Scouting the girls volleyball playoffs in DuPage County

Class 4A West Aurora sectional

Regional hosts: Plainfield Central, Benet, Lockport, Oswego

Top seeds: Benet, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, Naperville Central

Outlook: No. 1 Benet, which has advanced to four straight sectional finals with two championships, is the clear favorite. The 32-3 Redwings, led by third-year starters Meghan Haggerty and Jenna Jendryk, are on the short list of state title contenders which would be Benet’s first. Benet could get a heavy dose of DVC schools the next two weeks. Co-DVC champ West Aurora and Wisconsin-bound junior Lauren Carlini is a likely opponent in a regional final. Benet beat the Blackhawks in straight sets at Autumnfest. Naperville Central and co-DVC champ Naperville North could be awaiting the Redwings next week. Naperville Central (21-14) limps into regionals on a four-match losing streak, but is expected to get outside Kendall Ward back from injury this week. Upstate Eight Valley champ Waubonsie Valley (22-12) beat Naperville Central twice during the regular season. Round 3 could be Thursday in Oswego. Neuqua Valley (20-16) seeks its first regional title. The Wildcats have lost regional-final matches the last four years, but Callie Huebener and Co. should be favored at Plainfield Central. Standing in Neuqua’s way could be Metea Valley and Huebener’s ex-club teammate Jessica Boddy. Neuqua beat Metea in three sets a month ago. No. 2 sectional seed Naperville North (28-7) faces a tricky path out of regionals. The Huskies will probably have to beat regional host Lockport on its home court in the final. Lockport (24-11) upset Naperville North in a regional semifinal last year and will be motivated to win this week. Porters head coach Julia Hudson is retiring at the end of the year after 33 seasons. Naperville North does come in 10-1 over its last 11 matches, and beat Hersey to win the Lake Park Invite last weekend. “

Class 4A St. Charles East sectional

Regional hosts: Elk Grove, Glenbard East, Geneva, Bartlett

Top seeds: York, St. Charles East, Glenbard West, Geneva

Outlook: No. 1 sectional seed York (30-3), fourth in the state last year and the preseason favorite in Class 4A, begins the quest for a return to Redbird Arena. Dukes coach Patty Iverson isn’t looking too far ahead. “It’s not where we’re going,” she said, “but how we get there. We’re focusing on the journey.” The Dukes, led by seniors Caroline Rose and Katie Gallagher, have played St. Charles East in a sectional final three years in a row. York finally broke through and beat the Saints last year. Don’t be surprised if the two teams hook up again. St. Charles East (29-6), like York, is an experienced group. Seniors Meghan Niski and Maisey Mulvey were freshmen on the 2008 state champions. No. 3 sectional seed Glenbard West doesn’t boast the playoff pedigree of York and St. Charles East, but hope to change that this year. The Hilltoppers (30-5) won 30 matches for the first time since winning state in 1983, and now Caleigh Ryan, Amanda Perry and Co. are after their first regional title since 1985. Likely regional final opponent St. Charles North (22-11) poses a tough obstacle. Glenbard West coach Pete Mastandrea would love to see what his scrappy kids can do against the sectional’s heavyweights. “I want to reach back and sling that shot as far as we can go,” Mastandrea said. “It would be disappointing if we do not make a run in the playoffs.” West Chicago (23-12), a regional champ last year for the first time since 1998, struggled in the DVC portion of its schedule after a 13-0 start to the season. The Wildcats do come into the playoffs riding wins over Naperville Central and Hinsdale Central in the last week. The No. 5 seed Wildcats could match up with No. 4 and regional host Geneva (23-12) in a closely-matched regional final. “I think we definitely have the potential to win a regional and go far,” Wildcats Illinois-bound senior Julia Conard said. “We just need to focus on our weaknesses and work on correcting those.”

Class 4A Whitney Young sectional

Regional hosts: St. Ignatius, Reavis, Downers Grove North, Proviso West

Top seeds: Lyons Township, Downers Grove North, Hinsdale South, St. Ignatius

Outlook: Defending Class 4A champ Lyons might be the team to beat here — but plenty of others have reason to feel good about their chances. Downers Grove North (20-15) is 12-1 since Oct. 1, and the Jessie Tulacka-led Trojans looked good in winning their invite over the weekend. Downers Grove North could meet rival Downers Grove South in a regional final; the two teams split two meetings during the season, the Trojans winning the second match at the Asics Challenge to start their 13-match hot streak. Hinsdale South (26-9) is after its second straight sectional championship, but even winning a regional will be no cakewalk for Melissa Nava and the Hornets. Chicago Public League champion Whitney Young (30-4) potentially awaits in a regional final. No. 2 sectional seed Downers Grove North and No. 3 Hinsdale South split two matches during the year, Hinsdale South winning the second meeting. No. 5 Hinsdale Central needs a healthy Ally Davis to do any damage in the playoffs. Davis missed her team’s last six matches after re-injuring her knee, but the Michigan-bound outside is expected back this week.

Class 3A Joliet Catholic sectional

Regional hosts: Manteno, Yorkville, Nazareth, St. Francis

Top seeds: Joliet Catholic, St. Francis, Nazareth, Lincoln-Way West

Outlook: What would the volleyball playoffs be without a Joliet Catholic-St. Francis match? It will be quite an upset if the two don’t meet again in a sectional final. Joliet Catholic and St. Francis have met in the postseason the last five years, St. Francis winning in 2006 and 2007 and Joliet Catholic claiming three-set wins the last three years. The health of Angels Loyola-bound outside Kelly Feigh could be key. She missed Joliet Catholic’s match with Benet, and the Autumnfest tournament two weeks ago with back spasms. St. Francis (29-6) rolls in after sweeping through the Suburban Christian Conference Blue undefeated. How sure a bet is regional host St. Francis to win a regional title? The Spartans have done so every year since 1990, and only once since 1982 have they not.

Class 2A Winnebago sectional

Regional hosts: South Beloit, Christian Liberty, Lena-Winslow, Westmont

Top seeds: Timothy-Christian, Lena-Winslow, Guerin, Winnebago

Outlook: An ultra-competitive regional at Westmont awaits this week. Top regional seed Timothy Christian (31-3-1) is unbeaten over its last 28 matches dating back to Labor Day weekend. Two of the Trojans’ three losses this season, though, came against No. 3 seed Immaculate Conception and No. 5 Westmont. Timothy Christian won its first conference title since 2002 last week, and now seeks its first regional since 2006. “It’s going to be a big challenge,” Trojans coach Lindsey VanSchepen said, “but that’s what the playoffs are all about.” The Trojans are one of three conference champs at Westmont. Lisle (24-10) won the Interstate Eight Conference North and Immaculate Conception the Suburban Christian Conference Gold. Lisle beat IC in three sets in a season-opening match, but playoff history is on the Knights’ side. IC has won regional titles five straight years, and last season advanced to a 2A supersectional before losing to eventual state champ Chicago Christian.