Potential Post Season Matchups Brewing In Updated Team Rankings
The week in volleyball was a little quieter this past week compared to the previous month. September has come and gone and some teams have played well over the majority of their season, some up to 40 matches before October…
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Continue ReadingThe week in volleyball was a little quieter this past week compared to the previous month. September has come and gone and some teams have played well over the majority of their season, some up to 40 matches before October 1. All of the two days tournaments have passed, teams are mending, battling colds, nagging injuries, and some still are anticipating their homecoming. What is hard to believe is that seeding meetings are only a couple weeks away. Let’s take a look at our rankings and how that will clash come seeding time.
Division 1 – Manitowoc Lincoln Sectional
Ranked Teams: Watertown, Oconomowoc, Neenah
Teams Ready For An Upset: Manitowoc Lincoln, Sheboygan North, Oshkosh West, Slinger, West Bend East, Hartford
To make it into the sectionals for this group is going to be an accomplishment. The round of eight will be interesting with potential matchups that could cause some of the more heavily favored teams some problems. Watertown, Oconomowoc, and Neenah have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, but Lincoln right now has a record of 24-11 where Sheboygan North and their gauntlet of a schedule is 24-12. Not to mention Oshkosh West and their young team will eclipse the 20 win mark by the end of the season along with teams who have notched big wins in Slinger, West Bend East, and Hartford. The combination of teams and conferences is really interesting in this sectional. Oconomowoc and Neenah have come out of here the previous two years, but the road to the sectional final match at Manitowoc Lincoln will be quite the journey to get there.
Division 1 – DSHA Sectional Final
Ranked Teams: Arrowhead, DSHA, Cedarburg
Teams Ready For An Upset: Brookfield Central, Sussex Hamilton, Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Pewaukee.
Teams change from year to year with ability, others change sections, and some change divisions. For this sectional, to see have Arrowhead and DSHA, two consistently ranked top (even top three) teams for the whole year is unfortunate to say the least. That’s not even a guarantee they will meet for the sectional final with rest of the field. Cedarburg is a scary team that seems to get better each time they step on the court. If they are in system, they are tough to beat with Maddie Barber and Kiara Reinhardt in the middle. If this sectional stays the same in the future, its going to be even more difficult with the youth of Brookfield Central, Sussex Hamilton, and Germantown having really strong underclassmen on their roster. BC has the top Freshman in Mckenna Wucherer, Hamilton has a team with only one senior, and Germantown has a really athletic team who can compete with the best night in and night out. Pewaukee is another team who is loaded with underclassmen who will be really strong. Last year Pewaukee lost to Catholic Memorial in the sectional final for D2.
Division 2 – Catholic Memorial Sectional Final
Ranked Teams: Catholic Memorial, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, University School of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Lutheran
Catholic Memorial is ranked number one, KML and Wisconsin Lutheran have been consistently in the top five with huge wins over some Division 1 teams, and then you have the University School of Milwaukee who is sitting at 22-1 overall. Take your pick. KML has come so close to beating Catholic Memorial, losing 2-1 in the KML tournament, but KML beat the likes of Neenah (twice) and Appleton North this past weekend to claim the Neenah Invite Championship. This is obviously looking ahead, but if seeding and rankings hold out it would be University School of Milwaukee at Kettle Moraine Lutheran in a sectional semifinal and Catholic Memorial at Wisconsin Lutheran in a sectional semifinal. This is a mini state tournament in its own right.
Division 3 – Dodgeland Sectional Semifinal
Two teams automatically are glaring out at this sectional semifinal for their historic matchups they have traditionally had at the state tournament. Lake Country Lutheran, the defending state champions in D3, and Waterloo, who won two state titles in the past five years and had an additional state tournament appearance last year which resulted in a five set marathon loss to Lake Country Lutheran. Both teams have proven their vulnerabilities this past season with some youth on their roster, but still really strong teams in their respected divisions.
Division 4 – McDonell Central Catholic Sectional Final
Northwest Wisconsin is loaded with talented D4 teams, rough regions, to get to the sectional final is tough with plenty of rated teams that will battle it out, including the defending state champion. In the South Shore Sectional Semifinal there is Mercer and Washburn, two conference rivals who are all too familiar with each other. The winner of that sectional final will be waiting to face the likes of Clayton, the defending D4 state champions and McDonell Central Catholic who has a young, but talented team. All of these teams have been hovering around the top ten this year and to get out of this sectional and on to the Resch will be more than battle tested.
Title Photo Cred: Amery Free Press