An impressive regular season has granted the Saint Ignatius varsity volleyball team a potentially golden path to Columbus.
The Volleyball Cats have received the No. 1 seed in the Ohio High School Boys Volleyball Association (OHSBVA) North Region. The playoff begins for the Wildcats on May 24.
With the No. 1 seed in the North Region, the Wildcats have arguably the easiest path to the State Quarterfinals. The men of Ohio City have No. 6, 7, 8 seeds on their side of the bracket. The No. 2, 3, 4, and 5 seeds are all on the other side of the North Region bracket.
The Wildcats' road to a repeat starts with a Regional Semifinal matchup with No. 8 Medina on Thursday, May 24. Walsh Jesuit will serve as the host site of the North Region tournament.
Should the Volleyball Cats beat the Bees, the Cats would face the winner of Hudson and Stow-Munroe Falls on Saturday, May 26 at 12:30 pm. The victor of that matchup clinches a berth in the OHSBVA State Quarterfinals on June 2 at Capital University.
The Wildcats have enjoyed success over North Region squads all season, defeating each of the other seven teams save for Medina. The Wildcats have a 7-0 overall record against North Region teams. Overall, the Cats have a 9-0 record against Northeast Ohio squads. The Wildcats wrap up the regular season vs. Massillon Jackson on Thursday.
"We had great team effort all year to come out with the one seed in the north region," said Head Coach Jacob Layden. "I think the honors the guys earned are a testament to their individual hard work and their contribution to the success of the team."
A return trip to Columbus in June would mark the team's 11th in as many seasons. The Wildcats won their first-ever State Championship last June.
Should the Wildcats advance to Columbus, the team would face the West Region's #2 team in the State Quarterfinals. No. 1 seed Beavercreek is the favorite to emerge as the West #2 representative. If the Cats won on Saturday, they would play on Sunday, June 3 at 10 am in the State Semifinals. A win in that contest would send the Cats to the State Final at 4 pm.
Here is the full OHSBVA State Tournament schedule:
Saturday, June 2:
Match 1 – 10:00am Division I Quarter-Final: East 1 vs. South 2
Match 2 – 11:45am Division I Quarter-Final: South 1 vs. East 2
Match 3 – 1:30pm Division I Quarter-Final: North 1 vs. West 2
Match 4 – 3:15pm Division I Quarter-Final: West 1 vs. North 2
Match 5 – 5:00pm Division II Semi-Final: North vs. West
Match 6 – 6:45pm Division II Semi-Final: East vs. South
Sunday, June 3:
Match 7 – 10:00am Division I Semi-Final: E1/S2 vs. N1/W2
11:00am OHSBVA/OBSVCA Meeting
Match 8 – 12:00pm Division I Semi-Final: W1/N2 vs. S1/E2
Match 9 – 2:00pm Division II Championship
(Immediately after DII Trophy Presentation)
Division II All-State Recognition
Division I All-State Recognition
Match 10 – 4:00pm Division I Championship