2015 Eighth Grade Volleyball State Tournaments Begin Saturday
For the ninth time in Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) history, four champions will be crowned in the Eighth Grade Girls State Volleyball Tournament series. Competition in the Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A State Final Tournaments begins Saturday (March 21) and concludes Tuesday (March 24) at four sites.
Class 1A will be played at New Berlin JHS. Class 2A will be played at Auburn High School. Tolono Unity Junior High School will be the site of Class 3A. Rochester Junior High School will host Class 4A.
The time schedule for all four tournaments will be the same. Upper bracket quarterfinals and semifinals will be played Saturday morning and early Saturday afternoon. Lower bracket quarterfinals and semifinals will be played Saturday afternoon and early evening. The upper bracket quarterfinals are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. The winners meet in the semifinal at 1:00 p.m. The lower bracket quarterfinals are scheduled for 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The winners meet in the semifinal at 5:15 p.m. Third place and championship matches will be played Tuesday with the third place match set for 5:30 p.m. and the championship match scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Any changes in the playing status of each of the four tournaments will be posted on the IESA Website at www.iesa.org as each tournament progresses.
The price of admission Saturday is $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors (62 and over) and students (K-8) and is good for all games Saturday. Children younger than kindergarten are admitted free. Fans attending the games Saturday will receive a wristband that is to be worn all day and will be used for entry into that respective state final site only throughout the day. It will not be honored at any other 8th grade state final site. The price of admission for the third place and championship game session Thursday will be $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for seniors and students (K-8). Children younger than kindergarten again are admitted free.
IESA Girls Volleyball began in 1976. There was one-class competition from 1976-84, and in 1985 the state series was divided into Class A and Class AA by school size. From 1989-2006, there were two classes state series for both seventh grade and eighth grade. Beginning in 2007, the seventh and eighth grade series are divided into four classes.
Complete pairings for each state final, plus the FanZone, can be found at www.iesa.org. Click on the Volleyball link at the top of the IESA Website Home Page.
Here is a look at each of the four 2015 Eighth Grade State Final Tournaments:
| Class 1A @ New Berlin Jr. High School |
| Saturday, March 21 |
| Match 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Grayville (15-1) vs. Peoria Limestone Walters (21-2) |
| Match 2 | 11:15 a.m. | Royal Prairieview-Ogden (24-1) vs. Greenfield (19-2) |
| Match 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 |
| Match 4 | 2:15 p.m. | Thornton Wolcott (10-5) vs. Hartsburg-Emden (18-7) |
| Match 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Pontiac St. Mary's (24-0) vs. Springfield Little Flower (13-8) |
| Match 6 | 5:15 p.m. | Winner Match 4 vs. Winner Match 5 |
| Tuesday, March 24 |
| Match 7 | 5:30 p.m. | Loser Match 3 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place) |
| Match 8 | 6:45 p.m. | Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship) |
Class 1A Notes--Three of the eight schools that have advanced to the 2015 8th grade finals participated in the 2014 7th grade finals. Those three schools are Peoria Limestone Walters who finished 3rd last year as 7th graders; Royal Prairieview Ogden and Pontiac St. Mary's. This is the 7th appearance in the 8th grade 1A finals for Hartsburg-Emden. All six previous trips have resulted in championships for the Stags.
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| Class 2A @ Auburn High School |
| Saturday, March 21 |
| Match 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Lewistown Central (22-1) vs. Champaign St. Matthew (14-10) |
| Match 2 | 11:15 a.m. | Augusta Southeastern (18-2) vs. Normal Metcalf (14-6) |
| Match 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 |
| Match 4 | 2:15 p.m. | Mt. Pulaski (21-3) vs. Altamont (20-3) |
| Match 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Oakland Lake Crest (17-2) vs. Mazon-Verona-Kinsman (18-4) |
| Match 6 | 5:15 p.m. | Winner Match 4 vs. Winner Match 5 |
| Tuesday, March 24 |
| Match 7 | 5:30 p.m. | Loser Match 3 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place) |
| Match 8 | 6:45 p.m. | Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship) |
Class 2A Notes--Only two of the competing teams advanced to the finals last year as 7th graders--Lewistown Central and Normal Metcalf. Lewistown Central won the 7th grade championship last year with a 25-20, 7-25, 26-24 thrilling victory over Springfield Christ the King. This is the 6th appearance for Lewistown in the 8th grade finals and it will be the 5th appearance for Mt. Pulaski in the 8th grade 2A finals.
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| Class 3A @ Tolono Unity JHS |
| Saturday, March 21 |
| Match 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Beecher (21-4) vs. St. Joseph (18-5) |
| Match 2 | 11:15 a.m. | Mackinaw Dee-Mack (23-2) vs. Riverton (16-5) |
| Match 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 |
| Match 4 | 2:15 p.m. | Tuscola East Prairie (16-6) vs. Wenona Fieldcrest (23-2) |
| Match 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Pana JHS (19-2) vs. Pleasant Plains (22-1) |
| Match 6 | 5:15 p.m. | Winner Match 4 vs. Winner Match 5 |
| Tuesday, March 24 |
| Match 7 | 5:30 p.m. | Loser Match 3 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place) |
| Match 8 | 6:45 p.m. | Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship) |
Class 3A Notes--Four of the eight teams participated in last year's 7th grade finals---Pleasant Plains, Pana, St. Joseph, and Tuscola East Prairie. Pleasant Plains won the 7th grade Class 3A championship last year and will be making their seventh trip to the 8th grade class 3A finals where they have won the championship four out of the last five years including last year's 25-23, 25-10 victory over Chillicothe. Their first round match up against Pana will be a repeat of last year's 7th grade semifinal match which the Cardinals won, 25-9, 25-16. Pana placed 3rd last year in the 7th grade tournament. St. Joseph placed 4th last year in the 7th grade finals. With Mackinaw Dee-Mack and Pleasant Plains in opposite brackets, a re-match of the recently completed 2015 7th grade championship is a possibility.
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| Class 4A @ Rochester JHS |
| Saturday, March 21 |
| Match 1 | 10:00 a.m. | Channahon (20-1) vs. Edwardsville Lincoln (20-1) |
| Match 2 | 11:15 a.m. | Homer Glen Homer (12-7) vs. Champaign Edison (18-5) |
| Match 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 |
| Match 4 | 2:15 p.m. | Mt. Zion (24-0) vs. Pekin Broadmoor (24-1) |
| Match 5 | 3:30 p.m. | Flossmoor Parker (16-1) vs. Manteno (21-3) |
| Match 6 | 5:15 p.m. | Winner Match 4 vs. Winner Match 5 |
| Tuesday, March 24 |
| Match 7 | 5:30 p.m. | Loser Match 3 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place) |
| Match 8 | 6:45 p.m. | Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship) |
| Class 4A Notes--Four of the eight teams participated in last year's 7th grade Class 4A tournament---Mt. Zion (1st place); Channahon (2nd place); Manteno (3rd place); and Homer Glen Homer. Heading into the tournament, Mt. Zion has a two year record of 51-1. Channahon will be looking to repeat as the 8th grade Class 4A champion after last year's defeat of Pekin Edison 25-17, 23-25, 25-23 in the championship match. A possible re-match of last year's 7th grade championship looms as Mt. Zion and Channahon are in opposite brackets. Mt. Zion defeated Channahon in the 7th grade championship last year 27-25, 25-22. This is the 4th appearance in the 8th grade finals for Manteno, Edwardsville Lincoln, and Channahon. |
For more information, please contact IESA Assistant Executive Director and Volleyball Administrator Julie Cochran at julie@iesa.org.
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