Who will be top Class 1 teams for 2016?
- Thread starter justwonderingNkc
- Start date
That list looks good to me. Leopold is having another down year from what I've been told, so we can cross them off the list. Valle Catholic handled Class 3 powerhouse Perryville pretty handily their opening night (25-14, 25-18), but I've also been told that Perryville is having a rebuilding year.
Should be another good and exciting year for Class 1, especially here in Southeast Missouri!
Should be another good and exciting year for Class 1, especially here in Southeast Missouri!
I've heard good things about Advance and have seen Bismarck and St. Vincent who both looked solid. Valle will be there in the end so as usual Class1 will be hotly contested.
Even though the SEMO tourney is getting weaker I'm excited to see some of those teams play. Winona, New Haven, Eminence, Bismarck, Lesterville, and a few others. I see that Lesterville/Leopold will play each other in pool play. I also think that Winona and New Haven will battle in another pool.
Haven't seen St. Vincent play this year but their record (2-7-1) indicates that they're off to a sluggish start. They've lost, however, to some pretty tough teams, so take that with a grain of salt. Bernie appears to be in the same boat with a somewhat dismal record but playing a pretty tough schedule so far (they're 3-4-2, with their wins having come from some weak teams: Richland, Sikeston, and Bell City). Bernie hosts Advance tonight (Tuesday) so that will be an all-but-definite preview of the C1D2 championship game and then the Mules travel to Dexter on Thursday to take on their county/conference arch rival.
Advance is still undefeated (8-0-1) with their tie having come from Woodland in the opening round of the Woodland Invitational Tournament. The Hornets host Leopold Thursday, but I doubt it'll be much of a game seeing as how Leopold is having another rebuilidng year (the Wildcats are 1-3-1 with their win against Valley of Caledonia). A true test of Advance's strength will come next Monday, Sept. 12 when the Hornets will host Class 3 perennial powerhouse Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau). The Bulldogs are currently 4-2-3, having taken first in their pool (including a two-set sweep of C3D1 nemesis Dexter) at their own Notre Dame Volleyball Fest but then fell to Dexter in the semifinals. Notre Dame visits Ste. Genevieve tonight, and the two teams split over the weekend in the NDVBFest, so tonight's game will show which team is more dominant.
In the Lead Belt area, Bismarck and Valle Catholic are both off to good starts with both teams boasting an undefeated 4-0 record. The Warriors travel to Fruitland on Wednesday where they'll face and up-and-coming Saxony Lutheran team that's currently sitting on a 5-2-1 record. I still think Valle Catholic will pull it off in the end, but the Lady Crusaders should give them a good fight. Bismarck hosts North County on Thursday before beginning play in the 48-team Dig for Life Challenge/SEMO Classic this weekend. As you have already rightly mentioned, the tournament has gotten weaker as more and more tough teams have dropped the tournament and opted to play in stronger tournaments with opponents more up to their level (Perryville, Dexter, Advance and Bernie being the teams that have dropped the DFLC). Looking at the tournament pool assignments, I see no credible threats stopping Bismarck from making it to the Gold Bracket. Lesterville is also in this tournament and the Lady Bearcats hold a 4-1 record (losing to Arcadia Valley in two close sets but with wins against some pretty weak teams).
If my predictions are correct, these should be the first-round/Sweet 16 games in the Gold Bracket at the Dig for Life:
Farmington vs. Lesterville
Saxony Lutheran vs. Winona
Hillsboro vs. Bloomfield
Jefferson (Festus) vs. Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau)
Woodland vs. Leopold
Eminence vs. Jackson
Poplar Bluff vs. New Haven
Bismarck vs. Seckman
There's too much parity in the first round this year so I can't make any Elite 8/Semifinal/Championship predictions. Only first-round game that I feel entirely comfortable in making a prediction is the Woodland vs. Leopold game, which Woodland should win.
Advance is still undefeated (8-0-1) with their tie having come from Woodland in the opening round of the Woodland Invitational Tournament. The Hornets host Leopold Thursday, but I doubt it'll be much of a game seeing as how Leopold is having another rebuilidng year (the Wildcats are 1-3-1 with their win against Valley of Caledonia). A true test of Advance's strength will come next Monday, Sept. 12 when the Hornets will host Class 3 perennial powerhouse Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau). The Bulldogs are currently 4-2-3, having taken first in their pool (including a two-set sweep of C3D1 nemesis Dexter) at their own Notre Dame Volleyball Fest but then fell to Dexter in the semifinals. Notre Dame visits Ste. Genevieve tonight, and the two teams split over the weekend in the NDVBFest, so tonight's game will show which team is more dominant.
In the Lead Belt area, Bismarck and Valle Catholic are both off to good starts with both teams boasting an undefeated 4-0 record. The Warriors travel to Fruitland on Wednesday where they'll face and up-and-coming Saxony Lutheran team that's currently sitting on a 5-2-1 record. I still think Valle Catholic will pull it off in the end, but the Lady Crusaders should give them a good fight. Bismarck hosts North County on Thursday before beginning play in the 48-team Dig for Life Challenge/SEMO Classic this weekend. As you have already rightly mentioned, the tournament has gotten weaker as more and more tough teams have dropped the tournament and opted to play in stronger tournaments with opponents more up to their level (Perryville, Dexter, Advance and Bernie being the teams that have dropped the DFLC). Looking at the tournament pool assignments, I see no credible threats stopping Bismarck from making it to the Gold Bracket. Lesterville is also in this tournament and the Lady Bearcats hold a 4-1 record (losing to Arcadia Valley in two close sets but with wins against some pretty weak teams).
If my predictions are correct, these should be the first-round/Sweet 16 games in the Gold Bracket at the Dig for Life:
Farmington vs. Lesterville
Saxony Lutheran vs. Winona
Hillsboro vs. Bloomfield
Jefferson (Festus) vs. Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau)
Woodland vs. Leopold
Eminence vs. Jackson
Poplar Bluff vs. New Haven
Bismarck vs. Seckman
There's too much parity in the first round this year so I can't make any Elite 8/Semifinal/Championship predictions. Only first-round game that I feel entirely comfortable in making a prediction is the Woodland vs. Leopold game, which Woodland should win.
No mention of Northland Christian? They are beating Class 4 schools this year. They are the best team I have seen play high school volleyball in a long time.
I see they beat some Class 4 schools but none of those are the top half of Class 4. I think Northland will have to get by Santa Fe and KC Lutheran. They are a good team. The one junior middle is a stud.
I thought they would be the KC rep at state. Class 1 should be very close this year. Valle is tough as nails, New Haven will battle in the final, Northland will be the surprise team that could take it all, Eminence will try and keep Shannon county in the battle for the title.
My pics in Class 1. Valle plays New Haven for the ship!
My pics in Class 1. Valle plays New Haven for the ship!
It will be a battle. My picks for state finish.
Class 1
New Haven
Valle
Northland Christian
Eminence
Class 2
Pius
Liberty
Hermann
St Paul
Class 3
Pleasant Hill
Rogersville
Borgia
Lutheran South
Class 4
Francis Howell
Lafayette
STA
Ozark
Class 1
New Haven
Valle
Northland Christian
Eminence
Class 2
Pius
Liberty
Hermann
St Paul
Class 3
Pleasant Hill
Rogersville
Borgia
Lutheran South
Class 4
Francis Howell
Lafayette
STA
Ozark
