Troy primed for another title run
Oct. 26—Four total area teams, including one title favorite, will be among those competing in the Idaho Class 1A Division I and II state volleyball tournaments Friday and Saturday at Madison High School in Rexburg, Idaho.
Defending state champion Troy, fresh off another district title, holds the top seed in the 1A DI state tournament, while second-place district-finisher Genesee is the No. 2 seed.
The Trojans (25-5) begin their title defense at 10 a.m. Pacific on Friday facing the Grace Grizzlies — the same team they beat to clinch last year's championship. Grace upset Genesee in the semifinal round of the 2021 tournament before falling to Troy in back-to-back straight-set encounters.
"I knew coming into this year that likely Grace would be back, because they graduated a couple seniors but still had a lot of juniors and sophomores on their roster," Troy coach Deborah Blazzard said. "I expect Grace to be very strong this year, and we're playing them first — so yay."
With the graduation of a large senior class, this year's Trojans are a younger team with a new core of leadership.
"I think they prepared for it after last year's state title," Blazzard said of her current leaders. "They knew they were going to be counted-on, and they started preparing clear back then."
Junior Jolee Ecklund, who piled up 16 kills and 24 digs in the district title match, has been the statistical headliner for Troy this season. Blazzard characterizes her current team as having a relatively defensive playing style, and said her players have been building mental toughness and consistency over the course of the season.
In the other half of the bracket, Genesee (25-9) gets its start against seventh-seeded Liberty Charter of Nampa at the same time the same day. The Bulldogs, who narrowly overcame Logos of Moscow to earn their berth, will be looking to find their way back into the final.
Class 1A Division II
Area teams are not quite so highly seeded in the Class 1A Division II field, with district champion Kendrick seeded fifth and runner-up Deary seventh.
The Tigers take on fourth-seeded Mackay and Deary is up against second-seeded Rockland, each at 8 a.m. Friday.
After a highly dominant league season, Kendrick (16-4) had to overcome unexpected adversity in the district tournament, bouncing back from an opening-round upset at the hands of St. John Bosco in the double-elimination bracket to take the title in a four-set battle against neighboring rival Deary (12-6).
Tigers coach Molly Olson feels the experience they gained at the district event will benefit her players in learning to maintain a steady level of play in the competitive situations to come.
"I think the district tournament was really good for us because it kind of opened our eyes a little bit that we need to continue to battle throughout all of our games, even if it's just one set," she said.
After being impressed with the speed of the game at the state level last year, Olson went out of her way to schedule matches against larger-classification opponents like Potlatch and Orofino this year as preparation for the kind of offense she anticipates from the best postseason opposition. Should the Tigers come through their opening-round contest with Mackay, they will be on a potential collision course with top-seeded Horseshoe Bend, which recently dropped down from 1A DI.
"I'm really excited to see how those things that we prepared for over the summer and the season help us at (the state tournament), getting used to that fast-paced game," she said.
Class 1A Division I schedule
All matches at Madison High School, Rexburg, Idaho
All Times Pacific
Friday's Matches
Match 1: Genesee vs. Liberty Charter, 8 a.m.
Match 2: Murtaugh vs. Rimrock, 10 a.m.
Match 3: Oakley vs. Wallace, 8 a.m.
Match 4: Troy vs. Grace, 10 a.m.
Match 5: Match 1 loser vs. Match 2 loser, 1 p.m.
Match 6: Match 3 loser vs. Match 4 loser, 1 p.m.
Match 7: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 3 p.m.
Match 8: Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner, 3 p.m.
Match 9: Match 5 winner vs. Match 8 loser, 5 p.m.
Match 10: Match 6 winner vs. Match 7 loser, 5 p.m.
Saturday's Matches
Match 11: Match 9 winner vs. Match 10 winner, 8 a.m.
Match 12: Match 7 winner vs. Match 8 winner, 10 a.m.
Match 13: Match 11 winner vs. Match 12 loser, 1 p.m.
Match 14: Match 12 winner vs. Match 13 winner, 3 p.m.
Match 15: Match 14 winner vs. Match 14 loser, 6 p.m. (if necessary)
Class 1A Division II schedule
All matches at Madison High School, Rexburg, Idaho
All Times Pacific
Friday's Matches
Match 1: Rockland vs. Deary, 8 a.m.
Match 2: Council vs. Richfield, 10 a.m.
Match 3: Mackay vs. Kendrick, 8 a.m.
Match 4: Horseshoe Bend vs. Clark Fork, 10 a.m.
Match 5: Match 1 loser vs. Match 2 loser, 1 p.m.
Match 6: Match 3 loser vs. Match 4 loser, 1 p.m.
Match 7: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 3 p.m.
Match 8: Match 3 winner vs. Match 4 winner, 3 p.m.
Match 9: Match 5 winner vs. Match 8 loser, 5 p.m.
Match 10: Match 6 winner vs. Match 7 loser, 5 p.m.
Saturday's Matches
Match 11: Match 9 winner vs. Match 10 winner, 8 a.m.
Match 12: Match 7 winner vs. Match 8 winner, 10 a.m.
Match 13: Match 11 winner vs. Match 12 loser, 1 p.m.
Match 14: Match 12 winner vs. Match 13 winner, 3 p.m.
Match 15: Match 14 winner vs. Match 14 loser, 6 p.m. (if necessary)
Wendt may be contacted at (208) 848-2268, or cwendt@lmtribune.com.
