Class 5 Sectional Previews @ Borgia and Francis Howell!

Regionals @ St. Francis Borgia Prediction: Borgia in 3 <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=544&alg=57">St. Francis Borgia High School </a> 27-4-2 Vs. <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=82&alg=57">Jackson High School</a> 31-4-1 Borgia comes into Sectionals having outlasted Lafayette in 5 25-21, 25-20, 15-25, 20-25, 18-16. [player_tooltip player_id="41802" first="Ella" last="Brinkman"]n had 26 kills, Lily Brown, Carolin Glastetter with 11 kills each, [player_tooltip player_id="41798" first="Annie" last="Arand"] had 53 assists, Maddie Dowil had some huge serves, and Lauren Nieder massive digs during the 5th set. Jackson comes in with a tremendous record. With libero Katelyn Miller keeping the ball off the floor and Madelyn Bourner feeding the frontline, the Indians can do some damage. With five hitters over 100+ kills, Hannah Shinn 318, Mia Trankler 235, Nadia Wasilewski 190, Olivia Ward 157, and Haylee Quatmann with 130. Jackson has the height with five 6’0 footers. Both have played and beaten Incarnate Word. Jackson beat IWA 25-22, 25-22 while Borgia 25-15, 25-8, 25-22 beat IWA. Borgia has [player_tooltip player_id="41802" first="Ella" last="Brinkman"]n, one of the best overall players in the state. Jackson is the #1 blocking team in the state. Jackson #2 and Borgia #3 in the state in kills. Borgia #2 Jackson #9 in assists, Jackson #14 and Borgia #15 in digs. Should be a battle, and without a Lafayette hangover, Borgia should win this match 3-0.   Prediction: Cor Jesu in 3 <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=515&alg=57">Cor Jesu Academy High School</a> 12-0 Vs. <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=150&alg=57">Oakville High School</a> 12-1 Cor Jesu and Oakville came into the match with similar records and played half a season. Cor Jesu played everyone in a 3-0 sweep except Marquette 3-2. Oakville’s only loss was to Mehlville 2-3 but got revenge in the district finals for a 3-0 sweep. Cor Jesu played a much stronger schedule than Oakville. Cor Jesu just more physical in a 3-0 sweep.   Sectionals Prediction: Cor Jesu in 5 <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=515&alg=57">Cor Jesu Academy High School</a> 12-0 Vs. <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=544&alg=57">St. Francis Borgia High School</a> 27-4-2 Jacqueline Beville, Addison Erusha, Kaylie Drysdale, Gretchen Olson, Edie Behrens, Maddie Hoffman, Sidney Hogan, and Ellie Biedenstein are the wheels that make the Chargers go. With a full season, they might have lost once. This team lost a ton of talent from last year and just reloaded for this year. Borgia moved up from Class 3 to Class 5, put in the most challenging district with Lafayette and Eureka, and survived. Borgia is hosting, and they are 10-1 at home. Will be another battle in the backrow and passing. Both teams will take massive swings and get huge blocks. It will come down to which team can control the backcourt better. Borgia did a great job of serving Lafayette tough. I think Cor Jesu is a much better passing team. Caroline Glastetter and Lily Brown will need to have big games on the pins to complement [player_tooltip player_id="41802" first="Ella" last="Brinkman"]n for Borgia to pull this one out. If Borgia can pass better and play defense as they did in the 5th set against Lafayette, they can win this one. Common opponents both teams beat IWA and Visitation, but Borgia lost twice to St. Dominic, and Cor Jesu handled St. Dominic relatively quickly 3-0. Cor Jesu has been knocked out of this spot for the last four years, and I think this will be the year they can pull in out. Cor Jesu will out muscle Borgia in 5.       Regionals @ Francis Howell Prediction: Marquette in 3 <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=109&alg=57">Marquette High School</a> 10-4 Vs. <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=71&alg=57">Francis Howell High School</a> 14-4 Common opponents both are 3-1, but Marquette took Lafayette to 5 while Francis Howell lost in 3. Marquette has played all season without [player_tooltip player_id="101696" first="Madilyn" last="Sell"], the Mizzou recruit, and has gotten great play from Adison Davidson, Maya Esparza, and Mia Scanlon. Marquette has lost to St. Dominic, Lafayette, and Cor Jesu all in 5 and Eureka in 4. Francis Howell has lost to Borgia, Timberland, Lafayette, and Ozark and then beat Timberland in the district final. Big play by [player_tooltip player_id="101693" first="Anna" last="Deutschmann"] and [player_tooltip player_id="41792" first="Isabelle" last="Benson"] has been vital for Howell’s success. I see Marquette coming out hot and taking this in 3.   Prediction: St. Dominic in 4 <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=578&alg=57">Rock Bridge High School</a> 23-2-1 Vs. <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=542&alg=57">St. Dominic High School 18-3-1 </a> St. Dominic has Breanna Schreimann with 219 kills and Audrey Weber, with 269 kills on the season. Rock Bridge counters with sophomore Lily Dudley’s 263 kills and junior [player_tooltip player_id="41801" first="Emma" last="Lea Benney"]’s 164 kills. Rock Bridge has a 6’3 setter, [player_tooltip player_id="101566" first="Ella" last="Swindle"], with 125 kills and 697 assists. St. Dominic has been on fire all season long with losses to Willard, Lafayette, and Cor Jesu. Rock Bridge has a loss to Hermann and St. Teresa’s Academy. So neither team has a loss to a bad team. The only common thread we can look at her is this: Hermann beat Rock Bridge, Hermann lost to Borgia, St. Dominic beat Borgia twice. So I will take St. Dominic in 4.   Sectionals Prediction: St. Dominic in 5 <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=109&alg=57">Marquette High School</a> 10-4 Vs <a href="https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/Schedule.aspx?s=542&alg=57">St. Dominic High School 18-3-1 </a> The last time these two played, it was St. Dominic in 5 25-16, 21-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-5 with Breanna Schreimann, and Audrey Weber each had 23 kills in the match. Adison Davidson and Mia Scanlon both had 15 kills in the loss. The difference in the victory St. Dominic hit .336% and Marquette .215%. It will be another five-setter, and I will still take St. Dominic for the win. Hard to outdo Breanna Schreimann and Audrey Weber.