she doesn't have to look far for advice on what will be the biggest match in her career since her mom has played a couple big basketball games.

“She's helped me stay relaxed and focused,” Alex said. “She doesn't really try to give me advice except to go there and win. Don't go there just to be at state.”

Annie Equihua said she has a ton of confidence in her daughter and the Bulldogs.

“Cathedral has been there before, but (Crown Point) is going there to win, not just to say they went to state. These girls get it. They set out goals after losing in semistate last year and they went after it. It's very similar to us ... I can remember sitting in the locker room after losing at state sophomore year thinking we're going to get back there. And when I hear coach (Alison) Duncan talk about in the paper how state was their goal the whole time, you can see that's where the focus was on. It takes a lot of hard work and a little luck along the way.”

Mom does admit her current role is different.

“It's harder being a parent than a player 1,000 percent,” Annie Equihua said. “But the only time I become like the (Rio Olympics' Aly Raisman's) gymnast's parents are when she's serving. That's when I find myself leaning for the ball to get over the net.”

Duncan said Alex's calm and collected style of play is why she's the perfect setter on this diverse volleyball team.

“She's not emotional,” said Duncan, who played collegiately herself at St. Mary's. “She's very calm and stable and that's important for a setter to have because a setter is getting every single ball. She doesn't yell at anyone ever and that's a great binding force for a team.”

Ryan Haskell is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.