Class B volleyball: Norris is 33-1, Gretna owns its only loss

Norris has lost one match all season. Norris is 33-1 with a 46.324 wildcard average, No. 1 in Class B on NSAA points and No. 1 in the Hurrdat Sports coaches poll. The team that beat them is No. 2 in both. Gretna (23-8, 45.774) beat Norris 3-2 on Sept. 29.

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 not posted brackets yet.

How Class B gets to state

Class B's 31 teams are split into seven districts, seeded serpentine by wildcard points (NSAA manual, p. 16). Districts run Oct. 27, 29 and 31. In a five-team district, the No. 4 seed hosts No. 5 on Oct. 27. The seven district winners go to state with one wildcard team. NSAA hasn't posted the Class B districts yet.

The contenders

Norris (33-1, 46.324). Norris got Gretna back 2-0 at the Eastern Midlands Conference tournament on Oct. 10. It also beat Waverly 3-2 on Sept. 15 and swept York and Lincoln Pius X.

Gretna (23-8, 45.774) has beaten nearly everyone near the top. It beat Norris, beat Waverly 2-1 on Oct. 10, and beat Northwest, Gering and Pius X. It's 7-4 against Nebraska Class A teams, including 2-1 wins over both PLVS and Elkhorn North on Sept. 12. Elkhorn North won the other three meetings.

Waverly (26-5, 45.613) is No. 3 in points and the poll. It beat Gretna twice, 2-1 on Aug. 28 and 3-0 on Sept. 24, and swept Pius X on Oct. 20.

Northwest (30-3, 44.818) is No. 6 in the poll, which lists it as Grand Island Northwest. Its three losses were to Lincoln Pius X, Gretna and Gretna East.

Points vs. the poll

Gering (27-5, 44.625) is No. 5 in NSAA points but No. 9 in the coaches poll. Omaha Skutt Catholic (21-11, 44.469) is No. 4 in the poll and No. 6 in points. Skutt has a pair of wins over Lincoln Pius X (22-10, 43.813), 3-0 on Sept. 8 and 2-0 at the LPS Classic.

From No. 7 to No. 12, the averages run from 43.813 to 42.871: Pius X, York (23-9), Columbus Lakeview (19-11), Gretna East (21-9), Adams Central (21-10) and Platteview (24-7). Adams Central is receiving votes in the poll. It also handed Class C2's Centura its only loss, 2-0 on Sept. 26.

With one wildcard spot, any of those teams that loses in districts will be hoping its average holds up. The wildcard goes to the best average through district play among teams that didn't win a district (manual, p. 23).

State

Class B opens state at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Class B final is the last match of the tournament, Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Devaney Sports Center. The MaxPreps statewide computer rankings (Oct. 21) have Norris third overall, behind two Class A teams. The full schedule and qualifying rules are in our state volleyball guide.

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