Volleyball Scouter: D-IV Willard district truly anyone's to win
WILLARD — A wide-open Division IV district tournament is set to begin with semifinals Tuesday evening at Willard High School, with the championship match set for Thursday.
A pair of state-ranked teams will be featured in the two semifinals. Up first is No. 2 seed Monroeville, ranked 14th in the state, against No. 4 seed Buckeye Central at 6 p.m. in a rematch of the last two district championships, both of which have gone in favor of the Eagles. And following that will be No. 1 seed Seneca East, ranked 10th in the state, against No. 6 seed Lucas.
Winners will advance to Thursday's championship match, slated for a 6 p.m. start.
The semifinals
No. 2 Monroeville vs. No. 4 Buckeye Central, 6 p.m.
These teams are probably sick of seeing each other by now, meeting once in the regular season as a bit of a district preview for both and then inevitably again in the postseason, whether it's in a semifinal or a championship match.
Monroeville has won each of the last eight meetings between the teams, with Buckeye Central's last win over the Eagles coming in 2017 when the Buckettes made a run to the state semifinals. It was a slow start to the season for Monroeville, which lost two of its first three matches to Seneca East and Vermilion before reeling off nine straight until running into Galion. Another loss to state-ranked Mohawk in nonleague play was the final loss, and the Eagles haven't lost a set since in three matches.
Buckeye Central hasn't quite had a typical Buckeye Central season, coming into districts with a 12-11 record after winning four straight and five of six early in the season. These teams played on Sept. 17, with Monroeville coming away with a 25-19, 26-24, 25-14 win. As always, expect a great match between these budding rivals with a spot in the district championship on the line.
No. 1 Seneca East vs. No. 6 Lucas, 7:30 p.m.
Most people were expecting Seneca East to meet No. 3 St. Paul in this match, but the Cubs played the role of spoiler by knocking off the Flyers in four sets. The Tigers have been a bit of a surprise this year, stringing together some phenomenal results and losing just four times, all in league play — once to Carey and Colonel Crawford, and twice to N10 champion Mohawk. It didn't take long for Seneca East to send shockwaves through the district, either, by beating Monroeville 3-1 just nine days into the season at Monroeville, then sweeping Division III Willard a week later.
Lucas has had its ups and downs, coming in 16-8, but seems to be getting hot at just the right time. And when you upset the No. 3 seed along the way, you have nothing to lose at this stage, and that is very difficult to play against. Plus, when you boast arguably the best player in the district, you're going to have a chance in any match even if the odds are against the Cubs on paper.
The players to watch
Monroeville's Maddie Daniel and Madi Clark
A big hitter, terrific setter and accurate servers all wrapped into two of only four seniors on the roster. Maddie Daniel might be one of the best hitters in the district, even standing at just 5-foot-8. Her 440 kills are the most of anyone among the four teams, and she's second on her team in blocks (24), digs (356) and receptions (289). Madi Clark is without a doubt the best setter, with 300 more assists than anyone else at districts, and her 784 total is among the top 20 in the state.
Buckeye Central's McDougal sisters
Junior Mia, sophomore Mara and freshman Maren McDougal make up quite the one-two-three sister punch for the Buckettes. And they're all so good at what they do. Mia is 5-6 but plays as if she's 6-5 at the net, leading the team with 281 kills and 70 blocks. Mara is one of the best defensive players in the district with 324 digs and 416 receptions. Rarely does a ball get past her. And Maren doesn't play like she's a freshman — a benefit of playing club at an elite level — and she very well might be the best server in the district with 56 aces and an 87.5% serve percentage. Not to mention she's the team's setter and has 491 assists this season.
Seneca East's Maddie Boes and Ryleigh Stanley
Maddie Boes might be the premier net player in the district with an astounding 109 blocks to go with 292 kills. Standing 5-10, she'll get her hand on just about anything that comes near her at the net. And Ryleigh Stanley — the one providing her passes for all those kills — has 431 assists this season while also leading the team with 60 aces.
Lucas' Shelby Grover and Maleigha Strickler
A multi-sport All-Ohioan, Shelby Grover is without a doubt the best pure athlete in the district, and it's not even close. She is the Cubs leader in kills (397), aces (47), blocks (57), digs (415) and receptions (274) while ranking fourth in assists with 31. Grover is a do-it-all player in every sense and a nightmare for opposing teams to matchup with even at just 5-7. But without Maleigha Strickler's excellent passing, Grover's offense wouldn't be quite what it is. Strickler had 417 assists, averaging 5.9 per set, and has just 40 errors this season.
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Twitter: @Zachary_Holden
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: District Volleyball Scouter: Division IV tournament in Willard
