Previewing 1A Regional Finals
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The final state tournament brackets will be filled out Wednesday night. Classes 1A and 2A play their regional finals after 3A-5A did the same on Tuesday evening. Here’s a closer look at the eight matches in 1A: Region 1 No.…
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Continue ReadingThe final state tournament brackets will be filled out Wednesday night. Classes 1A and 2A play their regional finals after 3A-5A did the same on Tuesday evening.
Here’s a closer look at the eight matches in 1A:
Region 1
No. 2 Boyden-Hull (20-11) vs. No. 15 River Valley (25-6) at MOC-Floyd Valley High
Players to Watch: Clara Hoegh Clara Hoegh 5'8" | S Boyden-Hull | 2025 State IA , Boyden-Hull; Elsie Hoegh, Boyden-Hull; Dennie Boogerd, Boyden-Hull; Raina Nibbelink, Boyden-Hull; Myah Dausel, River Valley; Addie Law, River Valley; Jacy Jacobson, River Valley.
Breakdown: The teams will be meeting for the first time since at least the 2006-07 season, according to Bound.
Second-ranked Boyden-Hull challenged itself against a tough schedule in ’23. The Comets own two victories over 3A No. 15 MOC-Floyd Valley, where this match is being played. They’re looking to get back to the state tournament after making it in ’20 and ’21.
No. 15 River Valley is seeking its first-ever state tournament berth. This match will be the Wolverines’ first one away from home in the last two weeks.
Region 2
No. 8 AGWSR (18-23) vs. Newell-Fonda (20-8) at Fort Dodge Senior High
Players to Watch: Trevyn Smith Trevyn Smith OH AGWSR | 2025 State IA , AGWSR; Elise Olson, AGWSR; Tori Metzgar Tori Metzgar OH AGWSR | 2025 State IA , AGWSR; Karis Lippert, AGWSR; Brylea Metzgar Brylea Metzgar MB AGWSR | 2026 State IA , AGWSR; Kinzee Hinders Kinzee Hinders 6'0" | OH Newell-Fonda | 2025 IA , Newell-Fonda; Kierra Jungers, Newell-Fonda; Isabel Bartek, Newell-Fonda.
Breakdown: The schools have not played each other this season. AGWSR knocked off Newell-Fonda, 3-0, in last year’s Region 3 Championship match.
AGWSR has defeated 1A No. 13 Gladbrook-Reinbeck three times this season and played a difficult scheduled filled with larger schools. The Cougars reached the state tournament twice before (’08, ’22).
Unranked Newell-Fonda upset St.Mary’s in four sets Monday night in Remsen. It put the Mustangs one win away from playing in the state tournament for the first time in program history.
Region 3
East Mills (29-11) vs. N0. 11 Council Bluffs St. Albert 22-14 at Glenwood High
Players to Watch: Georgie Bohnet, St. Albert; Ellie Monahan Ellie Monahan DS/L Council Bluffs St. Albert | 2025 State IA , St. Albert; Lily Krohn, St. Albert; Kylie Wesack, St. Albert; Loycee Palmer, East Mills; Mia Goodman, East Mills; Evelyn Stoakes, East Mills.
Breakdown: These teams matched up on Sept. 23 at the Bedford Tournament. St. Albert took a 2-1 decision, winning the third set, 15-12.
Eleventh-ranked St. Albert has advanced to the state tournament eight times since ’11. The Saintes last played there in ’20.
East Mills won at seventh-ranked Stanton, 3-2, Monday night. The Wolverines moved within a win of their first state trip since the program’s two appearances in ’17 and ’18.
Region 4
No. 1 Ankeny Christian (35-3) vs. Riverside (27-10) at Van Meter School
Players to Watch: Katie Quick Katie Quick 5'7" | S Ankeny Christian | 2025 State IA , Ankeny Christian; Carley Craighead Carley Craighead OH Ankeny Christian | 2025 State IA , Ankeny Christian; Anna Weathers Anna Weathers OH Ankeny Christian | 2025 State IA , Ankeny Christian; Riese Gjerde, Ankeny Christian; Ayla Richardson, Riverside; Bentley Rone, Riverside; Elyssa Amdor, Riverside.
Breakdown: Defending state champion and top-ranked Ankeny Christian has lost twice to 2A No. 3 Grundy Center and split a pair of matches with 2A No. 4 Denver. The Eagles have defeated 2A No. 8 Aplington-Parkersburg three times. They’ve challenged themselves with this schedule and look poised to head back to Coralville.
Ankeny Christian and Riverside both reached the state tournament for the first time in their programs’ histories last season. The Bulldogs needed road victories against Earlham and CAM this postseason in returning to the regional finals.
It’s the first-ever meeting between Ankeny Christian and Riverside.
Region 5
No. 4 BCLUW (33-10) vs. Lynnville-Sully (17-12) at Marshalltown High
Players to Watch: Sydney Anderson, BCLUW; Callie Swanson, BCLUW; Kailan McEwen, BCLUW; Olivia Peters Olivia Peters OH BCLUW | 2027 IA , BCLUW; Elise Alberts, Lynnville-Sully; Aubree Arthur, Lynnville-Sully; Majesta Vos, Lynnville-Sully.
Breakdown: No. 4 BCLUW sits at the doorstep of its first-ever state tournament berth. The Comets claim wins against 1A No. 8 AGWSR, 1A No. 10 Don Bosco and 1A No. 13 Gladbrook-Reinbeck. They are tested against a strong schedule.
Unranked Lynnville-Sully won at GMG in its second postseason match and then topped HLV at home to reach the regional final. Like their opponent in this match, the Hawks moved within a victory of their first state appearance.
Region 6
No. 6 Janesville (27-11) vs. No. 9 Saint Ansgar (23-6)
Players to Watch: Tayah Pollock, Janesville; Zoey Barnes Zoey Barnes MB Janesville | 2025 State IA , Janesville; Liz Hovenga, Janesville; Kendall Thompson, Janesville; Aspen Falk, Saint Ansgar; Kinsey Anderson, Saint Ansgar; Natalie Bork, Saint Ansgar.
Breakdown: Fifth-ranked Janesville saw its streak of 12 state trips in a row halted last season. The Wildcats own victories against 3A No. 8 Union and 1A No. 10 Don Bosco this year.
No. 9 Saint Ansgar is chasing its first state tournament berth since 1988. The Saints enter this matchup winners of 15 consecutive matches, emerging victorious three times at home during these playoffs.
Region 7
No. 5 North Tama (25-15) vs. No. 10 Don Bosco (23-26) at Vinton-Shellsburg High
Players to Watch: Kruiz Ewoldt Kruiz Ewoldt OH North Tama | 2026 State IA , North Tama; Zoey Rausch, North Tama; Addison Hochstetler Addison Hochstetler 5'2" | DS/L North Tama | 2026 State IA , North Tama; Izzy Hallett, North Tama; Addison Schares, Don Bosco; Kennedi McGarvey, Don Bosco; Alexis Even, Don Bosco.
Breakdown: North Tama finished fifth in the Final 1A rankings after already earning the top seed in this region. The Redhawks have reached the last two state tournaments and have been to state four times since ’17. They have topped 1A No. 3 Holy Trinity, 1A No. 13 Gladbrook-Reinbeck and faced a challenging schedule.
Don Bosco jumped up two spots to No. 10 in the final rankings. The Dons reached state last season for the first time since ’09. The Dons have defeated North Tama, 2-0, on Oct. 14 at the Janesville tournament and 2A No. 5 Sumner-Fredericksburg.
Region 8
No. 3 Fort Madison Holy Trinity Catholic (30-10) vs. No. 12 Edgewood-Colesburg (29-13) at West Liberty High
Players to Watch: Presley Myers Presley Myers 6'2" | MB Holy Trinity Catholic | 2026 State IA , Holy Trinity; Mary Kate Bendlage Mary Kate Bendlage 5'10" | OH Holy Trinity | 2024 State IA , Holy Trinity; Natalie Randolph, Holy Trinity; Adalyn Kruse, Holy Trinity; Audrie Helmrichs, Edgewood-Colesburg; Lilee Boriskey Lilee Boriskey 5'8" | S Edgewood-Colesburg | 2026 State IA , Edgewood-Colesburg; Marin Gaul, Edgewood-Colesburg.
Breakdown: Holy Trinity is playing for a state tournament berth for the third season in a row and its 13th trip there in the last 14 campaigns. Most of the the Crusaders’ losses this season are against larger schools. They also own victories against bigger programs like Fort Madison, Grinnell, Keokuk, Ames and Bondurant-Farrar.
Edgewood-Colesburg moved up one spot in the final rankings and has won 13 consecutive matches. The Vikings took their three ’23 postseason matches nine sets to one in advancing within one triumph of their first-ever state bid.