District Preview: Class 3 Districts 9-16

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Class 3 District Volleyball Breakdown</h3>   <p>We're already deep into district play for Class 3, which features 16 districts compared to just eight in Classes 4 and 5. Looking at the brackets, most top-three seeds have advanced as expected, with the 4–5 matchups being the biggest toss-ups. Now that the dust has settled, here's a look at where things stand.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 9: Sullivan, St. Clair, Owensville, Cuba</strong></h4>   <p>The top three seeds advanced, joined by fifth-seeded Cuba, which swept No. 4 Salem. Sullivan enters as the top seed with 17 wins and winners of their last six. They recently beat No. 3 Owensville and are led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='809530' first='Ava' last='Blankenship'], who has racked up 341 kills this season.</p>   <p>St. Clair has wins over Cuba and Owensville, whom they'll face tonight. In their sweep of Owensville, [player_tooltip player_id='475348' first='Kylie' last='Barnard'] totaled 12 kills while [player_tooltip player_id='826897' first='Kylee' last='Brandt'] added 11. Expect Sullivan and St. Clair to meet in the final, with Sullivan's depth, four players over 100 kills, giving them the edge.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 10: Logan-Rogersville, Strafford, Fair Grove, Buffalo</strong></h4>   <p>This is a strong final four. Logan-Rogersville (L-R) has beaten every team remaining, including a five-set thriller against Strafford last month. Half of their losses have come to higher-class schools. [player_tooltip player_id='490109' first='Millie' last='Bauer'] has been on fire, averaging five kills per set, and Kamryn Marshall has surpassed 1,000 assists on the season.</p>   <p>Strafford sits at 28-4, one of those losses coming to L-R. They also defeated Fair Grove in four sets last week, led by sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='729521' first='Blair' last='Bough'] and her 358 kills. Prediction: L-R vs. Strafford in the final, and don't be surprised if it goes five sets again.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 11: Hollister, Liberty (Mountain View), Willow Springs, Mountain Grove</strong></h4>   <p>The semifinals feature the top three seeds plus No. 5 Mountain Grove. Hollister (28-4-1) swept Mountain Grove earlier this season behind [player_tooltip player_id='830257' first='Bella' last='Cavins']' 13 kills. Liberty swept Willow Springs, with Jayli Tharp and [player_tooltip player_id='731541' first='Brinley' last='Duckett'] each tallying 10 kills.</p>   <p>This sets up a potential Hollister–Liberty final. Both teams are balanced offensively, with four players averaging around four kills per set. Hollister's defense at the net could be the difference, giving them the slight edge to take the district.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 12: Mt. Vernon, Monett, East Newton, Cassville</strong></h4>   <p>Top-seeded Mt. Vernon (21-7) has swept all three remaining teams this season. Junior setter and pin [player_tooltip player_id='464561' first='Ziah' last='Schmutz'] leads the charge with 308 kills and 295 assists.</p>   <p>Monett (20-6) swept East Newton comfortably, behind Peyton Brandit's 14 kills. However, Mt. Vernon handled Monett earlier this year without much trouble, so the pick here is Mt. Vernon.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 13: Nevada, Clinton, Harrisonville, Warsaw</strong></h4>   <p>Nevada enters district play with 24 wins and a straight-set victory over Clinton earlier this season, holding them under .100 hitting. Clinton, meanwhile, edged Harrisonville in two close sets despite both teams hitting below .050.</p>   <p>Harrisonville will lean on [player_tooltip player_id='729479' first='London' last='Wooten'] to lead the offense, while Clinton counters with freshmen standouts Audrey McCoy and Brooklyn Johnson. The 2–3 matchup could go either way, but Nevada should handle Warsaw and advance.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 14: Center, Summit Christian, Ewing Marion Kauffman, Paseo Academy</strong></h4>   <p>Center is the top seed with 13 wins, while Summit Christian sits just behind them with 11. Expect those two to meet in the finals. Summit Christian has faced the tougher schedule and is led by [player_tooltip player_id='809579' first='Charlee' last='Pollard'], who averages over four kills per set. Prediction: Summit Christian takes the title.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 15: Oak Grove, Odessa, Excelsior Springs, Richmond</strong></h4>   <p>This district runs through Oak Grove. They're undefeated with one tie in tournament play and a perfect 9-0 record in sets against the other teams here. It's theirs to lose.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>District 16: Savannah, Chillicothe, Bishop LeBlond, Maryville</strong></h4>   <p>One of the most competitive districts in Class 3. Savannah has beaten both LeBlond and Maryville but fell to Chillicothe. Chillicothe on the other hand lost twice to LeBlond.</p>   <p>Expect top-seeded Savannah to take care of Maryville. The “hard to beat a team three times” saying could come into play in the Chillicothe–LeBlond matchup—LeBlond's playoff experience gives them an edge. Check back for how this championship unfolds!</p>