Volleyball regionals

2A Volleyball regionals

At Bureau Valley

Favorite: Mendota (26-9). Watch out for: Princeton (26-6-1).

Pairings: Thursday — Match 1, 1 Mendota vs. 4 Riverdale (24-6), 6 p.m. Match 2, Bureau Valley (20-1) vs. Princeton, 7 p.m. Saturday: Title — winners 1-2, 6 p.m.

Outlook: This regional field is loaded with four 20-win teams on hand. Princeton returns to the same floor from which it started the season, defeating the Storm 25-16, 18-25, 25-21 in its second match, BV’s first. The Tigresses are still looking to find their identity, coming off the heels of last year’s state tournament run, and hope to recapture the postseason magic, once again. Senior setter Molly Stephens and senior libero Slyvie Tracy anchor the team, returning from last year’s state squad along with hitters Jacquie and Jolynn Kane and Sarah Maynard. The Kane sisters combined for 17 kills against BV. ... The Storm have come on strong behind seniors Lauren Hasbrook, Gabby Fisch and Melanie Thompson and juniors Aubrey Franklin and Sam Shepard to reach the 20-win plateau. ... Riverdale captured the Three Rivers crown with a 13-1 record, twice defeating the Storm, in three sets at BV and in two sets at Port Byron. The Rams could as easily be the No. 1 seed as the No. 4, PHS coach Andy Puck says. ... Mendota, which split two matches with Princeton, finished 6-4 in the NCIC Lincoln, sharing third-place with PHS and Rock Falls. The Spikers defeated the Storm in last year’s regional finals and it’s not out of the realm of possibility they could meet again.

Last year’s finals: Princeton def. Hall; Mendota def. Bureau Valley.

Kevin Hieronymus’ pick: Princeton over Mendota.

Next: Oregon Sectional vs. winner of Byron regional, 6 p.m. Tuesday.

At Fieldcrest

Favorite: IVC (23-3).

Pairings: Thursday: Match 1 — 4 Kewanee (7-18-1) vs. 5 Fieldcrest, 5:30 p.m. Match 2 — 2 Hall (9-24) vs. St. Bede (16-11-2), 6:30 p.m. Match 3 — 1 IVC vs. winner 1, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: The Grey Ghosts are heavily favored with a strong cast of talent from the NCIC Lincoln championship squad, led by 6-3 blocker Lacy Peterson and all-conference hitter Kelsey Brooke. Still, IVC can expect a good battle on its hands from the winner between Hall and St. Bede. The Lady Bruins may be peaking at the right time, bringing its “A” team together for the first time after facing bouts of sickness and injury to key personnel. I told the girls, “If we beat Hall on Thursday, that means we’ve got 24 hours to figure out Chillicothe,” SB coach Dawn Williams said. ... First-year Hall coach Dani Zellmer looks for the effort from her squad they showed when rallying to beat Princeton Oct. 15. She knows the Lady Devils will have to be prepared for St. Bede’s blocking game, utilizing the hitting of Mickey Victor, Katelyn Rainer and Brigitte Klein. ... The entire regional tournament is being played in Wenona at Fieldcrest Middle School due to gym floor problems at the high school.