The largest number of teams in nearly 30 years were drawn and placed into brackets this morning for the 41st Annual IHSAA Volleyball State Tournament.
Four hundred two teams (402) have entered this year’s tournament, the first time since 1984 that the field has topped the 400 mark. Sectional play begins on Tuesday, Oct. 16, and continues through Saturday, Oct. 20, at 64 sites across four classifications.
Those sectional champions will advance to a one-match regional on the home court of one of the participating teams on Tuesday, Oct. 23, to be followed by a four-team semi-state on Saturday, Oct. 27. The four state championship matches at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3.
Two defending state champions are currently ranked No. 1 in their respective state coaches poll and headline this year’s field. Yorktown, last year’s 3A champion, will take on Delta in the Sectional 24 opener at Muncie Southside. Last year’s 2A winner, Wapahani, will host Lapel in the Sectional 40 opening match.
In Class 4A, top-ranked New Castle will meet Anderson in the Sectional 9 bye match at Greenfield-Central and Class A No. 1 Barr-Reeve drew North Daviess in the first match in Sectional 63 at Loogootee.
Among the other 2011 winners, two-time defending Class 4A state champion and No. 7 Penn will take on Mishawaka in Sectional 3 at South Bend Washington while Class A No. 6 Wes-Del will play Liberty Christian in Sectional 55 at Cowan.
Class 4A Sectional 2 in Valparaiso (8)
Tuesday October 16th
Match 1 – Merrillville vs. Michigan City. (5:30pm)
Match 2 – Hobart vs. Portage.
Thursday October 18th
Match 3 – Valparaiso vs. LaPorte. (5:30pm)
Match 4 – Crown Point vs. Chesterton.
Saturday, October 20th
Match 5 – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2. (11:00am)
Match 6 – Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4.
Championship – Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6. (7:00pm)