Scouting Fox Valley girls volleyball regionals

Class 4A

Jacobs sectional

Cary-Grove regional

Matchups: No. 4 Grant vs. No. 5 Round Lake, today at 5:30 p.m.; No. 2 Barrington (19-16) vs. No. 3 McHenry (16-18), today at 6:30 p.m.; No. 1 Cary-Grove (35-0) vs. Grant-Round Lake winner, today at 7:30 p.m.; regional title match, Saturday at 7 p.m.

Outlook: Cary-Grove opens defense of its 2009 Class 4A state championship on the heels of a perfect regular season. Ranked No. 1 in the country by prepvolleyball.com and ESPN Rise, the Trojans enter the postseason unbeaten in their last 51 matches. “Everybody's healthy and we've had some good time to rest,” Cary-Grove coach Patty Langanis said. “We're just really, really wanting to get started.”

Advancement: The Cary-Grove regional winner will play the Huntley regional winner in a Jacobs sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

Huntley regional

Matchups: No. 4 Jacobs (18-14) vs. No. 5 Crystal Lake South (17-17), today at 5:30 p.m.; No. 2 DeKalb (26-4) vs. Prairie Ridge (24-10), today at 6:30 p.m.; No. 1 Huntley (31-4) vs Jacobs-CL South winner, today at 7:30 p.m.; regional title match, Saturday at 1 p.m.

Outlook: Huntley seeks its third straight regional title and 20th overall, but home-court advantage guarantees little in this ultracompetitive regional. The Red Raiders swept 2 meetings with Crystal Lake South and took all 3 meetings against Jacobs, though the Golden Eagles twice pushed Huntley to a third game. Prairie Ridge defeated Huntley in two games at the Autumnfest Tournament two weeks ago. DeKalb is the unbeaten champion of the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference. “We've scouted DeKalb and they are a very good program,” Huntley coach Michelle Jakubowski said. “Prairie Ridge beat us, (Crystal Lake) South has two great hitters, and Jacobs has some good hitters, is scrappy and plays us tough every time. It's a tough regional. Everyone has a chance.”

Advancement: The Huntley regional winner will play the Cary-Grove regional winner in a Jacobs sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

South Elgin regional

Matchups: No. 4 Dundee-Crown (5-30) vs. No 5. Elgin (3-32), today at 5:30 p.m.; No. 2 Larkin vs. No. 3 Streamwood, today at 6:30 p.m.; No. 1 South Elgin (10-13-1) vs. Dundee-Crown-Elgin winner, today at 7:30 p.m.; regional title match, Saturday at 1 p.m.

Outlook: Top seed South Elgin is the favorite to repeat as regional champion, though the Storm enter the tournament with a sub-.500 record. Both Elgin and Dundee-Crown pushed South Elgin to three games last week before the Storm pulled out wins. Larkin also pressed South Elgin in a 3-game match on Sept. 16.

Advancement: The South Elgin regional winner will face the Harlem regional winner in a Jacobs sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. Hononegah and Boylan are the top two seeds at Harlem. The Indians and Titans split 2 meetings this season and finished tied for the NIC-10 title.

Bartlett sectional

York regional

Matchups: No. 15 Addison Trail vs. No. 17 Lake Park, today at 5:30 p.m.; No. 7 Schaumburg (21-14) vs. No. 10 Bartlett (21-12), today at 6:30 p.m.; No. 2 York (31-4) vs. Addison Trail-Bartlett winner, today at 7:30 p.m.; regional title match, Saturday at 1 p.m.

Outlook: Bartlett enters a tough regional with York, which seeks its firs sectional since 2003, and Mid-Suburban West champion Schaumburg. The Saxons are led by USC recruit Emily Young. Jacki Gulczynski, who is committed to play basketball at Wisconsin, leads the attack for the Hawks.

Advancement: The York regional winner will play the Geneva regional winner in a Bartlett sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. No 3 Batavia and the sixth-seeded hosts are the top seeds at Geneva.

Class 3A

Belvidere sectional

Kaneland regional

Matchups: No. 1 Sycamore (22-12) vs. No. 4 Burlington Central (12-21), today at 6 p.m.; No. 2 Hampshire (18-15) vs. No. 3 Kaneland, today at 7 p.m.; regional title match, Saturday at 2 p.m.

Outlook: Kaneland defeated Hampshire last weekend at the Kaneland Invite, 25-17, 18-25, 15-10. “We didn't play that well,” Hampshire coach Karen Whitehouse said. “They're a scrappy team, but I think they have some things we can take advantage of. A victory by the Whip-Purs could result in a rematch of last year's regional title match at Burlington Central, in which Sycamore swept Hampshire. The Whips are optimistic of making a better showing. “This team is so pumped up for this regional,” Whitehouse said. “They believe anything can happen. We still have not had our greatest match yet.”

Advancement: The Kaneland regional winner will face the Crystal Lake Central regional winner. Belvidere North and the host Tigers (30-4) are the top two seeds at CL Central.

Class 2A

Stillman Valley sectional

Oregon regional

Matchups: No. 4 St. Edward (10-20) vs. No. 5 Westminster Christian (18-9-1), today at 5:30 p.m.; No. 2 Byron vs. No. 3 Oregon, today at 6:30 p.m.; No. 1 Genoa-Kingston vs. St. Edward-Westminster Christian winner, today at 7:30 p.m.; regional title match, Saturday at 6 p.m.

Outlook: Two private schools from Elgin will travel to Oregon to square off in the regional opener. St. Edward and Westminster Christian have not faced each other this season. The match should be competitive. Though the Green Wave have lost twice as many as they've won, they play in the tough Suburban Christian Conference against many Class 3A powers. “I've been telling my girls all year that if they just struggled through it and learned from our mistakes against all these big, aggressive teams, we'll be fine going into regionals,” St. Edward coach Jaime Dovichi said. “We just need to play defense. When you come down to 2A you tend to see teams with one or two good hitters instead of what we're used to: six good hitters. If we play defense, stay on top of our serve receive and be aggressive in the front row, I think we'll be fine.” Westminster Christian finished second at the Northeast Conference Tournament last weekend. The Warriors are led

Advancement: The Oregon regional winner plays the North Boone regional winner in a sectional semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Winnebago and Harvard are the top two seeds at North Boone.