Class 1 Blue Eye Sectional Preview

<p><strong>Regionals  Prediction: Lesterville in 4</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=220&amp;alg=57">Blue Eye High School</a> 15-9-1</p> <p>vs.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=341&amp;alg=57">Lesterville High School</a> 22-10-2</p> <p>A rematch from two years ago when Lesterville was the host and Blue Eye had to drive the 4-hour trek to play the Bearcats. Blue Eye jumped out on top to win the first but couldn’t hold off the Bearcats in a 19-25, 25-16, 25-18 Lesterville win.  The only holdover from two years roster for the Bearcats is [player_tooltip player_id="41797" first="Mallory" last="Polk"]. The rest of the Lesterville roster is newcomers and sophomores.</p> <p>Lesterville comes into sectionals having knocked off Winona 25-14, 25-18, 25-20. Lesterville has one lone senior on the roster, [player_tooltip player_id="41797" first="Mallory" last="Polk"].  [player_tooltip player_id="41797" first="Mallory" last="Polk"] became an all-time kill leader at Lesterville in the district win over Winona, passing Taylor Cook’s record of 1484 kills in a career.  Sophomores<strong> Reese Gray</strong> has 423, and <strong>Piper Fitzgerald</strong> has 71 kills on the season. Sophomore <strong>Grace Hicks</strong> sets the offense with her 982 assists on the season. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Blue Eye won their district by knocking off #1 New Covenant Academy 25-23, 28-26, 25-23.  Blue Eye has one senior on the team as well. <strong> Jozee Riepl</strong> setter has 455 assists on the year.  Leading the team in kills with 266 is junior <strong>Riley Arnold</strong>, followed by <strong>Kyla Warren</strong> with 136.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This game will come down to passing and defense. Who will be able to control the other team’s big hitters? Lesterville took Winona out of their passing game with aggressive serving.  Blue Eye has better ball control than Winona but not as big of hitters. <strong>Riley Arnold</strong> is a brilliant hitter, and <strong>Reese Gray</strong> is a powerful hitter and can get on a run. <strong>Makayla Johnson</strong> will be a tough middle for Lesterville hitters. I think the hitters for Lesterville will wear down Blue Eye’s defense but will not be as easy as the Winona game.  Lesterville in 4, but it will be a battle. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Prediction: College Heights in 3</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=468&amp;alg=57">Summersville High School</a> 10-10-6</p> <p>Vs.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=574&amp;alg=57">College Heights Christian High School</a> 23-3</p> <p>Summersville won their district for the second year in a row by knocking off Plato 25-10, 25-12, 25-16.  College Heights won their district by knocking off Thomas Jefferson 25-16, 25-18, 25-13. Not much info out on Summersville. They are lead by <strong>Addisyn Shockley</strong> and <strong>KyEshia Bush</strong> as underclassmen in last year’s sectionals, and I would assume the same this year.</p> <p>College Heights led by six seniors starting with outside hitters in senior<strong> Lainey Lett</strong>,  <strong>Catherine Secker</strong>, setter <strong>Sarah Painter</strong>, libero <strong>Avery Good,</strong> middles<strong> Layne Jackson</strong> and <strong>Emma Woodford</strong> are the usual suspects.</p> <p>College Heights should steamroll Summersville in 3. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sectional Prediction: Lesterville in 5</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=574&amp;alg=57">College Heights Christian High School</a> 23-3</p> <p>Vs.</p> <p><a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=341&amp;alg=57">Lesterville High School</a> 22-10-2</p> <p>This one will be a match-up of seniors versus a senior and sophomores—experience versus youth. Lesterville has two prolific outside hitters.  College Heights has six seniors that had a terrible ending to a great 31-2-1 season last year and looking for redemption. At the same time, Lesterville has lost in this same game for the last four years. Lesterville beat Summersville early in the season 25-7, 20-25, 25-17.</p> <p>College Heights has lost to Nevada, McDonald County, and Sarcoxie. Lesterville has lost ten games but to Park Hills Central, Jackson, Incarnate Word, Helias, Arcadia Valley, Valle Catholic, St Pius, Advance, and Cape Notre Dame. Six of those teams won their district titles.  Hard one to predict, and I think it could go either way.  Lesterville has youth that could go against them.  College Heights has the senior leadership that you want in a game like this. Lesterville has two of the best hitters in the state. College Heights has two solid outsides, solid middle and a nice libero. I’m going to take Lesterville in 5 to get over the Sectional jinx.</p>