Scouting girls volleyball/Cook County sectionals
Warren sectional
Semifinals: Tue., Nov. 2: Winner of Mundelein regional vs. winner of the Highland Park regional, 6 p.m.; winner of Fremd regional vs. winner of the Glenbrook North regional, 7 p.m.; Championship: Thursday., Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
Top seed: Libertyville
Area team outlook: No. 13 seed Prospect
(21-13) and No. 5 St. Viator (24-10) are the area representatives in the Highland Park regional. The Knights face the No. 20 Giants (tourney host) at 6 p.m. Wednesday and the winner comes right back to meet No. 4 Stevenson at 7 p.m. in the semifinal. Senior middle blocker Sarah Hunt, the Mid-Suburban East Player of the Year, became Prospect's all-time leader in kills (628) when the Knights went 5-0 to claim the Buffalo Grove Invite title Saturday. Coach Charlie Curtin has guided St. Viator to another 20-win season. The Lions (24-10) will open on Thursday at 7 p.m. facing the winner of the 6 p.m. match between No. 12 Deerfield and No. 21 Waukegan. Emily Leazer, a key member on last year's team which won a school-record 29 matches and advanced to the Class 3A sectional finals, leads the Lions in kills, digs and aces. The Fremd regional brings together four MSL squads, including league champ Hersey, the host Vikings, Palatine and Rolling Meadows. Coach Nancy Lill's Huskies are coming off a third straight MSL title and third-place finish in the Lake Park Invite. On Thursday at 7:30 p.m., they will face the winner of the 5:30 p.m. match between coach Janet Opel's No. 18 Rolling Meadows and Dan Gavin's No. 10 Palatine. The Pirates' top attacker is Jacksonville State recruit Kaley Sierawski, a 6-1 senior outside hitter. Fremd (24-10) finished fourth in the Lake Park Invite. Wisconsin-Milwaukee recruit Kayla Price is one of the top setters in the area and her top target has been senior outside hitter Alex Messner. Buffalo Grove heads to the Glenbrook North regional with one of the top liberos in the area, sophomore Victoria Ito. The No. 19 Bison open with the host Spartans (No. 14) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The winner plays No. 3 Lake Zurich at 7:30 p.m. that same night. Coach Jason Kopkowski's Wheeling Wildcats, seeded No. 9, compete in the Mundelein regional. The Wildcats were runner-ups in the MSL East behind league champ Hersey and are 18-17 overall. They will meet No. 8 Carmel Thursday in the 6:30 p.m. semifinal.
Bartlett sectional
Semifinals: Tuesday, Nov. 2: Winner of Conant regional vs. winner Glenbard North reginal, 6 p.m.; Winner of the York regional vs. winner of Geneva Regional, 7 p.m.
Championship: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Top seed: West Chicago
Area team outlook: Hoffman Estates is the No. 12 seed at the Glenbard North regional and faces No. 5 Glenbard West on Thursday. The attack for coach Dan Hutton's Hawks (13-20) is led by Jada Stotts, who is headed to Austin Peay. The Conant regional has the host Cougars (No. 18 seed) facing neighboring town rival Elk Grove (No. 16) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with the winner coming back at 7:30 p.m. to meet top-seeded West Chicago. In her first season, Grenadiers coach Stephanie Kezios led her team to an 18-16 record while Hall of Fame coach Peggy Scholten has watched her team (14-21) win six of its last 11 matches. Mid-Suburban West champ Schaumburg (21-14) heads to the York regional with its No. 7 seed to face No. 10 Bartlett. USC recruit Emily Young leads the Saxons, whose coach Jeanette Pancratz recently notched career win No. 700.
Jacobs sectional
Semifinals: Tuesday, Nov. 2: Winner of the Machesney Park-Harlem regional vs. winner of the South Elgin regional, 6 p.m.; Winner of Huntley regional vs. winner of the Cary-Grove regional, 7 p.m.; Championship: Thursday. Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
Top seeds: Cary Grove, Huntley, South Elgin, Rockton Hononegah
Area team outlook: Barrington, with the No. 2 seed out of five teams in the Cary-Grove regional, just missed on a Mid-Suburban West championship. The Fillies (19-16, 8-2) were still in the race on the final day of league action and lost by one match to division rival Schaumburg (9-1). Coach Chris Bronke, who is leaving his post after the season, will send his Fillies out to face No. 3 McHenry at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The winner advances to Saturday's title match to likely face nationally-ranked and undefeated Cary-Grove. Florida Atlantic recruit Madison Lang directs the Fillies' attack handing out 550 assists this season with 80 kills.
Niles West sectional
Semifinals: Tuesday, Nov. 2: Winner of Loyola Regional vs. winner of Lincoln Park Regional, 6 p.m.; Winner of Maine East regional vs. winner of Trinity regional; Championship: Thursday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
Top seed: Evanston
Area team outlook: Dave Sebald is in his final season after 28 years directing the Leyden girls program. His Eagles, seeded No. 9, will face No. 8 Loyola in Thursday's 6:30 p.m. semifinal of the Loyola regional. Top-seeded Evanston plays at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the 5:30 p.m. play-in match between Taft and Schurz. Maine West is in the Trinity regional. Coach Randy Tiller's Warriors (7-28) are the No. 13 seed and meet No. 11 Lane Tech in Thursday's 5:30 p.m. play-in match. The winner comes back at 7:30 p.m. to face No. 3 Resurrection in the semifinal.
Class 1A
Somonauk sectional
Semifinals: Tuesday, Nov. 2: Winner of the Serena regional vs. winner of the North Shore Country Day regional, 6 p.m.; Winner of the Hinckley-Big Rock) regional vs. winner of the Morgan Park Academy regional, 7 p.m.; Championship: Thursday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
Area team outlook: Coach Natalie Salsgiver's Chargers (10-16) are the defending champs of the North Shore Country Day regional and have the No. 2 seed. Christian Liberty was making its first appearance in an IHSA state tourney last season. Holly Swiderek, Jayna Rowland and Beth Cunningham were named honorable mention on the Northeastern Athletic Conference team. Christian Liberty faces No. 7 Chicagoland Jewish (Deerfield) in Thursday's 5:30 p.m. semifinal. The winner plays at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the 6:30 p.m. match between No. 3 North Shore Country Day and No. 6 Hope Academy.