The 2012 IHSA Girls Volleyball State Finals will unfold on Friday and Saturday, November 9-10 at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University. The 39th annual state tournament will crown champions in Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A. The 2012 edition marks the 23rd season that Redbird Arena will serve as the host and the sixth year of the four-class system. Every match from the tournament will once again be broadcast live with full video and audio free of charge on www.IHSA.tv.

The 16-team field features a pair of defending state champs in Dakota (1A) and Benet (4A), although Dakota finds itself in Class 2A this season after winning Class 1A a year ago. Mt. Pulaski and Wheaton St. Francis also return to the field after placing second and third in Class 1A and Class 3A, respectively, in 2011. The field welcomes four first-time qualifiers in Valmeyer (1A), Riverdale (2A), Centennial (3A) and Richmond-Burton (3A), while Keith Country Day (1A), Edwards County (2A), Deer Creek-Mackinaw (2A) and Libertyville (4A) all return together after last making it to state in 2007.

Mother McAuley (4A) is making its state-record 24th state final trip and looking for its first state title in the four-class era, meanwhile, Tri-County (1A) was one of the top programs in the state in the 1990’s and returns to the state tourney for the first time since 1998. Jacksonville (3A) made the trip to state four times from 1988-1998 and ends its state final hiatus after 13 seasons. New Trier (4A) reached state five times from 2000-2006 and enters in search of its first state final victory at Redbird Arena.


CLASS 1A
MT. PULASKI (32-8) VS. VALMEYER (28-9)
KEITH COUNTRY DAY (31-7) VS. TRI-COUNTY (35-2)
With all six starters back from last year’s Class 1A runner-up and legendary coach Donna Dulle guiding the squad, it’s no surprise to see Mt. Pulaski back at Redbird Arena. First-time qualifier Valmeyer will be battle-tested as only one of the squad’s nine losses this season came against 1A competition. Keith Country Day hopes to follow in Dakota’s footsteps after the Lady Cougars fell to the eventual state champs in the Regional Final a year ago. Tri-County looks to return to its perennial power status of the 1990’s and is off to a good start this postseason, where no opponent has yet to reach 20 points against the Lady Titans.


CLASS 2A
DAKOTA (36-4) VS. EDWARDS COUNTY (35-5)
DEER CREEK-MACKINAW (36-1) VS. RIVERDALE (32-2)
Dakota looks to become the first team in the four-class era to win titles in different classes and returns two starters from last year’s 41-1 squad. Edwards County is making its fourth state final appearance and looks to reach the title match for the first time ever. A loss in the regular-season finale following a 30-0 start hasn’t slowed Deer Creek-Mackinaw in the postseason, as the Lady Chiefs knocked off St. Teresa, a 2010 and 2011 state qualifier, in the Super-Sectional round . Riverdale breaks through and reaches state for the first time in 2012 after falling to eventual state champ Quincy Notre Dame in last year’s Super-Sectional.


CLASS 3A
CENTENNIAL CHARGERS (36-4) VS. ST. FRANCIS (35-5)
RICHMOND-BURTON (36-4) VS. JACKSONVILLE (30-8)
Centennial has won 30 matches or more in six consecutive seasons and has gradually built toward its first state final appearance in school history. St. Francis head coach Peg Kopec is the winningest coach in state history and now looks to avenge a regular-season defeat to Centennial in the semis, where the team lost to eventual state champ Mater Dei a year ago. Richmond-Burton is enjoying its best season in school history, which was highlighted with a Sectional Final win over 2011 Class 3A runner-up Marian, who ended the Lady Rockets season in Regionals a year ago. The Crimsons, who are led by one of the state’s top players in 6-2 junior Jaelyn Pate, are in search of their first state title since 1988 and second in school history.


CLASS 4A
MOTHER MCAULEY (35-4) VS. NEW TRIER (38-1)
LIBERTYVILLE (34-6) VS. BENET (38-2)
Mother McAuley is one of the most successful programs in state history and seeks its first state title in the Jen DeJarld era with her daughter Ryann leading a sophomore laden squad. New Trier won the inaugural IHSA tourney in 1974 and despite consistent success since, hopes that its sixth state final appearance under head coach Hannah Hsieh will produce its second title. Libertyville makes its second state final appearance ever and seeks its first win at Redbird Arena after going 0-2 and placing fourth in 2007. Since the move to four classes in 2007, Class 4A has produced five different champions, a trend Benet looks to end behind a talented team that hasn’t lost since September.

SITE
Redbird Arena (Normal)
Directions


SCHEDULE
Friday, November 9
Session 1
Class 1A Semifinals
Mt. Pulaski vs.
Valmeyer - 9:00 a.m.

Keith Country Day vs.
Tri-County - after match 1

Class 2A Semifinals
Dakota vs. Edwards County - after match 2

Deercreek-Mackinaw vs.
Riverdale - after match 3

Session 2
Class 3A Semifinals
Centennial vs.
St. Francis - 4:30 p.m.

Richmond-Burton vs. Jacksonville - after match 5

Class 4A Semifinals
Mother McAuley vs.
New Trier - after match 6

Libertyville vs.
Benet- after match 7


Saturday, November 10
Session 3
Class 1A Finals
Third-Place - 9:00 a.m.
Championship - after 3rd place match

Class 2A Finals
Third-Place - after  1A championship match
Championship - after 3rd place match

Session 4
Class 3A Finals
Third-Place - 4:30 p.m.
Championship - after 3rd place match

Class 4A Finals
Third-Place - after  3A championship match
Championship - after 3rd place match


WATCH
All matches available live on www.IHSA.tv


LISTEN
WMCI 101.3FM (Mattoon)
Tri-County only
Internet Broadcast

WFIW 104.9FM (Albion)
Edwards County only

WEAI 107.1FM (Jacksonville)
Jacksonville only

RESULTS & LIVE STATS
IHSA Girls Volleyball Page


TICKETS
$8 per session


INTERACT
use #IHSA on Twitter

Chat

Photos

Video


HISTORY & RECORDS
2012 IHSA State Series

Record Book & Past Champions