Class 3A Section Finals: Team Factors and Predictions

Here we go folks. The class 3A section finals have been set. All 3A teams ranked in the final rankings are here as sixteen squads have arrived at the doorstep of the big show. Six of these teams were there one season ago. Who will earn the opportunity to advance to battle for the 2018 state crown? All teams are here for a reason and have something great to offer as they make final preparations, strategize, and deal with the nerves and incredible anticipation of what will be once the final whistle blows. We will see eight teams advance while eight will fall just short with the lights going out on a great season. Here is some analysis of a few of the championship pairings, representing teams and elements I have seen, factors I feel are critical to their success going forward, and my predictions for this handful of state tournament berths on the line. Section 1AAA: #1 Lakeville North vs. #2 Lakeville South | Saturday, 11am A Lakeville North versus Lakeville South contest is always fun when it pits the Panthers against the Cougars on the volleyball court. The Panthers from the North have outdone the Cougars in that they have held on to a higher ranking for the better part of the season, they won their most recent head-to-head action, and they are the lone team to defeat Champlin Park in a non-tournament match, not to mention that they also have a win over current top-ranked Eagan and are the defending state champions. Position by position the Panthers have continued to grow the quality of their depth such that Elizabeth Juhnke (OH | 2019) will not need to be relied upon to have to produce through such a high volume of opportunities. Stepping up has been Macy Winter (OH | 2019), Tori Thompson (MH | 2019), Abbey Milner (MH | 2021), and Maddie Hornyak (RS | 2021). They have heavy arms all around the court that can terminate with similar statement and authority as their leader. The Cougars have a thunderous arm of their own in Jasmine Mulvihill (OH | 2019), one individual the might need to take more swings in order for South to be successful against their North rivals. Ava Moes (RS | 2021) has increased her output in a big way and Nichole Banitt (MB | 2019) has been very steady and stable in the middle, which is increasingly taking some of that attention away from Mulvihill and freeing her up a bit. Alena Moldan (Lib | 2019) is solid in the serve and pass area and will need her teammates to be impactful in this area as well in order to apply as much pressure as possible within those first contact situations. The Cougars do have an advantage in an early season non-tournament win over the Panthers. I give the nod to Lakeville North (3-1) as the composure they seem to sustain is better than most teams when the going gets tough. Section 2AAA: #1 Minnetonka vs. #2 Shakopee | Saturday, 6pm At 24-4, the #5 ranked Skippers of Minnetonka have been going about their business on the hands and arm of one of the best senior duos in the field. Erin Shoemaker (OH | 2019) and Dresi Pass (S | 2019) have been the undeniable leaders for Minnetonka and their ability to guide their team on this journey to a late-season opportunity is a testament to their value. Skylar Germann (OH | 2020) is the third piece to this club that garners a lot of attention from opposing defenses. The #8 ranked Sabers boast a trio of their own in Rachel Kilkelly (OH | 2019), Payton Marker (S | 2020), and Madeline Lipetzky (MH | 2022) that might have something to say about the outcome of this match. These teams don't need any reminders of one another as they have faced each other twice already, splitting the two contests with Shakopee winning the early season non-tournament match 3-1. These teams are evenly matched and a coin flip may be just as good of a measure as me having to pick based solely upon what I have seen and know. Let's do it then. Heads for Minnetonka. Tails for Shakopee. The verdict? Tails. Shakopee advances on the luck of a coin. Section 3AAA: #1 Eagan vs. #2 East Ridge | Saturday 6pm I am a fan of #7 ranked East Ridge having seen them a couple of times and what they are capable of when they are playing well. I also like that their roster features talent across the classes. A frosh that can do some damage on the right side in Brit Carlson (RS | 2022). A crafty sophomore in Lauren Galvin (OH | 2021) that can terminate with the best of them on the outside. Great senior leadership and activity from Kate Reimann (OH | 2019) from the left pin and setter Stephanie Barber (S | 2019) with her athleticism, high IQ, and very capable delivery and decision-making that can create balance in her offense when needed. Somewhat of a dark horse in this group of 16 considering all the hype around their upcoming opponent and a couple of other teams in the field. However, they have the pieces and I will not be overly surprised if they win, although it will take their best performance of the season to defeat Eagan at this stage. When discussing quality of depth, Eagan is the second of three teams in the field that has multiple athletes that can hurt you, again and again. Ellie Husemann (MB | 2019) is Prep Dig's #2 senior and is supported by the likes of Peyton Rude (MH | 2019), Christine Jurgens (OH | 2020), and Kennedi Orr (OH/S | 2021), arguably one of the best athletes in her class in the country. As much as I would like to pick the underdog Raptors here, the experience of the Wildcats will control this contest from start to finish. Eagan in three and their reward will be an opportunity to improve upon their runner-up finish at state in 2017. Section 4AAA: #1 Stillwater vs. #2 North St. Paul | Thursday, 7:15pm A 2017 state qualifier, Stillwater has more to prove not only in getting back to the state tournament but also in besting their 0-2 record following their arrival there last year. The Ponies are 24-6 and every bit as poised to get back to state as a year ago. They are led by Olivia Walsh (S | 2019), Brooke Aschenbrenner (MH | 2019), Britta Borrman (Lib | 2019), and Maddie Whittington (MH | 2020), a force in the middle on both sides of the ball. They are currently ranked #6 in class 3A and boast a couple of wins over teams in the final 16. The Polars from North are 26-2 and ranked #10 in the final class 3A poll. Their leaders are Lauren Stenman (OH/S | 2020), Yaiza Franco (MH | 2020), Selena Rodriguez (OH | 2019), and Bria Sandifer (S | 2020). The edge goes to the Ponies given they have been more successful as of late, including a 3-0 over the Polars just a couple of weeks ago. They also bring an energy that is contagious throughout their squad and fun to watch as a spectator. Section 5AAA: #1 Champlin Park vs. #2 Wayzata | Thursday, 7pm Is there any team in the field with the quality of depth at every position in their lineup? I'm not sure that there is. Champlin Park is the third of three teams that I feel just has that extra piece in their roster that the other teams in the field do not. However, we do know that the Rebels are beatable given their two losses to two other top-tier favorites in the field. With that being said CP has only lost five sets all season in sporting a 28-2 record. The addition of Lauren Clark (OH | 2019) rounded out that depth with a big statement as she is Prep Dig's #1 ranked senior and bound for one of the most prolific college programs in the history of the sport in Penn State. There are so many tools in their kit that nobody can focus primarily on Clark and be successful. Their depth is so good that the Rebels would likely be in this position if she had not made the switch. Izzy Ashburn (S | 2019) is the premier setter of the senior class and also has very capable attackers in Emma Schmidt (RS | 2019), Sami Hilley (MH | 2020), and Jordan Stalpes (H | 2020) at her disposal. The Wayzata Trojans are a bit unheralded in their accomplishments this season and perhaps deserve more attention than they have received over the past few months. At 25-5 overall they have won their past nine matches, looking very good at times in their most recent win over Osseo. The first two sets were earned in dominating fashion with a clear confidence in just about ever facet of their game play. Osseo was able to shift the tide a bit in sets three and four. However, Wayzata maintained composure and prevailed in the fifth set. More consistency is needed from start to finish but that momentum and recent confidence growth will certainly be good for a few critical points. If they can manage to keep sets close to the latter stages without having to overcome large deficits then the Trojans could surprise the Rebels here. The pin action of Sophie Jesewitz (OH | 2021) on the left side and Elizabeth Helmich (RS | 2020) on the right side will need balance and a bit of space for them to effectively utilize their speed and heat. In the end, CP will prove to have too many weapons for Wayzata to slow down. The Rebels will advance 3-0. Section 8AAA: #1 Willmar vs. #3 Moorhead | Saturday, 7pm The Cardinals have Carly Wedel (S | 2019), a versatile setter that can hurt opponents in a number of ways whether its in her distribution and involvement of her teammates offensively, scoring points off of her own arm, or disrupting hitters at the net blocking with her length. Willmar is 22-7 overall and are the Central Lakes Conference champions. If there senior leader can command her team to play to their standards then Willmar will have a shot. The Spuds on the other hand have a complementary roster in that any starter's number can be called and there is confidence that they will produce. Their balance is among the best of the final 16 teams and they are playing their best volleyball having won eight matches in a row, including a recent tournament win over Willmar 2-0. At 20-9, Moorhead is looking for a return to state and are playing like they belong there once again. Moorhead wins 3-1. Hang on to your hats volleyball fans. This will be a fun ride over the next few days as the eight spots in the final week of the season for class 3A teams are up for grabs starting tonight. And we volleyball fanatics know, once the ball is in play, anything can happen.