1A Updated Team Rankings: Sectional Draws

<p>With less than one week from the end of the regular season, we Hoosiers received our sectional brackets on the Sunday of the last week. In other words, last night at around 8pm eastern, people started rage-typing a bunch about the "luck of the draw" or "we got hosed" or "why are we in this sectional" conversations. We’re not concerned with such trivialities at PD, we’re just looking forward to the recruits involved in each of those matchups. Here’s our rundown of what each top five team might face in their sectional.</p> <p><strong>#5: Kouts, 17-5</strong></p> <p>Welcome back, Mustangs! What excellent timing on your part to schedule a possible sectional foe on the last week of the season. Hosting an 18-8 Marquette Catholic squad on Wednesday as a preview to a (maybe) sectional final is well-planned. We’re looking to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="85842" first="Sophia" last="Foster"] (’22, 5-6, DS), </strong>who is normally a DS, but is responsible for a ton of offense for the Mustangs. </p> <p><strong>#4: Pioneer, 21-3</strong></p> <p>Staying in the top five is tough. Pioneer has been right there all season, it seems, but their draw is one of the toughest in all of the 1A sectionals. A possible sectional final against 1A #3 Northfield looms, so hopefully, their focus is on the present so that they can get that far. Without question, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101316" first="Madison" last="Blickenstaff"] (’21, 6-0, MB/OH)</strong> will be leaned upon to carry the Panthers as far as they can. </p> <p><strong>#3: Northfield, 19-1</strong></p> <p>As mentioned above, Northfield possibly drawing 1A #4 Pioneer in the final is going to be no picnic. The good news is that they can’t face each other until the final on October 17 at 7pm, and that they’re in opposite halves of the bracket. Getting a bye to the semifinal is a little help, so they’ll be plenty rested and avoid injury (knock-knock) before that Saturday. Norseman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="108839" first="Addie" last="Baker"] (’21, 5-11, OH) </strong>will be the key to this possible matchup, bringing almost five kills per set and hitting nearly .500 in the process.</p> <p><strong>#2: Loogootee, 20-5</strong></p> <p>The Lions remain at #2 for another week, and own straight-set wins over three of their four opponents in sectional #63. A possible regional semifinal might be against on-again, off-again top five member Springs Valley, with the regional final possibly being 1A #1 Trinity Lutheran. First things first, however. Let’s focus on the fact that <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101318" first="Kylie" last="VanHoy"] (’22, 5-10, S)</strong> can do many things for the Lions to be successful, including leading in digs and blocks, while being #2 in assists. </p> <p><strong>#1: Trinity Lutheran, 23-4</strong></p> <p>None of the Cougars’s losses have come to 1A schools, and it seems almost a foregone conclusion that TL will hoist that trophy at Ball State in November. This is a machine with many successful, moving parts, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93745" first="Kennedy" last="Hoffman"] (’21, 5-11, OH), </strong>who averages over four kills per set while hitting over .350. A regional semifinal against Rock Creek Academy looks intriguing, whom the Cougars play tomorrow night. </p>