Class 5 Quarterfinal 1 & 2 Preview

Class 5 is more balanced this season than I've seen in several years. Lafayette is still my favorite to pull off the three-peat, but Jackson might have something to say about it. Howell and Westminster are on fire and won districts they were not favored to win. Here's my preview of the Class 5 Quarterfinals 1 and 2.   Quarterfinal 1   Jackson Indians 33-6 vs. Lafayette Lancers 29-5   How they got here: Jackson started district play with a sweep of Mehlville to move into the semifinal against Nerinx Hall. Jackson would knock out the Markers with a 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, and 25-23 win to move to the district championship. Cor Jesu Academy was the next victim to succumb to the Indians. Jackson would slip past the Chargers with a 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, and 25-22 win for the program's sixth consecutive district title.   Lafayette, the two-time defending champions, came into districts with some questions and left with the answers. They would sweep Waynesville and Parkway West, a team that swept Lafayette a couple of weeks before starting the playoffs. In the championship match, it would pit the Lancers against rival Eureka. Lafayette would win the title with a 25-12, 25-7, 26-28, 25-13 thrashing of the Wildcats.   Key Players   Jackson:   [player_tooltip player_id='168036' first='Katherine' last='St. John'] – 2025 – 6'0" – Outside   438 kills and 52 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='729480' first='Lauren' last='Dorey'] – 2028 – 6'2" – Setter/Opposite   224 kills and 665 assists   [player_tooltip player_id='630748' first='Avery' last='Brune'] – 2028 – 5'9" – Outside   291 kills and 253 digs   Lafayette:   [player_tooltip player_id='475339' first='Shaye' last='Witherspoon'] – 2027 – 6'3" – Outside   417 kills and 78 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='153929' first='Maya' last='Witherspoon'] – 2025 – 6'0" – Outside   371 kills and 264 digs   [player_tooltip player_id='737722' first='Carly' last='Desarno'] – 2025 – 5'7” – Setter   812 assists and 162 digs   Common Opponents: Cor Jesu, Eureka, Incarnate Word, Kickapoo, Kirkwood, Marquette, Oakville, and St. Dominic   Both teams lost to St. Dominic, and Jackson lost to Incarnate Word.   Prediction: This is the first meeting, surprisingly, this year, and it should be good. Jackson starts two talented freshmen, while Lafayette is a senior-laden team. Both teams carry heavy outside hitters, and both teams play sound defense. This is the year Jackson's run to make the school's first final four ends each season. Jackson might still be a year or two away from the first final-four berth. Lafayette is looking for it's three-peat. In the playoffs, not many teams do what Lafayette has done over the last decade. Lafayette will take the 3-0 sweep of Jackson and move into the state final four semis.   Quarterfinal 2   Westminster Wildcats 29-5-2 vs. Francis Howell Vikings 27-7   How they got here:   Howell had a rough time getting out of their districts after the quarterfinal sweep of Liberty. In the semifinal, Timberland looked to pull off the reverse sweep after Howell took the first two sets 25-21 and 25-20. Timberland would then take sets 3 and 4 24-26 and 25-27 before succumbing to the Howell attack in the 5th set for a 15-11 Howell victory. In the championship match, Howell took on district top seed St. Dominic and pulled out another five-set win 25-23, 22-25, 17-25, 25-20, and 15-10.   Westminster entered the district as the third seed and won two huge wins. Westminster swept past Ft. Zumwalt North in the quarterfinals before sweeping second-seed Pattonville. Next was a mammoth test as the defending Class 4 champion Incarnate Word loomed. IWA would take the first set before Westminster came alive and took the 17-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-21 district championship.   Key Players:   Howell:   [player_tooltip player_id='170047' first='Danielle' last='Moore'] – 2025 – 6'2" – Opposite   616 kills and 61 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='174285' first='Avery' last='Helms'] – 2025 – 5'8" – Libero   721 digs   [player_tooltip player_id='153928' first='Morgan' last='Christine Dumm'] – 2025 – 5'9" – Setter   651 assists and 258 digs   Westminster:   [player_tooltip player_id='219782' first='Emma' last='Woll'] – 2025 – 6'0" – Outside   258 kills and 251 digs   [player_tooltip player_id='493069' first='Myah' last='Derossett'] – 2025 – 5'10” – Middle   205 kills and 55 blocks   [player_tooltip player_id='545026' first='Rachel' last='Buchanan'] – 2027 – 5'10” – Libero   400 digs   Common Opponents: Westminster went 10-3-1, and Howell went 12-2   Prediction: Howell is the defending Class 5 runner-up and has probably the top opposite in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='170047' first='Danielle' last='Moore']. Howell also has one of the top liberos and setters playing in Class 5. Westminster is dominated by youth in key positions and is one more year away from pushing toward a Class 5 title. Howell wins the 5-setter to keep its dream of winning the Class 5 title alive.

Class 5 is more balanced this season than I've seen in several years. Lafayette is still my favorite to pull off the three-peat, but Jackson might have something to say about it. Howell and Westminster are on fire and won districts they were not favored to win. Here's my preview of the Class 5 Quarterfinals 1 and 2.