Will the Grass Remain Green for Greenwood: A Preview of Girls Division Four Sectional One

Those who followed our first eight previews were able to witness firsthand our hit-or-miss knowledge of Wisconsin boys volleyball. The same will hold true for girls division four, especially in regions that don't typically get the attention they deserve, such as sectional one. We are getting valuable assistance, but it will take time to process everything. What you'll read below is a start.

Also, unlike the boys, many of the girls sectionals (especially D2, D3 and D4) have a lot of teams so we've decided to present things a little differently.

So now without further ado, we present to you our preview of girls division four sectional one:

REGIONAL A

Contestants: Bayfield, Drummond, Lac Courte Oreilles, Northwood, Shell Lake, Siren, Solon Springs and South Shore.

Top Playoff Finisher Last Year: Solon Springs reached the sectional final before losing to Greenwood.

Random Notes: Shell Lake returns senior Annie Dunham and Siren brings back senior Janey Emery. After being forced to play each other in the first round last year (Siren won in five), these two might have the opportunity to play each other a little deeper in the playoffs this time around, perhaps even in the regional finals where the winner would face the regional B champion.

REGIONAL B

Contestants: Birchwood, Butternut/Glidden, Flambeau, Mellen, Mercer, Prentice, Rib Lake and Winter.

Top Playoff Finisher Last Year: Mellen lost in a sectional semifinal to Solon Springs.

Random Notes: Senior libero Cally Gordon and junior Jordyn Anderson should keep Rib Lake in contention here, while senior Corey Birdsill should do the same for Birchwood. Look for Mellen to be right up there as well.

REGIONAL C

Contestants: Bruce, Clayton, Frederic, McDonell Central, New Auburn, Prairie Farm, Turtle Lake and Weyerhaeuser

Top Playoff Finisher Last Year: Frederic lost in a regional final to Solon Springs.

Random Notes: Led by senior Nicole Hecimovich, look for Weyerhaeuser to make some serious noise. Other returning seniors for Weyerhaeuser include Kim Ludwikowski, Samantha Woodford and Tanya Neil. Last year, their season ended with a tough loss to a talented Lake Holcombe squad.

REGION D

Contestants: Augusta, Blair-Taylor, Cornell, Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran, Gilman, Greenwood, Lake Holcombe and Lincoln

Top Playoff Finisher Last Year: Greenwood won sectional one before losing in the state seminfinals to Hillsboro.

Random Notes: There's no reason to think that Greenwood won't repeat as both regional and sectional champions. They return sophomore middle Taylan Johnson who had 180 kills as a freshman. Other returning letter winners include Liz Smith, Brittani Morrow, Kati Smith, Jordan Ehlers and Christin Haase. They will, of course, get some stiff competition from the aforementioned Lake Holcombe, the 2007 East Lakeland conference champs, which lost in the sectional semifinal to Greenwood. Lake Holcombe features, among others, talented junior Jess Bearrows.

Prediction: Greenwood in three over Rib Lake at Clayton high school on Saturday, November 1.

Tomorrow: Girls Division 4 Sectional 2