Girls volleyball capsules

Updated: October 17, 2011 8:26PM

Lowell

Schedule: East Chicago vs. Lake Central, 6 p.m., Tuesday; Morton vs. Highland, 6 p.m., Munster vs. West Side, 8 p.m., Thursday; Lowell vs. E.C.-L.C. winner, 11 a.m., Morton-Highland winner vs. Munster-West Side winner, 1 p.m., final, 4 p.m., Saturday.

Skinny: Munster is the three-time defending champion and has played exceptionally well the final four weeks of the season. Lake Central or Lowell will likely face the Mustangs in the championship match. The Indians defeated the Red Devils in four games earlier in the season and should have the edge in the Saturday semifinal just because they play a tough Duneland Athletic Conference schedule.

Next: LaPorte Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

LaPorte

Schedule: Valparaiso vs. Crown Point, 6 p.m., Merrillville vs. Chesterton, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday; Portage vs. Michigan City, 6 p.m., LaPorte vs. Hobart, 7:30 p.m., Thursday; Valpo-C.P. winner vs. Merrillville-Chesterton winner, 11 a.m., Portage-M.C. winner vs. LaPorte-Hobart winner, 12:30 p.m., final, 7 p.m., Saturday.

Skinny: LaPorte has owned this sectional the past six years but internal issues and the loss of the team’s top player Taylor Lebo to injury really made this a wide open sectional. Valparaiso is the favorite having won the DAC crown with a 13-1 record. Don’t count out the Slicers despite their less than glamorous season. The Vikings are shooting for their first crown since 2005.

Next: Lowell Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

Clark

Schedule: Gavit vs. Roosevelt, 5:30 p.m., Hammond vs. Clark, 7 p.m., Tuesday; Gavit-Roosevelt winner vs., Hammond-Clark winner, 5:30 p.m, Griffith vs. Lew Wallace, 7 p.m., Thursday; final, noon, Saturday.

Skinny: Griffith is the overwhelming favorite to win its first sectional since 2006 after moving from Sectional 18 to Sectional 17 this year. Panthers senior Kelsey Bonewits will be a force at the net – as she showed against the Gladiators in a tournament earlier in the season – and should be hard to stop. Gavit won the Great Lakes Athletic Conference title and is a darkhorse.

Next: Rensselaer Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

Rensselaer

Schedule: Hanover Central vs. Knox, 6 p.m., Calumet vs. Kankakee Valley, 7:30 p.m., Thursday; Hanover Central-Knox winner vs. Calumet-K.V. winner, 11 a.m., Rensselaer vs. Andrean, 12:30 p.m., final, 7 p.m.

Skinny: The 59ers won the Northwest Crossroads Conference outright with an 11-1 mark and are playing their best volleyball in 13 years. That’s the year first-year coach John Steinhilber took Andrean to the semistate round; they have won six sectional titles since but haven’t won a regional title since that 1998 season. Knox is the two-time defending sectional champ.

Next: Clark Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

Lake Station

Schedule: Wheeler vs. Bishop Noll, 6 p.m., Lake Station vs. River Forest, 7:30 p.m., Thursday; Wheeler-BNI winner vs. Lake Station-River Forest winner, 11 a.m., Bowman Academy-Whiting, 12:30 p.m., finals, 7 p.m.

Skinny: Three-time defending champion Wheeler is a slight underdog heading into the tournament with two losses to co-Greater South Shore champs Whiting on their record (one loss in GSSC action and one loss in Griffith Invitational pool play match). Shannon Doyle has switched from setter to middle hitter this season and she will be a beast to stop. The Oilers won their only title in 2007 (in Class 1A).

Next: Hebron Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

Hebron

Schedule: Boone Grove vs. Winamac, 5 p.m., Hebron vs. North Judson, 6:30 p.m., Thursday; Boone Grove-Winamac winner vs. Hebron-North Judson winner, 11 a.m., Rochester-North Newton, 12:30 p.m., finals, 4 p.m.

Skinny: Winamac is the three-time defending champion here and have dominated this field over that same time frame. The Warriors beat North Judson, 25-15, 25-21, 25-16 in last year’s championship match, then went on to beat Wheeler for the school’s first regional crown. But Judson is itching to see Winamac again. The Bluejays knocked off the Warriors in three games on Sept. 12 and are the slight favorite this year.

Next: Lake Station Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

Kouts

Schedule: LaCrosse vs. 21st Century Charter, 5:30 p.m., Washington Twp. vs. Covenant Christian, 7 p.m., Thursday; LaCrosse-21st Century Charter winner vs., Wash. Twp.-Covenant Christian winner, 11 a.m., Kouts vs. Morgan Twp. winner, 12:30 p.m., finals, 4 p.m., Saturday.

Skinny: The Senators are hoping to go out with a bang for Coach Scott Campbell, who is stepping down at the end of this season. Washington Twp. has won the past three sectional crowns and is the favorite to win this title after winning the Porter County Conference crown again this season.

Next: Pioneer Sectional winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

Culver Community

Schedule: Triton vs. Michigan City Marquette, 6 p.m., Wednesday; Westville vs. Argos, 5 p.m., Oregon-Davis vs. South Central, 6:30 p.m., Thursday; Culver Community vs. Triton-M.C. Marquette winner, 10 a.m., Westville-Argos winner vs., Oregon-Davis-South Central winner, 11:30 a.m., final, 6 p.m., Saturday.

Skinny: South Central shocked Sectional 51 winning the school’s first sectional title since 1991 (single-class tournament) as it defeated Westville, 25-16, 25-10, 25-19 for the crown. The Satellites knocked off six-time defending Class 1A state champion, M.C. Marquette in three games en route to that glorious sectional title.

Next: FW Canterbury winner in one-match regional on Oct. 25.

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