Albany, Annandale, ROCORI All Nab Top Seeds in Volleyball Sectionals

(KNSI) – Several area teams are primed to make a run at the state tournament in high school volleyball.

Section brackets were released Monday, with play scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 26th. The KNSI Sports Network will feature as many as five matches and four local squads over the next two weeks.

Albany topped the Granite Ridge Conference standings, and ROCORI celebrated last week when it clinched the Central Lakes Conference regular season crown. Annandale is in the pole position in 5AA. Those three have the best chance to move on, but Sartell is a strong #3 seed in 8AAAA, and Sauk Rapids-Rice is always dangerous. Last November in 6AA, St. Cloud Cathedral ended Sauk Centre’s hopes for back-to-back state titles when it upset the Mainstreeters and will have another chance to play spoiler.

The brackets are listed below (area teams are in bold).

Section 8AAAA

Thursday, October 26

(9) Brainerd at (8) Elk River

Saturday, October 28

(8)/(9) at (1) Rogers
(7) Bemidji at (2) St. Michael-Albertville
(6) Sauk Rapids-Rice at (3) Sartell
(5) Buffalo at (4) Moorhead

Section 8AAA

Thursday, October 26

(8) Little Falls at (1) ROCORI
(7) St. Cloud Apollo at (2) Detroit Lakes
(6) Fergus Falls at (3) Alexandria
(5) St. Cloud Tech at (4) Becker

Section 6AA

Thursday, October 26

(1) Albany and (2) Pequot Lakes have byes. They will play on Tuesday, October 31.

(14) Osakis at (3) Sauk Centre
(13) Milaca at (4) Melrose
(12) Pillager at (5) Staples-Motley
(11) Pierz at (6) St. Cloud Cathedral
(10) Minnewaska at (7) Foley
(9) Holdingford at (8) Royalton

Section 5AA

(1) Annandale, (2) Providence Academy Lions, (3) Rockford, and (4) Legacy Christian Academy have double byes.

(5) Maranatha Christian Academy, (6) Watertown-Mayer, (7) Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, and (8) Maple Lake have a single bye.

Wednesday, October 25

(16) Brooklyn Center at (9) Kimball
(15) —– at (10) Spectrum
(14) Columbia Heights at (11) Blake
(13) Dassel-Cokato at (12) Eagle Ridge Academy

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