Class 4 Districts 15 and 16

<p>The first round of district action kicks off this evening and we now move into Class 4 to preview some of the action. Today we take a look at districts 15 and 16.</p> <p><strong>Class 4 District 15</strong></p> <p>St. Pius X will be the top seed in this district after having a great regular season with a 23-2-2 record. They enter the postseason on an 11 game winning streak. Another reason we expect them to have a long tournament run is their strength of schedule. They have played a handful of Class 5 teams, including a split with Platte County. We talked about her during the club season but [player_tooltip player_id="150042" first="Avery" last="Ashby"] has been tremendous this fall, tallying 302 kills. Not far behind her is Senior Lily Holden with 272. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="150046" first="Claire" last="Mosh"] has been dynamite in the back row with her 432 digs. The captain of the ship, Senior setter Nina Mange has been great in her placement and decision making. </p> <p>The opening match will feature Winnetonka and Van Horn. We will go with the 4th seed in this match. They will then face Pius in the semi-finals, where we will pick the Warriors. In the other semi, Kearney and Excelsior Springs will face off. As the 2nd seed, Kearney enters just under .500 on the year. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="150933" first="Sophie" last="Kaster"] has had standout moments this year, which include a couple of 13 kills, 3 set performances. Junior Kylie Walker has led the defensive efforts with close to 300 digs. On the other side, Excelsior Springs has battled this year and managed to earn five wins. We expect Kearney to win this one in three.</p> <p>In the final, we like St. Pius to extend their win streak to 13 matches and earn a trip to the sectional round. They are clicking and have the pieces to make a final four-run this year. </p> <p><strong>Class 4 District 16</strong></p> <p>Smithville has had a strong year and earned the number 1 seed in district 16. I have seen them live on one occasion this year and like their line-up and think they can make some noise in the playoffs. At 24-5-5, they have faced some tough opponents which should help them as they advance in later rounds. Setter [player_tooltip player_id="119201" first="Autumn" last="Kaderly"] is a smart player who finds matchups for her hitters. She has also contributed to the kills department, earning over 100 this year. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="149994" first="Isabella" last="Reynolds"] has been fun to watch in her final campaign. She leads the team with 239 kills. Sophomore Kennedy Outler has been a good second option, with 180 kills of her own. Six players have tallied over 100 digs on the year with Junior Kelsie Gresham leading with 222. </p> <p>To open district play, 4 vs. 5 will feature Benton and Chillicothe. Benton has a record of 11-14-1 and already owns a 4 set win over Chillicothe. Chillicothe is 11-15. Anna Fisher, a junior is their top offensive performer, while Delanie Kieffer has the most digs. We will go with Benton in this match. Benton then will have to play top seed Smithville, whom we expect to win in three. </p> <p>In the late match Monday evening we have Savannah (19-10-2) and Lafayette (15-18). These teams have seen each other three times this season, with Savannah getting all three matches. The final match was the closes, going five sets. For Savannah, expect a heavy dosage of Alexcia Jones. The senior is averaging close to 3.5 kills per set. Senior Anna Hurst has been solid from the setting position. Jones, Junior Kinsley Grissom, and Sophomore Rhyan Schrick hold down the back row with a combined 863 digs. The Fighting Irish will depend on scoring from Audrey Willoughby and Khiani Jackson to make a playoff push. Behind the block, Senior Jamaia Massey has eclipsed 400 digs this fall. We like Savannah to win their fourth straight but in a highly contested battle. </p> <p>For the final Tuesday, we like Smithville to keep the train moving taking down Savannah. </p>