Class 4 Districts 5-6 Previews

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 4 District 5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Helias Catholic enters district play as the No. 1 seed, and it is hard to argue against the Crusaders being the team to beat. MaxPreps listed Helias at 29-0-1 in its latest team update, with a 27-match winning streak following its Oct. 15 win over Jefferson City. But there are some dangerous teams in this bracket, including a Marshfield squad with one of the most productive hitters in the district. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Helias Catholic vs. Camdenton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Crusaders have put together an impressive season and have several players contributing at the net. [player_tooltip player_id='915884' first='Emma' last='Hulsey'] leads the way with 2.9 kills per set and a .440 hitting percentage, while her 98 total blocks give Helias a strong presence in the middle. Nora Lock adds another attacking option with 2.9 kills per set. Camdenton will have its hands full trying to slow down an offense that can attack from multiple positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lebanon vs. Capital City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lebanon gets the No. 4 seed and a matchup against Capital City. [player_tooltip player_id='729602' first='Livia' last='Ahmann'] has been a major part of Lebanon's offense, recording 344 kills at 4.3 per set. [player_tooltip player_id='1021008' first='Rikki' last='Reimers'] adds another option with 179 kills. If Lebanon can get its offense rolling early, it has the potential to make a run toward the championship match. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jefferson City vs. Bolivar</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jefferson City is the No. 2 seed and will look to take care of business against Bolivar. [player_tooltip player_id='475325' first='Leah' last='Heisler'] has been one of the district's most productive all-around players, with 306 kills and 304 digs; she does a lot for this team. [player_tooltip player_id='1021824' first='Bella' last='Walk'] has also contributed 241 kills. Bolivar will need to find a way to contain Jefferson City's attacking options and make the Jays work for every point. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marshfield vs. Rolla</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a matchup worth watching, especially with Marshfield's [player_tooltip player_id='804365' first='Alayna' last='Barkley'] having a tremendous season. The outside hitter leads the District kills leaderboard with 484 kills, averaging 6.0 per set. She also has 68 service aces. Those numbers make her a player Rolla will have to account for on every rotation. Marshfield has the firepower to be a serious threat to the top seeds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Helias Catholic over Marshfield</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Helias has been the most consistent team in the bracket, and its combination of attacking depth and blocking makes the Crusaders my pick. Marshfield has a difference-maker in Barkley and could make things interesting, but Helias has shown it can win consistently against a strong schedule.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 4 District 6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Plains gets the top seed, and Carl Junction, Logan-Rogersville, and Willard are among the other seeded teams with a chance to make a run, but West Plains will be difficult to knock off. <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/mo/volleyball/26-27/class/class-4/rankings/1/">MaxPreps Class 4 rankings</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Plains vs. McDonald County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Plains opens against McDonald County, the No. 8 seed. The Zizzers have several contributors worth watching. [player_tooltip player_id='676737' first='Violet' last='Hafer'] leads the team at 2.9 kills per set, while Emmie Brunson averages 4.5 digs per set. Setter Aubrey Tidwell has also been productive, with 882 assists. West Plains has the experience and statistical production to be favored in this matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Logan-Rogersville vs. Hillcrest</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The No. 4 Wildcats face the No. 5 Hornets in a matchup that could determine who gets a chance to challenge West Plains in the semifinals. The seeding gives the Wildcats an opportunity to advance, but Hillcrest will have a chance to change the outlook of the bracket if it can find a way to pull off the upset. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carl Junction vs. Parkview</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carl Junction, the No. 2 seed, draws Parkview in the opening round. Carl Junction will be expected to advance, but it will need to take care of business before looking ahead to the semifinals. Maddy Huffman is averaging close to 4 kills per set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Willard vs. Central (Springfield)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Willard gets the No. 3 seed and a first-round matchup against Central. They have hovered around the .500 mark this season, while Central has five wins on the year. The good news: Central has won 2 of their last three outings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction: </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Plains over Carl Junction</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Plains has the strongest résumé in this district and enough production from both its front and back rows to make a deep run. Carl Junction is the team I expect to emerge from the opposite side of the bracket, but the Zizzers are my pick to take the title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->