| 2026 Eighth Grade Volleyball State Tournaments Kick Off This Friday
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The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) is excited to announce the commencement of the 18th Eighth-Grade Girls Volleyball State Tournament Series, where four champions will be crowned. The state finals will take place on March 20-21, 2026, across four venues.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
Class 1A at Fieldcrest Middle School in Wenona
Class 2A at Auburn High School
Class 3A at Pana High School
Class 4A at Morton Junior High School
All tournaments will follow the same timeline. Quarterfinal matches will kick off on Friday, March 20, at 4:30 p.m. Semifinal matches will occur on Saturday, March 21, starting at 11:00 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., followed by third-place and championship matches at 2:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., respectively.
Scores and any updates regarding the tournament’s status will be available on the IESA website. Fans can follow along and find scores at https://www.iesa.org.
Support for the athletes is highly encouraged, and fans are invited to attend the matches. Digital tickets can be purchased in advance for $8.00 per day via GoFan, with wristbands provided for entry on Saturday at their designated site. Tickets can be accessed at: https://www.iesa.org/gofan/. For those unable to buy tickets online, cash tickets will be available at the venue for $10. Children younger than kindergarten can attend for free.
This marks the 49th year of IESA conducting State Championships in volleyball, a tradition that began in 1976. Initially featuring one-class competition from 1976-1984, the series expanded to include multiple classes. Since 2007, the seventh and eighth-grade tournaments have been divided into four classes.
For complete pairings and additional information, please visit the IESA website and click on the Volleyball link at the top of the homepage.
Here is a look at the schedule for each of the 8th grade state final tournaments:
Class 1A @ Wenona Fieldcrest
Friday, March 20
Match 1 4:30 p.m. Peoria St. Jude (15-8) vs. LaSalle St. Acutis (19-0)
Match 2 5:45 p.m. Sigel St. Michael’s (18-8) vs. Ottawa Marquette (20-2)
Match 3 7:00 p.m. Hartsburg-Emden (19-8) vs. Carrollton St. John (20-1)
Match 4 8:15 p.m. Augusta Southeastern (21-5) vs. Rantoul St. Malachy (22-2)
Saturday, March 21
Match 5 11:00 a.m. Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
Match 6 12:15 p.m. Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
Match 7 2:00 p.m. Loser Match 5 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place)
Match 8 3:15 p.m. Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship)
**Returning from the 2025 8th Grade State Finals: Sigel St. Michael’s (First Round), Rantoul St. Malachy (Fourth Place), LaSalle St. Acutis (Third Place), Carrollton St. John (Champion).
Class 2A @ Auburn High School
Friday, March 20
Match 1 4:30 p.m. Mazon-Verona-Kinsman (19-4) vs. Springfield Christian (24-4)
Match 2 5:45 p.m. Winner Sect. 5 vs. Decatur Our Lady of Lourdes (25-2)
Match 3 7:00 p.m. Kewanee Wethersfield (19-5) vs. Green Valley Midwest Central (27-1)
Match 4 8:15 p.m. Normal Epiphany (22-4) vs. Morrisonville JHS (22-4)
Saturday, March 21
Match 5 11:00 a.m. Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
Match 6 12:15 p.m. Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
Match 7 2:00 p.m. Loser Match 5 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place)
Match 8 3:15 p.m. Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship)
**Returning from the 2025 8th Grade State Finals: No returning finalists.
Class 3A @ Pana High School
Friday, March 20
Match 1 4:30 p.m. Monticello (26-1) vs. Manteno (24-1)
Match 2 5:45 p.m. Channahon (17-11) vs. Quincy St. Peter (15-1)
Match 3 7:00 p.m. Lawrenceville Parkview (24-0) vs. Staunton (26-1)
Match 4 8:15 p.m. Orion (18-2) vs. Downs Tri-Valley (18-7)
Saturday, March 21
Match 5 11:00 a.m. Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
Match 6 12:15 p.m. Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
Match 7 2:00 p.m. Loser Match 5 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place)
Match 8 3:15 p.m. Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship)
**Returning from the 2025 8th Grade State Finals: Manteno (First Round), Downs Tri-Valley (Third Place), Staunton (Runner-Up).
Class 4A @ Morton JHS
Friday, March 20
Match 1 4:30 p.m. Arlington Heights Thomas (22-2) vs. Lockport Oak Prairie (21-3)
Match 2 5:45 p.m. Flossmoor Parker (20-0) vs. Morton JHS (26-1)
Match 3 7:00 p.m. Chatham Glenwood (25-2) vs. Mahomet-Seymour (25-2)
Match 4 8:15 p.m. Homer Glen Homer (9-5) vs. Edwardsville Lincoln (13-11)
Saturday, March 21
Match 5 11:00 a.m. Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
Match 6 12:15 p.m. Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
Match 7 2:00 p.m. Loser Match 5 vs. Loser Match 6 (Third Place)
Match 8 3:15 p.m. Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6 (Championship)
**Returning from the 2025 8th Grade State Finals: Morton JHS (Fourth Place), Homer Glen Homer (Runner-Up).
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