Previewing Tonight’s Clash Between #1 Papio and #2 Elkhorn South
PAPILLION – It’s been a while since there has been a match as highly anticipated in Class A’s regular season as the one we have tonight when #2 Elkhorn South (7-0) travels to #1 Papillion-LaVista (9-0) for a 7 p.m.…
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Continue ReadingPAPILLION – It’s been a while since there has been a match as highly anticipated in Class A’s regular season as the one we have tonight when #2 Elkhorn South (7-0) travels to #1 Papillion-LaVista (9-0) for a 7 p.m. best-of-five match.
The two teams could potentially face each other again next weekend at the LPS Invitational or at the Metro Conference Tournament at the end of the season, but this is the only scheduled match between the two teams this year, and it figures to be a real doozy.
Not only is there quite a bit of talent on each team, but the match-ups should be fun to watch. I’m really interested to see how the coaches – John Svehla of Papillion-LaVista and Chelsea Potter of Elkhorn South – adjust their line-ups and positioning throughout the match. It figures to be a great strategic chess match as well.
Let’s take a closer look at this match-up of the year so far this season.
Middles: So far this season, in my opinion, Husker recruit Rylee Gray has looked much more aggressive and assertive at the net and has been a menace for all opponents so far this year. Even more impressive is that she has done it while being more efficient as well. Her first two seasons she averaged 0.634 attacks errors per set while so far this year she has dropped that number to 0.591. She just simply has talen her game to another level this fall. At M2, the Storm have used a combination of Mia Mroczek and Kaitlin Thiebauth – with each having played 12 sets. Combined they are hitting .000 on 48 attacks and they are each averaging 0.3 blocks per set.
For Papillion-LaVista, the Monarchs might not have the star power in the middle to match Gray, but they have some sneaky good middles. Erica Broin is an athletic 6’0 middle who is also a standout high jumper and it would seem to figure she will be matched with the 6’4 Gray most of the night. Broin is more defensive-oriented, hitting just .036 with 16 kills, but she is averaging 1.3 blocks per set this season. She’ll get a touch on a lot of attacks. Logan Jeffus is another 6-footer for the Monarchs in the middle that is more offensive-oriented, hitting .367 and averaging 1.9 kills per set.
Advantage: It’s going to be hard for any middle this season to get much going against Gray, but I think Papio will give its middles – especially with Gray in the front row – some opportunities, if for no other reason than to hold her for split second and keep her from cheating to a pin. Whoever is blocking against Gray has a difficult task, but just getting touches on her attacks will be key for the Monarchs and I think Broin can do that. Jeffers could be in line for a good night. While I give an edge to Papio in the M2 battle, its not nearly the same advantage that Elkhorn South will have at M1. Advantage goes to Elkhorn South.
Pin HItters: Chances are good that Papio AD Jason Ryan will need to make a few phone calls after this match to see about resurfacing the gym floor with the power attackers both teams will showcase tonight. Starting with Papillion-LaVista, the Monarchs have the best all-around player in the state right now in junior Creighton recruit Norah Sis on the outside as well as Washburn recruit Chloe Paschal and 5’10 Morgan Hickey on the right. As good as Sis and Paschal are, one of the big keys early this season for the Monarchs has been not going to them as often as in the past. Last year, the duo combined for a whopping 69.1% of the team’s kills and 64% of the team’s attacks. This year, the Monarchs have put an emphasis on being more balanced, as the duo has 52.4% of the team’s kills and has taken 56.8% of the swings. Sis can hit over anyone – although Gray will challenge that notion – and brings a ton of power, control and shots. Paschal isn’t as tall, but her ability to vary shots, tool the block and be smart makes her really tough as a L2. Hickey has come into her own this season, taking advantage of the balanced attack and has 42 kills while hitting .323.
What Elkhorn South might lack in height on the pins it more than makes up for in power. Ibi Green, a Nebraska-Kearney recruit, leads the way on the right side at 5’11. She has one of the most powerful arms in the state and splits a block like an artist. She’s got a team-best 91 kills and .417 hitting percentage. Kylie Weeks may be only 5’7, but her are closely rivals that of Green and she has 74 kills with a .244 hitting percentage. Brilee Wiesler – at 5’10 – plays the highest of the Elkhorn South pin hitters and has 38 kills. What makes this group really tough is the presence of Gray in the middle and the Storm always have two formidable attackers in the front row to make life difficult on opposing blockers.
Advantage: The advantage here, more than anything else, will really come down to what attackers get matched-up against what blockers. Elkhorn South almost certainly has to try and match-up Green on Sis, which would leave Paschal to hit against 5’6 Storm setter Madi Woodin. Now, Woodin can block, but Paschal would definitely have an advantage, which would mean Elkhorn South’s middle – likely Gray – would need to be quick to the pin for help and it will also put a lot of pressure on Elkhorn South’s right back. Can Papio utilize its middles enough to slow Gray down from getting to the pin? Could that also be a situation where Hickey could thrive on the right side? Papio setter Brooklyn Schram puts up a tough block, and Hickey can as well, so Elkhorn South’s outside attack will likely need sets to be off the net a bit to allow Weeks and Wiesler and opportunity to tool the block or find a seam. What will really be fun to watch is how Sis is able to handle Green’s attack – assuming they are lined-up together. I think SIs’ block can give Green some trouble. Advantage goes to Papillion-LaVista.
Setters: We’ve touched a little on both Papio’s Schram and Elkhorn South’s Woodin already, but both are among the best setters in the state. Schram is committed to South Dakota and has been a starter at the high school level since her freshman year. Her strength is definitely in the form of her block and her ball placement and she also possesses one of the craftiest dumps, which makes her a threat in the front row. When Papio is in system she really thrives and because of that teams often attack her to force her to take the first ball or by taking shots that forces the defense and Schram to scramble.
Woodin has been masterful in her two years as the setter at Elkhorn South in running the offense and keeping opposing defenses off balance. In terms of ball placement, I would even give the slight edge to Woodin on this one and she also has more of an ability to track balls down and keep her team in system when it doesn’t seem possible. As mentioned above, Woodin can get over the net for a block, but it isn’t by very much and other teams do look to attack her at the net since she is 5’6.
Advantage: The advantage Schram has as a blocked is negated by the athleticism Woodin has and her ability to make plays out of system. Therefore, this positional battle is Even.
Back row: It’s kind of sick the amount of back-row talent that both of these teams have. Elkhorn South’s Estella Zatechka and Papillion-LaVista’s Samantha Riggs are two of the best liberos in the state even though they are both just sophomores. Katie Galligan is a big-time DS for the Storm that would probably be a starting libero at a lot of other schools, but gives Elkhorn South a lock-down 1-2 punch in the back row. Add to that the fact that both Wieseler and Weeks are superior back-row players that could each play there in college, and the Storm makes you earn every since point. Ashley Fettin, a senior, forms an excellent 1-2 punch for Papio in its back row as well with Riggs, and as good as Weeks and Wieseler might be in the back row, there is no better back-row combination of pin hitters in the state than Sis and Paschal.
Advantage: This positional battle is Even.
Prediction: Papillion-LaVista wins in 5 sets.