No Tripoli, so Lisbon's state hopes are legitimate

The Class 1A Region 7 volleyball brackets have balance.

But they don't have a road block -- namely, Tripoli. And that's a huge relief to the Lisbon Lions.

"We really wanted to avoid Tripoli," said Lions Coach Lance Kamous. "They went over to the Westside Invitational (at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Oct. 8th) and won the thing. For a 1A school, they're phenomenal."

But because the top-ranked Panthers -- winners of nine of the last 12 1A championships -- are in another region, they're a menace that need not be dealt with for a good, long time.

Instead, No. 11 Lisbon (24-8) is one of several contenders in that region, including three ranked squads, with legitimate hopes of reaching the state tournament Nov. 9-12 at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

"It's a very balanced region," Kamous said. "We're happy we didn't have to go too far north, but the kids realize they have to play well, or it's not going to end the way we want it to end."

Lisbon opens Wednesday at home against Cedar Valley Christian (1-26), a team in its first year of state-sanctioned volleyball.

Other ranked teams in the region include No. 6 Janesville -- last year's state runner-up, which the Lions could face in the semifinals -- and No. 7 Bellevue Marquette, a potential regional-final foe.

Lisbon was a regional finalist last year, its deepest tournament advancement ever in volleyball.

Class 2A regionals begin Tuesday. The area's best hopes to reach the Ice Arena are Cedar Valley Conference inhabitants West Branch and West Liberty.

No. 9 West Branch (34-5) opens at home in a Region 5 matchup with Highland (6-18); 10th-ranked West Liberty (23-10) starts play in Region 8 with a home date against Wilton (12-22).

The area's other 2A ranked team, No. 12 Edgewood-Colesburg (29-3), hosts Clayton Ridge (5-18) in a Region 7 encounter.