Intriguing Sub-District Matchups: Class A and B
Take everything we’ve learned during the 2021 regular season. Now raise the stakes. Turn the pressure up. It’s time for postseason volleyball. This year’s district brackets have just arrived, and we’re about to find out which teams can step up…
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Continue ReadingTake everything we’ve learned during the 2021 regular season. Now raise the stakes. Turn the pressure up. It’s time for postseason volleyball.
This year’s district brackets have just arrived, and we’re about to find out which teams can step up with their entire season on the line. These regional matchups present countless opportunities to see some high-level volleyball before the final state championship bracket is decided. There are plenty of possible matchups between teams that are very familiar with one another, but there’s now a much different atmosphere surrounding these contests. That’s the nature of volleyball in late October.
So, let’s get you ready. I’ve compiled a few district brackets with some real “barnburner potential.” With the amount of parity in this sport, there’s a lot of great choices here. Enjoy the ride!
A-2
This is a fun district to start with for this feature.
Millard West is the top dog (or Wildcat?) in this one, and they’ll face the winner of Omaha North versus Omaha Benson.
The other semifinal match pits Millard North against Lincoln East. These squads have ample talent to make some noise in this district, so we’ll see how things pan out next week.
A-5
This one was already looking like a doozy, but the results from this week’s Metro Conference Tournament only add to the tension in this district.
The first round of A-5 features top-seeded Gretna, which will host Omaha Northwest in the opening round. On the other side, Bellevue West welcomes Omaha Burke for the 2-3 matchup.
If seeds go chalk here, the district final would be a meeting between two Metro semifinalists. Bellevue West demonstrated their potential with a big win over Millard West in the quarterfinal round, while the Dragons looked equally formidable in their journey to the semis. Good luck making your picks on this one.
A-6
Moving over to A-6 now, where we have another pairing with a lot of possible outcomes.
A-6 is spearheaded by Papillion-La Vista, a team that is no stranger to the big stage of postseason volleyball. The Monarchs will face Lincoln Northeast in the opening round.
The other half of the bracket has Columbus traveling to face Lincoln Pius X. Pius X had an incredibly even battle with top-seeded Papio at the LPS Volleyball Classic, so a 1-2 matchup in this district would bring a lot of excitement.
A-7
It’s a wide-open race in A-7.
Omaha Westside had a late-season surge to slide into the one seed in this district. They have a first-round matchup with Omaha Central, while Kearney and Fremont are meeting on the other side. A 1-2 contest in this bracket would feature teams with very close scores in the wildcard rankings, so it’s hard to know what to expect.
B-2
These Class B sub-districts are always fun.
Omaha Skutt is back on top in the B-2 opener after another stellar season. It won’t be an easy journey through the sub-district, though. Bennington is paired up with the SkyHawks in the opening round, and Elkhorn North squares off with Elkhorn in the other half. This talent-rich district will produce some great volleyball no matter which teams emerge in this sub-bracket.
B-3
The strength of Class B will also be on display in the B-3 sub-district.
Norris has been the class of the field all year, and they’ll face Nebraska City to open postseason play. Waverly and Plattsmouth spearhead the other end of the bracket. This stacked Class B group ought to have a future champion in it somewhere.