Class A volleyball: Elkhorn North leads points, PLVS the poll

Elkhorn North leads Class A on NSAA wildcard points heading into districts, but the coaches still like Papillion-La Vista South. Elkhorn North is 25-3 with a 46.571 average, and PLVS is 21-6 at 46.111. PLVS holds the one head-to-head result that matters most. It beat Elkhorn North 3-0 on Oct. 13, and it's No. 1 in the Hurrdat Sports coaches poll. Elkhorn North is No. 2.

Records and points are from NSAA wildcard standings through Tuesday, Oct. 20 (page updated Oct. 22). Poll ranks are from the Hurrdat Sports coaches poll of Oct. 19, so its records run a match or two behind. NSAA has since posted district brackets A-1 through A-5 (Oct. 22); A-6 and A-7 are not posted yet.

How Class A gets to state

Class A's 34 teams split into seven districts, seeded serpentine by wildcard points (NSAA manual, p. 15). The higher seed hosts each match, and the seven district winners go to state with one wildcard team, for eight. NSAA hasn't posted the Class A district assignments yet.

In a serpentine, the top seven teams on points are each placed at the top of a different district. Through Oct. 20, that's Elkhorn North, PLVS, Omaha Marian, Lincoln North Star, Millard West, Lincoln Southwest and Papillion-La Vista.

The top of the points table

1. Elkhorn North (25-3, 46.571). Its three losses came to Gretna (Class B) on Sept. 12, to Omaha Westside 3-0 on Sept. 15 and to PLVS on Oct. 13. It beat Millard West three times and Omaha Marian twice, and it beat Millard North 2-1 at the Metro Conference tournament on Oct. 20.

2. Papillion-La Vista South (21-6, 46.111). Four of its six losses came against out-of-state teams, from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and South Dakota. The other two came to Gretna and to Omaha Marian, which beat PLVS 3-1 on Oct. 15. PLVS got Marian back 2-0 at the Metro Conference tournament on Oct. 20.

3. Omaha Marian (22-8, 45.233) is No. 3 in the coaches poll too. It is 2-1 against Lincoln North Star (20-8, 44.821, No. 4 in points and the poll): Marian won 2-0 at the LPS Classic on Sept. 18, North Star won 2-0 there on Sept. 19, and Marian won 2-0 at the Lincoln Northeast Invitational on Oct. 3.

4. Lincoln North Star (20-8, 44.821) is No. 4 in both NSAA points and the coaches poll.

5. Millard West (21-11, 44.000) is No. 5 in the poll. It lost to Millard North 3-2 on Oct. 13 and 2-1 on Oct. 20.

NSAA's numbers include Metro Conference tournament matches played through Oct. 20. Anything played after that, including the rest of the Metro tournament, is not counted yet.

The middle of the pack

From No. 6 to No. 10, only 0.567 points separate five teams. They are Lincoln Southwest (16-11, 43.667), Papillion-La Vista (17-10, 43.556), Millard North (17-12, 43.552), Millard South (23-15, 43.447) and Lincoln Standing Bear (18-12, 43.100). All five are in the coaches' top 10.

That spread matters for the one wildcard spot at state, which goes to the team with the best average through districts that didn't win one (manual, p. 23).

A record that doesn't fit the points

Omaha Westside is 10-20 and No. 20 in points (40.833), but it's one of only three teams to beat Elkhorn North this season. It swept Elkhorn North 3-0 on Sept. 15.

Where the rankings disagree

The MaxPreps statewide computer rankings (updated Oct. 21) have Elkhorn North No. 1 and PLVS No. 2. That's the reverse of the coaches poll, and it matches NSAA's points order. MaxPreps is a computer rating, not a poll.

State is Nov. 4-7 in Lincoln. The Class A first round is Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 5 and 7 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and the final is Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Devaney Sports Center. The full schedule and qualifying rules are in our state volleyball guide.

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