4 Sweet Sixteen Matches to Watch in Division 3/4

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like we said before, the post-season stops for no one and we are already onto the next one!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tuesday night saw Divisions 3 and 4 march on in epic fashion. While there weren't as many upsets in these divisions as 1 and 2, the semifinals set up a real big night for these sweet sixteen match ups!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tonight is the night, with the Elite 8 on the line, who will prevail? One step closer to Kellogg Arena. Let's check out some of the best matches to keep an eye on in Division 3 and 4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CENTRAL V PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's a top ten affair in this Division 3 regional final. The 2021 Runner-Ups looking to take down the new kids on the block in Division 3, this is going to be a great match. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Mary's Catholic Central is an undeniable force in the Division 3 world. They've come into the 2022 season with a big chip on their shoulder after the huge upset in last year's title game. Amping up their schedule this season to go against some of the top teams in every Division, this team is ready. They're led by the dynamic duo of OH [player_tooltip player_id='156292' first='Jessica' last='Costlow'] and L [player_tooltip player_id='156321' first='McKenna' last='Payne']. High flying Costlow has been the Kestrel's leading scorer from the jump this season and is a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, behind her in left back, Payne has had her hand in several cookie jars this season. Starting off on the pins, Payne then moved to setter and now is back to her natural position at libero. Payne is one of the top 2025 liberos and can man down a pretty impeccable defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the flip side, Plymouth Christian doesn't have much to scoff over either. Leading the way with the Pilat sisters, [player_tooltip player_id='153663' first='Allison' last='Pilat'] and [player_tooltip player_id='226911' first='Riley' last='Pilat'], the two have been a huge duo for the Eagles. Allison is the team's leading scorer in her third season and her first on the left pin. With a high snap and some wicked wrist control, she can place a ball anywhere around the court with great pace. Meanwhile, her freshman counterpart in the middle has had quite the pleasant debut as a leading blocker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's so unfortunate that this game won't be under the big lights of Kellogg Arena, as I believe both of these squads are Final Four caliber. Both teams are very young too, which makes tonight's match up so intriguing. However, I think the Kestrel's are coming in too hot to stop at this point. They're battle tested, experienced and they aren't letting anyone stop them this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>NEW LOTHROP V CASS CITY</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cass City put on quite the show against Valley Lutheran on Tuesday night. While a shaky start made it seem the Hawks were coming down to land for the season, a 10-4 run in set one set the tone for the remainder of the match.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cass City has some serious fire power on their side with the epic duo of MB [player_tooltip player_id='156307' first='Shelby' last='Ignash'] and OH [player_tooltip player_id='172195' first='Kacee' last='Gray']. The two are an undeniable presence on the court that can lead this team in just about any statistic category. Together, Ignash and Gray, combine close to 10 kills per set to go along with 10 digs a set. Conversely, New Lothrop plays a very similar game to Valley Lutheran. With no huge standouts, they rely on a well-balanced court to propel through victories. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With that being said, with how dominating the hitters for Cass City are, this is going to be a steep climb for New Lothrop. This regional final is Cass City's to lose, but with some stellar defense and reception on New Lothrop's side, they could pull off the upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>SHELBY V GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I had the highest expectations for this match to be a Shelby versus North Muskegon showdown. But this early season rematch versus Grand Rapids Northpointe Christian won't disappoint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Early on in the season, these two teams met up in some pre-season tournament action. Northpointe was victorious in a back-and-fourth three set victory. This time around, it is for all the marbles. Shelby is led by the top attacker in the state, OH [player_tooltip player_id='156343' first='Navea' last='Gauthier']. Gauthier is coming off of a <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">40</span></strong> kill performance in the sweep over Kent City on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Northpointe is coming off of a four set decision over North Muskegon in the semis. The Mustangs run a much more balanced offense with both <strong>Taylor Kirk </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='140483' first='Cathryn' last='Haven']</strong> combining for six kills per set on the year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have a feeling that this match could go either way. While Gauthier is a force of nature and posting insane numbers, can this one woman show lead Shelby all the way? Conversely, Northpointe seems to have a lot more balance in their game that can amount to the demise of Gauthier and company. This could go either way, and we will be keeping this game on close watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>D4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>LENAWEE CHRISTIAN V CAMDEN FRONTIER</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arguably the biggest upset from the semifinal rounds outside of the Division 1 Okemos/Skyline match, Camden Frontier took down the defending Division 4 champs in four sets. Out of nowhere, I was thinking we would see another match up between Lenawee Christian and Battle Creek St. Phil tonight. But this regional is a well known battle ground for all three Lenawee, St. Phil and Camden Frontier. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Typically whoever makes it out of this regional is a strong favorite to take it all the way in Division 4. These teams are very familiar with one another over the last decade or so with some of the best matches coming from this regional. Lenawee Christian is coming into this final with a lot of fire power though. They have two of the top attackers in Division four with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='173609' first='Isabelle' last='Kirkendall']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473915' first='Hannah' last='Baker']</strong>. The two combine for near eight kills per set while combining for an alarming .500 hitting efficiency. Kirkendall and Baker make for a powerhouse 1-2 punch. Across the net, Camden Frontier has a stout defense led by L <strong>Rylee McKitterick</strong>. She's joined alongside six rotation OH <strong>Madison Swan</strong> who can bring down the thunder while taking some serious heat in the back court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This one is going to be a brawl, seeing how Camden Frontier came so ready to play versus St. Phil. However, Lenawee Christian has been dominating the Division 4 scene all season long and showing no weaknesses in these last few weeks. The state title is Christian's to lose and therefore this sweet sixteen match, but it will for sure be one to watch out for.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Join us at the<a href="https://prepdig.com/2022/09/the-prep-dig-top-250-expo-series-is-back-2/"> Prep Dig Top 250 Expo</a>! Use code LShotPDExpo250 for 10% off your registration fee</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->