State Championship Bracket First Impressions: Class A and B

<p>It's here! After the long grind of the regular season and the tough battles of districts, we finally have a state championship bracket. Six new title winners will emerge from this star-studded field, so it's time to get you ready for all the action.</p> <p>To kick off our previews of the new brackets, I'm giving you a few initial thoughts on some of the contests we'll see across the tournament field. This championship field will feature a lot of rivalry matchups, familiar foes, and evenly matched contests. So, here are a few storylines to keep an eye on, starting with Class A and B!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tough 4-5 Matchups</strong></p> <p>These two classes feature some unpredictable 4-5 matchups that will surely go down to the wire.</p> <p>In Class A, we'll see a duel of top-tier volleyball programs as <strong>(4) Elkhorn South</strong> takes on <strong>(5) Gretna</strong>. These close neighbors are obviously familiar with each other. The Storm and Dragons faced off three times during the 2021 campaign--two in tournament play, and one in a standard best-of-five. Though Elkhorn South took all three contests, you can expect a competitive outing when these veteran teams battle.</p> <p>Class B's 4-5 pairing is equally compelling. <strong>(4) York</strong> is making a return trip to Lincoln this year and will meet the upstart <strong>(5) Elkhorn North</strong> that has already broken into the state tournament. I'll likely have a lot to say about the outside hitter matchup in this one, and that's only the start of the intriguing position battles here.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>A Potential Championship Rematch</strong></p> <p>If seeds go chalk in Class B, get ready for a little deja vu.</p> <p>This time around, it's <strong>Norris</strong> that has scrapped its way to the #1 seed. The Titans have been the class of the field all year after a runner-up finish last season.</p> <p>Of course, the team that knocked off Norris last year looms as the second seed. <strong>Omaha Skutt</strong> is a six-time defending state champ for a reason. Their year-by-year progression is more akin to rebuilding than reloading. There were no regular-season meetings between Norris and Skutt, but there might be a clash in store for the finale.</p> <p>Now, we have to give an honorable mention to the potential Class A title rematch that could happen in this year's semifinals. That's just how deep the tournament field is this year. <strong>(1) Papillion-La Vista South</strong> has their eyes set on redemption this year after 2020's runner-up finish, but that journey might go through defending champion Elkhorn South. It would be tremendous amount of talent on the floor for a non-title bout.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Don't Count Them Out!</strong></p> <p>There are plenty of lower seeds with the talent to make a run in their respective brackets.</p> <p><strong>Omaha Westside</strong> is a great team to discuss here. The Warriors demonstrated that they were rounding into postseason form with a stellar showing at the season-ending Metro Conference Tournament. Now, it's time to take that momentum to Lincoln.</p> <p>I have to turn back toward Elkhorn North as a good underdog pick in Class B. The Wolves were one of the few teams to best top-seeded Norris in the regular season, and they definitely want a chance to do it again.</p>