:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/EKFLTDIOSRE3LLXYKZOUQY5ZEM.jpg)
The 2024 postseason starts up Monday with Bureau County teams playing out of four different regional sites. Here’s a rundown:
Class 2A Orion Regional
Team to beat: Orion (28-6)
Pairings: Monday, Oct. 28 - Match 1: (6) Rockridge (17-11) vs. (8) Bureau Valley (16-14), 6 p.m. Match 2 - (5) Mercer County (19-11) vs. (11) Alleman (8-19), 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 - Match 3: (1) Orion vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Match 4 - (4) Riverdale (19-11) vs. Winner 2, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 - Championship: Winner matches 3-4, 6 p.m.
Noteworthy: The Storm will take the same path they took last year for regional, facing Rockridge in the first round once again. The Rockets beat the Storm in the postseason and again this season (25-21, 29-31, 25-23), on Sept. 12. “Rockridge is a good team. We played them first-round last year. It didn’t go the way we wanted to, so we’re going to go in witha little bit of vengeance, little bit of motivation from last year and hopefully good things happen,” BV coach Saige Barnett said. The Storm have had to make a mid-season lineup change with the transfer of seniors Taylor Neuhalfen and Madi Smith. The only team in the field the Storm have not played is top-seeded Orion. ... Orion is a two-time defending regional champion and favored to repeat. The Chargers have won regional titles in 10 of the last 11 years, 17 dating back to 2000 and 26 overall.
Last year’s regional finals: Orion def. Sherrard 25-14, 25-21
Next: Winner advances to the Bureau Valley Sectional to play the Fieldcrest Regional winner at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
2A Fieldcrest Regional
Team to beat: (2) El Paso-Gridley (24-7). Watch out for: (3) Eureka (25-7), (6) Princeton (19-14).
Pairings: Monday, Oct. 28 - Match 1: (6) Princeton vs. (9) Kewanee (16-15-1), 6 p.m. Match 2: (5) Chillicothe IVC (17-15) vs. (10) Fieldcrest (10-13-1), 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 - Match 3: (2) El Paso-Gridley vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Match 4: (3) Eureka vs. Winner 2, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 - Championship: Winner matches 3-4, 6 p.m.
Note worthy: Two Heart of Illinois Conference teams, El-Paso Gridley and Eureka, hold the top seeds and another, Fieldcrest, is a defending champion along with IVC. Princeton is playing its best ball, winning eight out of their last nine matches and will be a tough out. Andy Puck, who became Princeton’s all-time winningest coach with his 494th victory Monday, knows it won’t come easy. “It is a very stacked field. We have to focus and play one point at a time and trust that our strength of schedule will play out,” he said, noting the Tigresses have played six matches against 3A schools, winning two. “But ultimately, we have a group that when playing free and fun can play with anyone.” The Tigresses will open up against Kewanee, which beat PHS in their first of two meetings this season. Their winner feeds into El Paso-Gridley, which knocked out Princeton (25-17, 25-20) in last year’s semifinals at Chillicothe. ... EPG beat Eureka in HOIC play with 25-21 twin wins.
Last year’s regional finals: Fieldcrest def. Eureka, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22; IVC def. El Paso-Gridley 25-20, 25-22
Next: Winner advances to the Bureau Valley Sectional to play the Orion Regional winner at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Class 2A Coal City Regional
Team to beat: (1) Seneca (30-5)
Pairings: Monday, Oct. 28 - Match 1 - (8) Sandwich (15-16) vs. (11) Mendota (7-22-1), 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 - Match 2: (1) Seneca vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Match 3 - (4) Coal City (20-15) vs. (7) Hall (16-14-2), 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 - Championship: Winner matches 2-3, 6 p.m.
Note worthy: The Red Devils have not heard much about Coal City, but Hall coach Carolyn Foster said they will be ready to play Tuesday night. They have one common opponent in Streator, who St. Bede has beat once and Coal City twice. “Our team and coaching staff are really excited about the post season and hopefully on what we could do if we continue to play as a team,” Foster said. “We all know it’s all about who is going to show up that day. I have prepared our team for games and have gone into games blind. I truly love going into games with the unknown and then make adjustments when needed, because sometimes it gets into their heads and they stop playing ‘their game.” ... Seneca beat Hall in three sets (25-21, 15-25, 25-19) in the first match of the season, but has not played any other team in the field. The Irish have won their final four matches following an upset loss to Henry-Senachwine in the Tri-County Conference tournament finals. Until the Henry match, the Irish had won 25 out of their first 27 contests. ... “As for Seneca. we have to get there first and so do they. It would be nice to see them again since we always see them in the first game of the season,” Foster said.
Next: Winner advances to the Bureau Valley Sectional to play the Newman Regional winner at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Class 1A St. Bede Regional
Team to beat: (2) Henry (27-7). Look out for: (3) St. Bede (16-13)
Pairing: Monday, October 28 - Match 1: (8) Lowpoint-Washburn (10-19) vs. (9) Roanoke-Benson (11-22), 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 - Match 2: (3) St. Bede vs. (14) DePue (0-17), 6 p.m. Match 3: (5) Putnam County (11-20-1) vs. (13) LaMoille (2-24), 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 - Match 4: (2) Henry-Senachwine vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Match 5 - Winners 2-3, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 - Championship: Winner matches 3-4, 6 p.m.
Note worthy: The host Bruins defeated Henry-Senachwine in three sets in their Oct. 10 meeting in Tri-County Conference play. They have had a solid season in Kaitlyn Edgcomb’s first year as head coach, though they have lost their last three matches. Edgcomb likes the Bruins having the playing at home. “I’m feeling pretty confident. I’m hoping the girls really pull through and win the whole thing,” she said. “I tell the girls all the time that any team is beatable, including us, so we really have to go out there and give it our all. The girls really want to end the season with a bang and prove that they are capable of getting that regional title. If we meet up with Henry again, I’m excited to see how the energy will be in the gym and it’ll be a really good/competitive game.” ... Henry upset top-seed Seneca to win its first Tri-County Conference Tournament title since 1988. The Mallards await the winner of the L-W/R-B match and have beat both in two sets this year.
Last year’s regional finals: Wethersfield def. PC 25-16, 25-21; Annawan def Henry 25-15, 25-18
Next: Winner advances to the Williamsfield Sectional to play the Abingdon Regional winner at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Other area regionals
At Wethersfield (1A): Team to beat: (1) Wethersfield (29-6). Other teams: (4) Midland (20-12), (6) Annawan (11-15-4), (7) Princeville (11-20), (10) Ridgewood (7-26), (11) Stark County (5-26), (12) Galva (6-29). Note: Wethersfield is a defending regional champion, tying for first place in the Lincoln Trail.
At Sterling Newman (2A): Team to beat: (2) Erie-Prophetstown (28-3-2). Other teams: (3) Sherrard (23-8), (7) Rock Falls (13-14-5), (9) Oregon (15-14), (10) Morrison (7-23-4), (12) Newman (2-30-1). Note: E-P swept the Three Rivers East title at 10-0.
At Dixon (3A): Team to beat: (1) LaSalle-Peru (27-5). Other teams: (4) Sterling (21-10-4), (5) Morris (18-16-1), (7) Dixon (20-14), (8) Rochelle (9-21-1). Note: L-P, the Interstate 8 champions, is the defending champion and has won 12 regionals since 2005.
At Geneseo (3A): Team to beat: (2) Geneseo (22-8). Other teams: (3) Ottawa (24-11), (6) Pontiac (23-11), (9) Streator (13-14-5). Note: Ottawa is the defending regional champion. Geneseo last won regionals in 2018.