Everyone’s chasing West Delaware in the Wamac

MARION - What's it going to take? According to Maggie Willems, quite a bit.

'To play with West Delaware, you really have to play a near-perfect match,” said Willems, the volleyball coach at Mount Vernon. 'The longer the match goes, the better they seem to get. Their setter (Carlee Ketchum) is wicked smart. So you have to play 25 points of nearly flawless volleyball to have a chance.”

Class 4A top-ranked West Delaware (41-2) is the favorite as the Wamac Conference tournament moves to bracket play Tuesday at Marion High School.

All 16 Wamac teams will congregate at Marion, including eight in the championship bracket. Action starts at 4 p.m.

West Delaware won its pool Thursday, as did 3A No. 5 Mount Vernon (22-11), 4A No. 5 Marion (26-7) and 4A No. 13 Western Dubuque (20-11).

The Mustangs tripped 3A No. 6 Center Point-Urbana (27-6), which will face West Delaware in a quarterfinal match at 5 p.m.

'That was an important win for us,” Willems said. 'We've been battling injuries, so it's remarkable how we have responded.”

The Wamac sent five teams to the state tournament last year. West Delaware was the 4A runner-up, and Solon beat Mount Vernon in the 3A final. If the league is down from that lofty perch this fall, it's not by much.

'CPU and Western Dubuque have gotten a lot better. They both have great size,” Willems said. 'Marion is great, they have size and experience.

'We feel good. We feel confident. We're getting better at the right time of the year.”

Mount Vernon faces Clear Creek Amana (23-14) at 4 p.m. in the first round. Western Dubuque faces Dyersville Beckman (15-17) at 4; Marion meets Independence (20-12) at 5.

Semifinals are scheduled for 6:30, the championship at 7:15.

POSTSEASON BEGINS IN 1A, 2A

Regionals begin Tuesday in Class 2A and Class 1A, with a pair of area ranked teams in action.

North Cedar (26-9), the 14th-ranked team in 2A, hosts Bellevue (3-18) at Clarence. Class 1A No. 9 Iowa Valley (22-8), the South Iowa Cedar League champion, faces Lynnville-Sully (10-8) at Marengo.

Both matches begin at 7 p.m.

Among area teams with first-round byes are 2A No. 4 West Branch and 1A No. 5 Springville. Both begin their postseason run next Tuesday.

Regionals kick off next Monday in 3A, 4A and 5A.

WAMAC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

Tuesday, at Marion High School

Quarterfinals

West Delaware (41-2) vs. Center Point-Urbana (27-6), 5 p.m.

Mount Vernon (22-11) vs. Clear Creek Amana (23-14), 4 p.m.

Western Dubuque (20-11) vs. Dyersville Beckman (15-17), 4 p.m.

Marion (26-7) vs. Independence (20-12), 5 p.m.

Semifinals

Top bracket, 6:30 p.m.

Botton bracket, 6:30 p.m.

Championship

Semifinal winners, 7:15 p.m.

TUESDAY'S CLASS 2A REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

(All matches, 7 p.m.)

Region 6

North Butler at Jesup

MFL MarMac at South Winneshiek

Mason City Newman at Saint Ansgar

Belmond-Klemme at Central Springs

Region 7

Edgewood-Colesburg at Maquoketa Valley

Clayton Ridge at Starmont

Bellevue at North Cedar

East Buchanan at North-Linn

Region 8

Iowa City Regina at BGM

Columbus Community at Highland

Wilton at Durant

Danville at West Burlington

TUESDAY'S CLASS 1A REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

(All matches, 7 p.m.)

Region 5

Lynnville-Sully at Iowa Valley

Montezuma at Belle Plaine

Ankeny Christian at HLV

Ackley AGWSR at Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Meskwaki Settlement at Colo-Nesco

Garwin GMG at North Tama

Region 6

Riceville at Rockford

Elkader Central at Tripoli

Lansing Kee at Turkey Valley

Valley Lutheran at Dunkerton

Clarksville at West Central

Waterloo Christian at Central City

Region 7

Easton Valley at Bellevue Marquette

Clinton Prince of Peace at Midland

Cedar Valley Christian at Lone Tree

Winfield-Mt. Union at Burl. Notre Dame

English Valleys at WACO

Keota at Iowa Mennonite

Region 8

Fairfield Maharishi at New London

Tri-County at Sigourney

Melcher-Dallas at Southeast Warren

Harmony at Fort Madison Holy Trinity

Mormon Trail at Moravia

Wayne at Seymour

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com