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For the first time in Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA)
history four champions will be crowned in the Seventh Grade Girls
State Volleyball Tournament series. Competition in the Class 1A,
Class 2A, Class 3A and Class 4A State Final Tournaments begins
Saturday (March 10) and concludes Tuesday (March 13) at four sites.
Class 1A will be hosted by El Paso-Gridley Junior High School but
the tournament is being held at the high school gym in El Paso.
Class 2A will be played at Pawnee High School. Assumption Central A
& M Junior High School will be the site of Class 3A. Bloomington
Junior High School will host Class 4A.
The time schedule for all four tournaments will be the same.
Quarterfinals will be played Saturday with the first of four games
beginning at 10:00 a.m. The four quarterfinal winners will meet in
semifinal matches Saturday evening with the first of two matches set
to begin at 5:30 p.m. Third place and championship matches will be
played Tuesday with the third place match set for 6:00 p.m. and the
championship match scheduled for 7:30.
The price of admission Saturday is $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for
seniors (62 and over) and students (K-8), and is good for all
matches Saturday. Children younger than kindergarten are admitted
free. Fans attending the matches Saturday will receive a wristband
that is to be worn all day and will be used for entry into the
facility throughout the day. The price of admission for the third
place and championship match session Thursday will be $5.00 for
adults and $2.00 for seniors and students (K-8). Children younger
than kindergarten again are admitted free.
IESA girls volleyball began in 1976. There was one-class
competition from 1976-84, and in 1985 the state series was divided
into Class A and Class AA by school size. From 1989-2006, there were
Class A and Class AA state series for both seventh grade and eighth
grade. This year the seventh grade and eighth grade series have four
classes each.
The 2007 state tournament format and playing schedule is
different than in previous years. Until this year, 16 Class A and
Class AA teams in seventh grade and eighth grade advanced to two
respective 16-team state finals, and competition was conducted in a
three-day format.
Complete pairings for each state final, plus the
FanZone, can be found at
www.iesa.org. Click on the
Volleyball
line in the orange box at the top of the IESA Web Site Home Page.
Here is a look at each of the four 2007 Seventh Grade State Final
Tournaments:
Class 1A
Perennial powers Hartsburg-Emden and Peoria Limestone Walters are
among the field for the Class 1A State Tournament, one in which six
of the eight finalists have won 17 or more matches. The combined
won-loss record for the field is 141-24, a winning percentage of
.854.
Hartsburg-Emden (20-3) and Ottawa Wallace (20-2) bring the most
wins into the state final. They are in opposite brackets.
In Saturday's quarterfinals, Hartsburg-Emden meets Kincaid South
Fork (15-3) in Match No. 1 at 10:00 a.m. In Match No. 2, Peoria
Limestone Walters (18-2) faces Royal Prairieview Ogden (18-3) at
11:15 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., it's Ottawa Wallace versus West Salem
(17-3). In the nightcap at 1:45 p.m., Springfield Calvary (19-2)
faces Mazon-Verona-Kinsman (14-6).
Ottawa Wallace, which qualified both its seventh and eighth grade
girls basketball teams for the Class 1A state finals, has five
players from the seventh grade basketball team on this volleyball
team. They are 5-8 outside hitter Mikaela English, 5-1 outside
hitter Madi Smith, 5-2 setter Jessica Jessen, 5-5 outside hitter
Rosa Williams and 5-7 setter Alyssa Winchester.
Hartsburg-Emden has no player taller than 5-7. The Stags have 5-7
Samantha Swart, 5-6 Faith Jones, 5-6 Sydni Rohlfs and 5-2 Mary
Rankin listed as their outside hitters. Kincaid South Fork can
counter with 5-10 outside hitter Tori Aymer and 5-8 outside hitter
Kiersten Ittenbach. Setters for the Ponies are 5-3 Tristian Payne
and 5-3 Carley Prince.
Royal Prairieview Ogden is the tallest team in the state final.
The Mustangs have 5-9 Taylor Ehmen and 5-8 Brooke Bohlen as middle
hitters and 5-8 Logan Rupert and 5-8 Shelby Franzen as outside
hitters. Peoria Limestone Walters is the smallest and youngest team
in the tournament with only 5-7 outside hitter Kelly Arnett and 5-5
outside hitter Brittany Morris taller than 5-4. The Rockets list 13
players on their roster and only two are seventh graders -- 5-4
Sheyanne Redmon and 5-4 Haley Garber. Four members of the team are
fifth graders.
West Salem has 5-7 Jordan McWhirter, a sixth grader, at middle
hitter and 5-5 Sam Potter at outside hitter. No other member of the
team is taller than 5-4.
Springfield Calvary has 5-6 outside hitters Lauren Tarpley and
Danielle Rhodes. Mazon-Verona-Kinsman can counter with 5-8 middle
hitter Corley Baker and 5-8 setter Allison Coughlin.
Of the 94 players listed on the rosters of the finalists, nine
are fifth graders, 31 are sixth graders and 54 are seventh graders.
In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the
students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 7-1A is the smallest
class. The combined enrollment of the eight Class 1A finalists is
443. Enrollments of the eight finalists in bracket order are: West
Salem 35, Peoria Limestone Walters 42, Hartsburg-Emden 46,
Springfield Calvary 49, Kincaid South Fork 61, Royal Prairieview
Ogden 63, Ottawa Wallace 73 and Mazon-Verona-Kinsman 74.
Class 2A
Perennial powerhouse Mt. Pulaski (18-4) is joined by seven others
in what appears to be on paper as a wide open Class 2A state final.
The combined won-loss record of the eight finalists is 134-32, a
winning percentage of .807.
Only one team has won 20 or more matches and that is Marseilles
ES (22-4). The Panthers have 6-1 Cordy Murphy as an outside hitter.
Marseilles ES has won more matches than its quarterfinal round
opponent, Paris Crestwood (11-7), has played. They open the
tournament in quarterfinal Match No. 1 at 10:00 a.m. Paris Crestwood
has 5-8 Katy Spesard at outside hitter and 5-7 Nique Tyler at middle
hitter.
Lewistown Central (18-4) meets La Harpe (18-6) in Match No. 2 of
the quarterfinals at 11:15 a.m. then it's Mt. Pulaski versus host
Pawnee (19-2) at 12:30 p.m. The final quarterfinal pits Lincoln
Chester-East Lincoln (19-2) against Findlay Okaw Valley (18-3).
Lewistown has five players listed at 5-7 and the Indians have the
most overall height. Middle hitters at 5-7 for the Indians are
Brittany Beyers and Lauren Tippet. Outside hitter at 5-7 is Carrie
Engle. Setters at 5-7 are Jessica Hadsall and Kristyn Legrande. La
Harpe has no player taller than 5-4.
Mt. Pulaski has 5-7 Ashley Norris at outside hitter with 5-6
Madison Leinweber and 5-6 Rachel Durchholz, a sixth grader, as
middle hitters. Pawnee can put 5-8 Ciara Woodcock, 5-7 Jennifer
Stevens and 5-6 Sara Rothe at the net as a unit.
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Lincoln Chester-East Lincoln has 5-6 Sara Buchanan and 5-6 Abby
Neece as middle hitters, but no other player taller than 5-4.
Findlay Okaw Valley is even shorter, but does have 5-6 Olivia Herzog
and 5-6 Sarah Henderson as middle hitters.
Of the 111 players listed on the rosters of the finalists, one is
a fifth grader, 19 are sixth graders and 91 are seventh graders.
In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the
students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 7-2A is the second
smallest class. Enrollments of the eight finalists in bracket order
are: La Harpe 80, Lincoln Chester-East Lincoln 81, Mt. Pulaski 85,
Findlay Okaw Valley 86, Pawnee 105, Paris Crestwood 117, Lewistown
126 and Marseilles ES 130.
Class 3A
Three of the eight finalists in the Class 3A state final come
into the quarterfinal round with only one loss. The combined
won-loss record of the eight is an impressive 147-27, a winning
percentage of .845. Leading the way are Toledo Cumberland 21-1,
Manhattan 20-1 and Glasford Illini Bluffs 20-1. Toledo Cumberland
and Manhattan are in the upper bracket. Glasford Illini Bluffs is in
the lower bracket.
Auburn (17-8) meets Toledo Cumberland in the opener at 10:00 a.m.
Then Chillicothe (16-5) faces Manhattan at 11:15 a.m. Downs
Tri-Valley (14-6) battles Beardstown MS (18-3) in Match No. 3 at
12:30 p.m. Glasford Illini Bluffs plays Dwight (21-2) in the last
quarterfinal at 1:45 p.m.
Auburn has 5-6 middle hitters Erika Kuensiter, Amanda King and
Lindsey Gaines. Setter for the Trojans is 5-2 Megan Jones. Toledo
Cumberland will counter with six players 5-6 or taller.
Chillicothe's roster is made up of 6 seventh graders and 9 sixth
graders. The Mustangs can throw the tallest front line at an
opponent with 5-10 outside hitter Jameel Woods, 5-10 setter Jodi
Stumbaugh and a trio of 5-5 outside hitters. Manhattan has only two
players taller than 5-4 in 5-6 middle hitter Colleen Hansen and 5-6
outside hitter Alyssa Leggro.
Downs Tri-Valley has 5-8 middle hitter Molly Lessen, 5-7 outside
hitter Emily Eytalis and 5-2 outside hitter Jen Wiltse, who got the
winning kill in the sectional. Beardstown MS has 5-10 middle hitter
Sarah Flowers and four players 5-6, including setter Jade Hoenes.
Glasford Illini Bluffs boasts the tallest team in the tournament.
The Tigers have 5-9 Kenzie Wall, 5-8 Hannah Wall, 5-7 Chelsea
Hartman and 5-7 Allie Rupp at outside hitters along with 5-8 setter
Quincy Merritt and 5-7 setter Abbie Tinnon. Dwight's tallest player
is 5-6 middle hitter Kiley Colebank. Only others on the roster
taller than 5-4 are 5-5 setter Amy Froelich and 5-5 middle hitter
Marcella Paige.
Of the 114 players listed on the rosters of the finalists, none
are fifth graders, 15 are sixth graders and 96 are seventh graders.
In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the
students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 7-3A is the second
largest class. Enrollments of the eight finalists in bracket order
are: Glasford Illini Bluffs 150, Dwight 153, Toledo Cumberland 167,
Chillicothe 178, Auburn 179, Downs Tri-Valley 181, Beardstown MS 244
and Manhattan 261.
Class 4A
Unbeaten Lansing Memorial (22-0) heads the list of an impressive
field in the Class 4A State Tournament. In fact, the combined
won-loss record of the eight teams is 127-22. Ten of those 22 losses
are by Lansing Memorial's quarterfinal round opponent Forrest
Prairie Central (13-10).
Take away the record of Forrest Prairie Central and the combined
record of the remaining seven teams is a whopping 117-12, a winning
percentage of .907.
Lansing Memorial meets Forrest Prairie Central in the first
quarterfinal match at 10:00 a.m. Then Chatham Glenwood (17-2) faces
Stanford Olympia (16-4) in the second match at 11:15 a.m. Perennial
power Jacksonville Turner (13-3) faces Danville North Ridge (17-2)
at 12:30 p.m. in the third match. Channahon (13-5) battles Homer
Glen Homer (16-1) in the last quarterfinal match at 1:45 p.m.
Lansing Memorial has 5-8 outside hitter Nicole Gill and Danijela
Jerkan. The Mustangs have nine others at 5-5 or taller, including
5-5 setters Shelby Curtin, Erin Farrell and Jillian Rodriguez and
5-6 setter Courtney Whipple. Forrest Prairie Central has only three
players 5-6 in setter Haley Haberkorn, middle hitter Macki Dameron
and outside hitter Jordan Wheat.
Chatham Glenwood has 5-8 Britni Harper as a setter and a trio of
players at 5-7. They are middle hitter Jill Stafford, middle hitter
Bre Gardner and setter Madison Hannah. Stanford Olympia, on the
other hand, has 5-5 Bailey Moore at middle hitter and the rest of
the Spartans are 5-4 or shorter.
Chatham Glenwood is coached by veteran Larry Sample, who set the
standard at Jacksonville Turner. Sample coached Jacksonville Turner
to the all-time leading eight state Class 8AA titles. Turner won the
IESA state championship under Sample in 1989, 91 and 93-98. He also
coached Jacksonville High School to the IHSA Class AA state title in
1988 and to third place in 1998.
Jacksonville Turner is making the school's eleventh state final
appearance, the most ever in IESA volleyball. Jacksonville Turner
can throw 6-2 Abby Heise and 5-8 Bridgette Lonergan in the middle.
Danville North Ridge can counter with 5-8 Shawneis Jones and 5-8
setter Barbara Jackson-Summers.
Channahon can put 5-7 middle hitter Michelle Landahl and 5-7
defensive specialist Megan Butler on the floor together. Homer Glen
Homer can feature 5-10 middle hitter Allyssa Podwell and 5-8 setter
Tasha Tripolitakis.
Of the 112 players listed on the rosters of the finalists, none
are fifth graders, two are sixth graders and 110 are seventh
graders.
In IESA competition, school enrollments are determined by the
students in seventh and eighth grade. Class 7-4A is the largest
class. Enrollments of the eight finalists in bracket order are:
Stanford Olympia 30l, Channahon 353, Forrest Prairie Central 355,
Jacksonville Turner 519, Lansing Memorial 520, Danville North Ridge
524, Chatham Glenwood 670 and Homer Glen Homer 818.
[Text copied from
file received from IESA] |
