Andrean excited for postseason play

Updated: October 10, 2011 8:36PM

Andrean coach Julie Wiejak is pumped up about post-season volleyball.

It’s a little different from her days as a player when the dominating middle hitter led Bishop Noll to single-class sectional titles in 1993 and ’94 but it’s all the same when your school wins the hardware and brings home a title.

“We’re playing our best volleyball right now so I’m super excited for the post-season,” the first-year coach said. “We have to be ready to play everyone. We need to focus on our side. It’s more important we control our side of the new and we’re going to take anybody super seriously.”

The 59ers haven’t won a sectional title since 2008 but they are the favorite to win this year’s Class 3A Sectional 18 title as they open up the post-season play against Rensselaer. Defending champion Knox opens up play against Hanover Central on Thursday night at 6 p.m.

Andrean knocked off Knox in the Kankakee Valley Invitational two weekends ago and the girls were stoked about it.

“I think that was a great confidence builder because they’ve had so many tell them ‘You are not who you were last year.’” Wiejak said. “It was like ‘Hey Knox, we’re a different team than last year.’ My team doesn’t get rattled and they don’t mind getting down. I’ve never worked with a team that is so comfortable being down.”

The most intriguing sectional match-up comes in Class 4A, Sectional 2 where Valparaiso faces Crown Point in the first-round. The Vikings, who won their first Duneland Athletic Conference crown in nine years, beat the Bulldogs in both conference matches.

But anything can happen in the post-season.

Gavit is the defending Class 3A Sectional 17 champion but it didn’t have to face Griffith in last year’s tournament. The Gladiators will open up against Roosevelt in the first-round, while the Panthers — who were moved from Sectional 18 to 17 this fall — earned a bye and face Lew Wallace in the semifinals. Griffith hasn’t won a sectional title since 2006.

Defending Class 4A Sectional 1 Munster got a favorable draw with its match against West Side. Lowell earned the bye but faces a tough Lake Central squad in the semifinals if they can get past East Chicago.

Munster coach Tracy Afman was thrilled with her tournament draw.

“That’s a beautiful draw,” she said. “I’ll make sure we play hard in both games as we look to repeat as champions.”

In Class 1A Sectional 49, three-time defending champ Washington Twp. opens up play against Covenant Christian. Winning the championship would be extra meaningful to the Senators since it is Coach Scott Campbell’s last year at the helm. He guided Washington Twp. for eight years.

Class 2A Sectional 33 defending champion Wheeler opens the tournament against Bishop Noll.

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