Here is our updated “bracketology for the NSAA girls volleyball championships. Postseason play begins today with the state tournament getting underway a week from Thursday. Schools are shown with their projected NSAA seeding – not their actual rank according to NPV.
Class A
#1 Papillion-LaVista vs. #8 Lincoln North Star (wild card)
#4 North Platte vs. #5 Millard West
#3 Omaha Marian vs. #6 Papillion-LaVista South
#2 Lincoln Southeast vs. #7 Lincoln East
Notes: Our only predicted upset based on seeds is Lincoln East over Lincoln North Star in A-7. Neither Lincoln Southwest nor Millard South can win the wild card – both must win on the road in district play to reach state. Papio and Lincoln Southeast are locked in as the #1 & #2 seeds no matter what. Should Marian lose in its district and get the wild card, North Platte would move up to #3 if it wins its district. Millard West and Papio South are locked in at the #5 and #6 spots provided they win their districts.
Class B
#1 Omaha Skutt vs. #8 Lincoln Pius X
#4 Elkhorn South vs. #5 Elkhorn
#3 Aurora vs. #6 Gretna
#2 Grand Island Northwest vs. #7 Norris
Notes: Our only predicted upset which impacts the state-tournament field is Lincoln Pius X winning a sub-state match at Omaha Gross to earn the final spot.
Class C-1
#1 Kearney Catholic vs. #8 Auburn
#4 Chadron (wild card) vs. #5 Wahoo
#3 Ogallala vs. #6 Stanton
#2 Omaha Concordia vs. #7 Columbus Scotus (wild card)
Notes: Our predictions include Auburn upsetting Falls City in the C1-1 subdistrict tournament and also winning the district championship. Also included is Columbus Scotus winning the C1-7 subdistrict tournament tonight – which would require a win over Columbus Lakeview or North Bend. If Scotus does not win the C1-7 tourney tonight, Grand Island Central Catholic likely gets the final wild card and takes the #7 seed in place of the Shamrocks.
Class C-2
#1 Freeman vs. #8 Southern Valley
#4 Guardian Angels CC vs. #5 Elmwood-Murdock (wild card)
#3 Hastings St. Cecilia vs. #6 Centura (wild card)
#2 Crofton vs. #7 David City Aquinas
Notes: Our major upset prediction here is David City Aquinas knocking off Nebraska Christian in the C2-4 subdistrict and beating Sutton in the C2-2 district final. Barring any major upsets of high seeds, Elmwood-Murdock and Centura should feel good about their wild card spots. Elgin-Pope John (24-4) can not get a wild card and would need win its district to state, which would likely require beating undefeated Crofton.
Class D-1
#1 St. Mary’s vs. #8 Maxwell
#4 Cedar Bluffs vs. #5 Emerson-Hubbard
#3 Axtell vs. #6 Diller-Odell
#2 Ansley-Litchfield (wild card) vs. #7 Howells-Dodge (wild card)
Notes: St. Mary’s is locked as the #1 seed and Ansley-Litchfield as the #2 seed – even though those two undefeated teams will likely meet in a district final. Cedar Bluffs and Howells-Dodge should play for the D1-3 subdistrict championship with the winner being in good shape to win a district title and the loser being in good shape for a wild card. We predict a Cedar Bluffs win, but a Howells-Dodge win would reshape the bracket but not impact the teams that qualify.
Class D-2
#1 Stuart vs. #8 Crawford
#4 Exeter-Milligan (wild card) vs. #5 Hampton (wild card)
#3 Meridian vs. #6 Bertrand
#2 Giltner vs. #7 Wauneta-Palisade
Notes: Class D-2 is a prime example of our disdain for how the postseason play is set-up in Classes C-1, C-2, D-1 and D-2. You have five state-tournament worthy teams jammed into the D1-1 and D1-2 subdistricts. As a result, two good teams will be left home, two more will chew-up both wild cards and one will emerge as a district champion. We predict Meridian survives the gauntlet with Exeter-Milligan taking one wild card and Hampton the other. Exeter-Milligan and Hampton play each other tonight and we project they will face each other again next Thursday in Lincoln.
Please type in your name below to claim or create your Prep Dig player profile.
