Updated Bracketology: Our Projected State Tournament Field

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.