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Joining the two unbeaten teams are
perennial powers Homer Glen Homer (17-5) and Rantoul Eater (13-7),
both making their seventh appearances in the state tournament. In
addition, there are five first-time qualifiers. Joining Bolingbrook
Brooks are Jacksonville Turner (14-5), Easton Illini Central (18-4),
Champaign Jefferson (17-5) and Metamora Germantown Hills (17-5).
The tournament gets under way Saturday
with eight matches, beginning at 9:30 a.m. First-round winners
advance to the quarterfinals Tuesday (March 15) beginning at 3:30
p.m. The semifinals and finals will be played Wednesday (March 16),
with the first semifinal match at 3:30 and the second set to begin
at 4:45. The third-place match is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the
championship match is slated to start at 7:15 p.m.
The combined win-loss record of the
16 finalists is 288-61, a winning percentage of .825. Five of the 16
have won 20 matches this season. Topping the field is Manteno at
24-0. Chatham Glenwood is 23-3, Pana JHS is 21-3, Lansing Memorial
is 21-3, and Carlinville is 21-2.
Carlinville is seeking to become the
third school in 7AA history to win three state championships.
Riverton leads with three titles earned in 1997, 1999 and 2003.
Carlinville won in 1992 and 1998. Three other schools have won a
pair of titles: Normal Chiddix, Bourbonnais UGC and Auburn.
Bolingbrook Brooks has the largest
seventh- and eighth-grade enrollment among the 16 finalists at 829.
The others are Homer Glen Homer at 755, Chatham Glenwood at 688,
Jacksonville Turner at 586, Normal Parkside at 561, Mattoon at 544,
Champaign Jefferson at 501, Lansing Memorial at 484, Rantoul Eater
at 335, Manteno at 334, Carlinville at 259, Pana at 248, East Peoria
Central at 201, Metamora Germantown Hills at 183, Dwight at 176 and
Easton Illini Central at 144. IESA rules allow for students in
grades 5-7 to play for the school's seventh-grade team.
[to top of second column in this article]
 |
 Five of the 16 schools in the 7AA
field can throw tall front lines at their opponents. Normal Parkside
(18-4) has six players 5-foot-7 or taller, led by 6-2 middle blocker
Melissa Turpin. At 5-9 are teammates Sara Motsinger, Erin McGinnis
and Allison Stover. Pana Junior High (21-3) has six players on its
roster at 5-6 or taller. Leading the way is 5-11 middle hitter Hali
Carls. Joining her is 5-9 Katie Lees, 5-7 Hayle Gibson and three
others at 5-6. Dwight (14-6) has a trio of 5-8 players in outside
hitters Kate Tock and Veronica Skrzpiec and middle hitter Chaney
Tambling. Easton Illini Central (18-4), the smallest school in the
field from an enrollment standpoint, boasts a trio at 5-9 in middle
hitters Haylie Stone and Stephanie Neikirk and setter Kelsey Laugel.
First-round pairings for Saturday
- Match 1, 9:30 a.m. -- East Peoria
Central (17-5) vs. Dwight (14-6)
- Match 2, 10:45 a.m. -- Homer Glen
Homer (17-5) vs. Chatham Glenwood (23-3)
- Match 3, noon -- Rantoul Eater
(13-7) vs. Jacksonville Turner (14-5)
- Match 4, 1:15 p.m. -- Manteno
(24-0) vs. Pana Junior High (21-3)
- Match 5, 3 p.m. -- Easton Illini
Central (18-4) vs. Mattoon (19-3)
- Match 6, 4:15 p.m. -- Lansing
Memorial (21-3) vs. Champaign Jefferson (17-5)
- Match 7, 5:30 p.m. -- Carlinville
(21-2) vs. Normal Parkside (18-4)
- Match 8, 6:45 p.m. -- Metamora
Germantown Hills (17-5) vs. Bolingbrook Brooks (14-0)
Visit
www.iesa.org for additional information regarding this and all
other, IESA state final events. Click on the "Volleyball" link at
the top of the website's front page. Rosters for all of the 16 teams
and the pairings chart are included on the
volleyball page.
[Illinois
Elementary School Association news release] |
