Sixteen high school volleyball teams solidified their spots in the state tournament to be played in Cedar Rapids next week. In Class 2A, defending state champion Western Christian will represent the Lakes Conference after a relatively easy three-set sweep over Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto in the Regional Final at Cherokee. The top-ranked Wolfpack won by game scores of 25-15, 25-11, and 25-21. This will be their tenth consecutive state tournament appearance and Western Christian will draw a matchup with Carroll Kuemper Catholic in the quarterfinals. Also making the trek from northwest Iowa will be Sheldon, to represent the Siouxland Conference. The seventh-ranked Orabs needed four sets to get by conference foe Sioux Center in the regional final at MOC-Floyd Valley. Sheldon took the match with game scores of 25-15, 22-25, 25-21, and 25-16. Sheldon is making its first trip since finishing runner-up in 2009. Their quarterfinal opponent will be one-loss Grundy Center. The rest of the Class 2A field includes undefeated Lake Mills, Dike-New Hartford, West Liberty, and Council Bluffs St. Albert.
The Siouxland Conference will also have a member in the Class 1A state tournament field. In a regional final played at Okoboji High School, Boyden-Hull used a three-game sweep over Algona Bishop Garrigan to earn a trip to state. The fourth-ranked Comets took the match with set scores of 25-20, 25-18, and 25-16. Boyden-Hull will battle one-loss Stanton in the quarterfinals. The rest of the Class 1A field consists of Woodward-Granger, Tripoli, East Union, LeMars Gehlen Catholic, Janesville, and Holy Trinity Catholic
The girls state volleyball tournament runs November 9-12 at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.
North of the border it was the sectional quarterfinals in postseason volleyball throughout much of Minnesota. In Class AA, Jackson County Central hosted Worthington and the second-ranked Huskies prevailed in three sets, 25-20, 25-23, and 25-16. Next up will be a semifinal match against Windom, who needed four sets to get by New Ulm, 25-20, 22-25, 25-13, and 25-22. JCC and Windom will play Thursday in Worthington.
The Class A, Section 2 quarterfinal brought with it an end to the season for Martin County West, as the Mavericks lost in four sets to United South Central, 25-11, 25-22,19-25, and 25-18. MCW wraps up their season at 17-10.
