It is a whole new ballgame this year in postseason volleyball which begins in earnest tonight.

Thursday, October 28, 1999

It is a whole new ballgame this year in postseason volleyball which begins in earnest tonight. It is the first year of a three-class State Tournament. This brings about higher hopes for more area teams. In year’s past, all the area mid-size and small schools – after having some epic battles against each other in the Austin gyms – would eventually have to end up meeting and losing to the Stewartville Tigers in Rochester. The Tigers have been the Section 1A champion for the last 10 years. This year they are the No. 1 rated team in Class AA and the top seed in Section 1AA.

The difference this year for the area teams is that there are no matches being played in Austin and no one has to face the Tigers until the State Tournament.

The two area teams in Class AA, Hayfield and Blooming Prairie, are the top two seeds in the West Sub-Section of Section 2AA. They both have had spectacular 20-plus win seasons this year. The Vikings led by middle hitter Sheri Swanson and setter Jana Wohlers finished third in the Hiawatha Valley League with a 9-2 mark. The Vikings’ two losses came against Stewartville and Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

The Awesome Blossoms, meanwhile, won the Gopher Conference for only the second time in their volleyball history. They posted a perfect 14-0 mark in the conference. They have a well-balanced attack with five above average hitters – Ranell Goette, Jana Peterson, Missy Avery, Janelle Iacovino, and Kari Olson, and a steady setter to make the assists, Sara Anderson.

Hayfield and Blooming Prairie met earlier this year in the championship match of the Hayfield Lions Fall Classic. The Vikings came out the winner two games to one. There are four HVL teams in the Sub-Section and three Gopher. Three of the four quarterfinals matchups pit the one conference against the other. Hayfield meets NRHEG, BP meets Kenyon-Wanamingo, and Triton hosts W.E.M.

In Class A, four area teams will vie for a State Tournament bid. Two each in the East and West Sub-Section of Section 1A. Southeast Conference West Division champ Lyle/Pacelli (19-7, 7-1) is the third seed in the West Sub-Section. Southland is the fourth seed.

"We are real excited about the opportunity to compete against schools the same size as us," L/P co-coach Norm Blaser said. "There is a real opportunity there to make it to State. We started the year 8-6 and then went 11-1 the rest of the way. We are not the same team we were at the start. We brought in two servers and have been adjusting our serve receive up to the minute. We keep improving. If we do keep improving as we have, we should have a good chance of going a long way."

L/P’s first round opponent is Glenville-Emmons (4-17-1). They will meet up today at 8 p.m. in Alden.

"Craig Raymond is Glenville’s coach," Blaser said. "He is a great teacher and should have his team prepared for us."

Should L/P reach the second round Saturday afternoon at the Rochester Mayo Civic Center, the likely opponent is the No. 2 seeded Alden-Conger Knights. The Knights beat the Lions 15-11, 15-8 in the Southland Tourney earlier this season. The top seed is Bethlehem Academy.

In the East Sub-Section, LeRoy-Ostrander and Grand Meadow are up against the top two teams in the East Division of the Southeast Conference, Lanesboro and Mabel-Canton. Mabel has been ranked in the state’s Top 10 throughout the year and has suffered only one loss. Lanesboro is right behind them, taking the Cougars to five games in one of their two Conference matches.

The Superlarks play the Burros in the first round in Lanesboro. The Burros have beaten the Superlarks twice all ready this season.

"Everything is up for grabs in the postseason," Grand Meadow (6-14) coach Dawn Baudoin said. "I told the girls everyone is going in with 0-0 records. If we work and play well we have a shot at advancing. In the West Sub-Section, L/P is playing some good ball and should make a good run."

LeRoy-Ostrander, meanwhile, is the third seed in the tourney and matches up with Spring Grove first. Should the Cards win, they’ll face the GM/Lanesboro winner.

"Mabel-Canton is the clear cut favorite," Blaser said, "but the winner between Lanesboro and LeRoy should give them a very good battle."

The semifinals in the East are Saturday night at the Rochester Mayo Civic Auditorium.