THREE THINGS WE KNOW
1. De La Salle could make a big splash in the Class 4A state tournament this season. Led by juniors Kyra White, Natalie Arredia, Mary Kate Byrnes, Carleigh Barringer and senior libero Julianna Townsend, the Meteors (15-6) should earn a top-four seed at the Morton Sectional. Their six losses include Mother McAuley (25-14, 28-26) and Loyola (29-27, 25-11), and their wins include Lake Forest, Maine South, Deerfield and Barrington. “Most of these girls are veteran players,” coach Anna Marassa said. “They have been starting since their freshman year.”
2. The pairings for the Asics Challenge, hosted by Mother McAuley this weekend, are out. Not surprisingly, the Mighty Macs are the No. 1 seed. Notre Dame (14-3) of Compton, Ky., ranked No. 18 in the country by Prepvolleyball.com, is second, followed by Assumption, Ky.; St. Francis, Fla.; Berkeley Prep, Ky.; Sacred Heart, N.Y.; Pittsford Sutherland, N.Y.; and Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y. McAuley’s pool includes Huntley and Downers North. Nazareth is paired with Notre Dame, and Marist drew Assumption in pool play.
3. Some intriguing playoff matchups potentially loom. The Class 4A semifinals could feature Boylan against Benet and Mother McAuley taking on New Trier. The Trevians beat McAuley in the 2012 semifinals before losing to Benet in the finals. In Class 3A, the winners of the Antioch and Downstate Washington supersectionals are anybody’s guess, while Breese Mater Dei and St. Francis, the last two state 3A champions, could clash in the other semifinal.
