The IHSAA volleyball postseason is here.
It has been a competitive season across Southwestern Indiana. Four teams enter sectionals ranked in the latest IndianaPrepVolleyball Z-Ratings: Jasper (4A, No. 5), Perry Central (3A, No. 6), Tecumseh (1A, No. 3) and Evansville Christian (1A, No. 6). The four teams have been ranked for much of the season.
More: Here are the 2026 IHSAA volleyball sectional pairings for Southwestern Indiana
Sectionals begin on October 13. The only Southwestern Indiana bracket that will play on opening night is Sectional 31 at Jasper.
The most intriguing opening round matchup is Tecumseh and Evansville Christian which will meet to open Sectional 64 (Northeast Dubois) play on October 15. And in the Evansville area, Castle and North drew each other in Sectional 16.
The winners of both matchups can be considered sectional favorites. There is plenty more to preview as the postseason gets underway too.
Time to check in with the SW Indiana programs.
SIAC
Jasper opens Sectional 31 (Jasper) hosting Heritage Hills.
It is an opponent the Wildcats defeated in their third match of the season – 3-0 on August 25. Jasper setter Halle Recker led the way with 34 assists. Still, the Patriots enter the sectional winning five of their last six matches.
A potential meeting with No. 12 Barr-Reeve looms in the championship match. Jasper defeated the Vikings 3-1 on August 15 in a match where Recker had 41 assists.
These numbers are typical for the Evansville commit who recently eclipsed 2,000 career assists.
But Jennifer Hopf’s group is a unit – earning contributions from everyone who steps onto the court. The Wildcats are looking to win a third consecutive sectional title this week.
Castle and North is essentially the championship match in Sectional 16.
Castle will be looking to extend its IHSAA record of 43 sectional titles to 44. The Knights have won five straight.
The Huskies have not won a sectional title in program history. But this could be the year. North, No. 2 in the SIAC, defeated Castle 3-1 on September 29. You can point to Annabelle Freels’ kills, Anna McCandless’ defensive play or a combined 42 assists from Tessa Wilke and Cameron Frome as reasons for the win.
But unlike that matchup, this one will be at Castle. The environment in Newburgh should be electric when the two meet on October 15.
Castle is entering the sectional winning five in a row. Before that streak, the loss to North and Tecumseh the next night in a five-set thriller.
After the loss to the Braves, Knights coach Lexi Blackwell said the team was still trying to find its togetherness.
“I don’t think it’s good enough yet, but we’re working super hard,” Blackwell said. “We’re mixing with new people, building every single relationship and not just sticking with friends. That way we can be strong and have that trust on the court.”
Blackwell said the biggest areas of growth for this group has been confidence. Coming into the season, the Knights roster featured many girls who were inexperienced at the varsity level.
At least in their recent stretch, things are improving for Castle heading into the postseason likely playing its best volleyball of the season.
Elsewhere in the SIAC, Mater Dei and Memorial are teams to watch for in Sectional 32. The two programs have a great chance at meeting in the championship match on October 17.
After a 4-7 start to the season, the Wildcats have won 15 of their last 18 matches. Whether that comes down to strength of schedule or not yet finding its form, things have shifted for Mater Dei. The program has not won a sectional since 2018.
The group is led by seniors Leah Heldman (288 kills), Caroline Schultheis (214 kills), Lauren Black (430 assists) and Madelan Mayer (405 digs). Surely, coach Amy Nussmeier will be leaning on the quartet’s experience in the postseason.
Memorial experienced a tough losing stretch in September of eight consecutive matches. Since then, the Tigers have won 9 of their last 11.
They enter the postseason looking to win its fifth sectional title in the last six seasons.
Seniors Maysa Lawrence (507 digs) and Addison Wojkovich (351 assists) have played a strong part in this team’s success. But there is depth elsewhere — including from freshman hitter Allsynn Garau who has 211 kills.
PAC
Tecumseh remains the team to beat in the PAC. And just how skilled the Braves are will be put to the test early in the sectional.
Being in the same sectional as Evansville Christian left open the possibility for these teams to meet. It is happening earlier than most would hope but it will make for a great tone setter for both teams at Northeast Dubois this week.
The Braves finished the regular season 26-6; losing two of its last four matches to Elizabethtown (KY) and Barr-Reeve. Tecumseh’s advantage is it will enter postseason play with a strong strength of schedule.
After a 3-1 win on September 24 against North Posey, Braves coach Ashley Breivogel liked where her team was trending.
“We’re growing into where we want to be towards sectional time,” Breivogel said. “Ideally, you’re playing your best ball in October and that’s been our goal since day one. I would say it’s messy a little bit still, but we’re definitely working toward being ready to roll in a couple weeks.”
Tecumseh clinched the PAC title for the seventh consecutive season. The program has a winning streak that extends back to the 2019 season.
Expect the winner of its match against Evansville Christian on October 15 to advance past the sectional.
Speaking of North Posey, the Vikings are the hottest team in the PAC entering Sectional 48 at Perry Central. They have a first-round bye and will face the winner of Tell City/Perry Central in the semifinal. Perry Central is one of the best teams in the state, and Tell City is No. 3 in the PAC, so it is certainly a tough side of the bracket.
Prior to the loss to Tecumseh, North Posey came in winning 10 of its last 11 matches. And to finish the regular season, eight of its final nine.
After the Tecumseh loss, Vikings coach Natalie Macaulay said the success can be attributed to how the girls are meshing in different rotations.
“I have 12 or 13 girls on the sideline that are ready to go in any time,” Macaulay said. “That’s what makes this a weapon.”
North Posey’s earned contributions from Sage Mueller (318 kills), Ayela Hoehn (565 assists), Kenna Hoehn (330 digs), Avery Little (219 kills) and others who speak to the depth of the group.
The PAC is a competitive conference. In addition to Tecumseh and North Posey, Tell City, Forest Park, Gibson Southern, Heritage Hills, Boonville, Southridge and Washington all finished the regular season with conference records of .500 or better.
Perry Central, Barr-Reeve
At 30-1, Perry Central has been nothing short of exceptional this season. The Commodores are eyeing their first sectional title since 2014.
They will certainly be a threat as tournament hosts of Sectional 48, but they must overcome Tell City and North Posey to get closer to a title being the outcome.
Perry Central’s lone loss came on September 10 against Tell City. It makes for an intriguing opening match against the Marksmen on October 15.
Commodores coach Melissa James said the key to her group’s success has been turning defense into offense.
“Our serving and passing have been solid, giving us an advantage in regard to control of the matches,” James said. “We have multiple athletes who can score in a multitude of ways, which keeps opposing defenses off balance.”
It is a culture set by seniors like Masen Labhart (308 kills, 428 assists) and Kaitlyn Goffinet (335 digs) that allows Perry Central to have strength in numbers. The two may be the ones who stand out statistically, but the Commodores’ success can be attributed to how versatile they are across the board.
“We are truly reliant on every single athlete understanding and executing their job in practice and games,” James said. “We pride ourselves on being complete volleyball athletes, not just position players, which leads to different people stepping up each night.
Barr-Reeve is 25-5 and enters Sectional 31 on a nine-game winning streak. That includes a 3-0 win over Tecumseh on October 8.
Sectional 31 is a tough one to navigate, but avoiding Jasper’s side of the bracket is a benefit. Still, the Vikings will not find it easy with Vincennes Lincoln (23-8) and Gibson Southern (18-8) looming as a possible semifinal matchup.
While Barr-Reeve defeated the Alices 3-0 on September 29, they lost to Gibson Southern in the opening match of the season on August 15. That was a while ago; both teams are in a different state at this point.
The Vikings have been led by Joslyn Knepp (277 kills), Hallie Knepp (603 assists) and Lora Graber (301 digs) this season, among others. The defending 2A champions open sectional play on October 13 against Princeton (11-17).
Markos Tsegaye is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. He can be reached at mtsegaye@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @10_Markos_.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA girls volleyball sectional preview for SW Indiana