IESA Headlines

Class 8AA Girls State Volleyball Tournament Field Loaded With 20-Win Teams

Eight of the 16 teams advancing to the 2005 Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Class 8AA Girls Volleyball State Final Tournament have at least 20 wins heading into Saturday's eight first round games at Stephen Decatur Middle School. And that group does not include the only unbeaten team to qualify, Edwardsville Lincoln (18-0), nor perennial powerhouse JacksonvilleTurner (17-5).

First round games will be played Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. The eight winners advance to the quarterfinals Monday (March 21) with the first of four matches starting at 3:30 p.m. The semifinals will be played Tuesday (March 22) starting at 3:30 p.m. The third place match is set for Tuesday at 6:00 and the championship match follows at 7:15.

Three of the 20-win teams are in the upper bracket along with Jacksonville Turner. They are Chillicothe (20-3), Lansing Memorial (22-2) and Champaign Jefferson (21-1). Five of the 20-win teams are in the lower bracket with Edwardsville Lincoln. They are Bismarck-Henning (25-1), Homer Glen Homer (21-5), Chatham Glenwood (22-4), Shelbyville Moulton (21-4) and Herscher Limestone (22-3). Chatham Glenwood was second in Class 7AA in 2004, and meets Shelbyville Moulton at 5:30 Saturday. Shelbyville Moulton is making its eighth appearance at the Class 8AA State Tournament.

Jacksonville Turner is seeking the school's eighth Class 8AA state championship. Jacksonville Turner has not won since 1997, but dominated Class 8AA in the early years of the competition. Turner was state champion in 1989-91-93-94-95-97-97.

The combined win-loss record of the 16 finalists is 312-54, a winning percentage of .852.

Six of the final 16 teams have seventh-eighth grade enrollments of less than 200. Smallest school in this year's field is Bismarck-Henning (25-1) at 151. Next smallest is Glasford Illini Bluffs (15-6) at 155. Largest school in the field is Homer Glen Homer (21-5) at 755.

Every school except Bolingbrook Jane Adams, Normal Kingsley and Herscher Limestone can put a player 5-foot-9 or taller on the floor. Lansing Memorial (22-2) can have 6-1 Breanne Podgorski and 5-11 Julie Kotchou on the floor at the same time. Jacksonville Turner can rotate among 5-9 outside hitter Chelsea Werries and a trio of 5-8 players. Jazzy Robbins is a 6-0 middle hitter for Peru Washington (18-6). Homer Glen Homer has 5-10 Caitlyn Ballweber and 5-9 Jordan Knights. Chatham Glenwood can throw a front line of 5-10 Allie Hogan, 5-10 Meghan Milcic and 5-11 Hannah Werth at its opponents.

Chatham Glenwood won the IESA Class 8AA Girls State Basketball Tournament title and six players on the Titans. cage roster are on the volleyball team. They are 5-11 Hannah Werth, the leading scorer in the 8AA basketball tournament with 71 points, 5-10 Meghan Milcic, 5-2 Alyssa Esperum, 5-10 Allie Hogan, 5-1 Allison Anderson and 5-8 Shelby Tudor.

Here are the Class 8AA State Final Tournament pairings:

Rosters for all of the 16 teams and the pairings chart are included on the volleyball page.