SPORTS

Seven local volleyball teams earn top seed

Tim Johnson
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Members of the Newman Catholic girls volleyball team celebrate a point during the WIAA state tournament last November. The Cardinals are among seven local teams that received a No. 1 seed for the postseason this year.

WAUSAU – Seven local girls volleyball programs received No. 1 seeds for the WIAA postseason.

Newman Catholic, the three-time defending Division 4 state champions, received a top seed as did a D.C. Everest program which reached the Division 1 state quarterfinals last year. Merrill is a top seed in Division 2.

Athens, Stratford and Wittenberg-Birnamwood all received No. 1 seeds in Division 3 as did Columbus Catholic in Division 4.

RELATED: DCE senior continues to hand out assists

RELATED: Schober a leader by example for Spencer 

The brackets were released Wednesday night and playoff games begin Tuesday in Divisions 2, 3 and 4. The postseason starts for Division 1 programs on Oct. 20.

The state tournament will be held Nov. 3-5 at the Resch Center in Green Bay.

Here is a look at the seedings for the local programs.

DIVISION 1

D.C. Everest is the top seed in Sectional 1 and received a first round bye. The Evergreens will host the winner of No. 8 Hudson and No. 9 Stevens Point Area Senior High in a regional final on Oct. 22.

Marshfield is seeded fourth and hosts No. 13 Wausau East in a regional semifinal. Other opening round matchups include No. 7 Wausau West hosting No. 10 Chippewa Falls and No. 14 Wisconsin Rapids traveling to third-seeded Eau Claire North.

DIVISION 2

Merrill is a top seed In Sectional 1 and hosts  No. 8 Lakeland in a regional quarterfinal. Other first round matchups in the bracket include No. 2 Medford hosting No. 7 Rhinelander, No. 3 Mosinee hosting No. 6 Tomahawk, No. 3 Neillsville/Granton hosting No. 6 Nekoosa and fifth-seeded Antigo traveling to No. 4 Northland Pines.

In Sectional 3, seventh-seeded Adams-Friendship travels to No. 2 Lodi for a regional quarterfinal.

DIVISION 3  

Stratford earned a top seed in Sectional 3 and a first-round bye. The Tigers host the winner of No. 4 Pacelli and No. 5 Auburndale in a regional quarterfinal.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood also has a top seed in the sectional and hosts No. 8 Iola-Scandinavia in a regional quarterfinal. Top-seeded Athens hosts No. 8 Thorp. Third-seeded Spencer hosts No. 6 Tri-County.

Second-seeded Abbotsford  and Marathon host seventh-seeded Edgar and Pittsville, respectively.

Other opening round matchups include No. 5 Amherst at No. 4 St. Mary Catholic, No. 7 Rosholt at No. 2 Shiocton and No. 6 Colby at No. 3 Cadott.

DIVISION 4

Newman Catholic received a top seed in Sectional 2 and hosts No. 8 Wisconsin Valley Lutheran in a regional quarterfinal. Columbus Catholic is a No. 1 seed as well and received a first-round bye. The Dons face the winner of No. 4 Assumption and No. 5 Marion in a regional semifinal.

Other opening round matchups  include No. 5 Owen-Withee at No. 4 Greenwood, No. 6 Prentice at No. 3 Loyal, No. 7 Northland Lutheran at No. 2 Rib Lake, No. 6 Almond-Bancroft at No. 3 Tigerton and No. 7 Port Edwards at No. 2 Wild Rose.

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter@timmyjo11