Jackson Tournament Preview
In this article:
Another Jackson Tournament will take place on Saturday, and the field is once again loaded with teams from all five Classes. The final four participants from last year’s Class 1 State Champion Advance, and Class 4 runner-up Incarnate Word highlight…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAnother Jackson Tournament will take place on Saturday, and the field is once again loaded with teams from all five Classes. The final four participants from last year’s Class 1 State Champion Advance, and Class 4 runner-up Incarnate Word highlight the field and will battle each other in pool play. Pool 2 will have Nerinx Hall, Saxony, Potosi, and Jackson as the teams to have the best chance of winning this pool.
Pool 1
Incarnate Word 18-8-1
Valle 17-4-1
Advance 21-1-2
Kirkwood 12-11-1
Arcadia Valley 11-10-1
Poplar Bluff 8-10-2
Pool projection: Incarnate Word just swept Cor Jesu and has the triple-A’s on defense. Abby Freund Abby Freund 5'5" | DS/L Incarnate Word Academy | 2024 State MO , Ally Fuchs Ally Fuchs 5'5" | DS/L Incarnate Word | 2025 State MO , and Audrey Schaeffer Audrey Schaeffer 5'6" | DS/L Incarnate Word Academy | 2027 MO are the hardcore defenders for the Red Knights and will carry them into finishing top in Pool 1. Advance and Valle will battle it out for the 2nd place finish. The teams met at the Dig for Life Tournament where it was a split. Both teams are tough defensively and will come down to who can put the ball away. Valle will pull this one out in 3.
Pool 2
Jackson 20-6-1
Saxony 17-4
Nerinx Hall 16-9-2
Potosi 15-5-1
Lindbergh 6-11-2
Lesterville 5-13
Pool Projection: Jackson already has wins over Nerinx and Saxony. Jackson wins the pool and Saxony escapes with wins over Nerinx Hall and Lindbergh to finish second.
Championship: Incarnate Word vs. Jackson
A rematch from the first game of the season for both teams has IWA pulled out a 24-26, 25-15, 25-16, 25-18 win. 2025’s Ellie Witthaus Ellie Witthaus 5'10" | OH Incarnate Word | 2025 State MO and Tara Greenberry Tara Greenberry 6'3" | MB Incarnate Word | 2025 State #117 Nation MO were sensational in the win totalling 28 of the team’s 42 kills. Jackson’s Katherine St. John Katherine St. John 6'1" | OH Jackson | 2025 State MO , Nadia Wasilewski Nadia Wasilewski 6'1" | OH Jackson | 2024 State MO , and Ella Domian Ella Domian 5'8" | OH Jackson | 2024 State MO finished with 32 of the team’s 38 kills. Serve receive was the determining factor in the match and IWA passed nails. In this one, I’m going to take the Red Knights to win the title 2-1.
3rd Place: Valle vs. Saxony
These two have played twice with each taking a win. Saxony has a little more height and power and pulls the win out in 3 behind the hitting of Clara Brune Clara Brune 5'9" | RS Saxony Lutheran | 2024 State MO and Grace Ozark.
5th: Advance vs. Nerinx Hall
The Markers are Class 5 and Advance is the defending Class 1 champions. Nerinx Hall plays a much more challenging schedule and behind Audrey O’Neill and Hannah Whatley-Blaine Hannah Whatley-Blaine 5'6" | OH Nerinx Hall | 2024 State MO give the Markers the win in 3 but not after Advance gives them a scare.
7th: Kirkwood vs. Potosi
Kirkwood is having a rollercoaster season and Potosi is having another solid year with some big wins. Ava Robart Ava Robart 5'11" | OH Potosi | 2025 State MO is a ridiculously talented attacker and will give Potosi the 2-0 win.
9th: Arcadia Valley vs. Lindbergh
Don’t let the losing record for the Flyers fool you. They have the potential to finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in this pool. With tough losses, Bailey Boehm Bailey Boehm 5'10" | OH Lindbergh | 2024 State MO helps her team sweep AV.
11th: Poplar Bluff vs. Lesterville
Class 1 power Lesterville is suffering through its first losing season in over a decade. Already has a loss to Poplar Bluff 0-3 but finds enough fight to pull out the 2-1 win.