Published: September 08, 2008 10:30 pm      

More at stake than bragging rights

No. 1 Memoria, No. 3 Santa Fe, and No. 7 North set for battle

Volleyball season has reached the midway point, increasing the importance of tonight’s All-Edmond Triangular. What’s at stake? The city championship, of course, but much more hinges on the outcome.

“It’s very big. The city championship is at stake, but what’s most important is the state rankings. This effects our seeding later on down the road,” Santa Fe head coach WIll Ethridge said.

Ethridge’s squad is No. 3 in the latest poll, which was released on Monday. Memorial is the No. 1-ranked team in the state, earning 13 of 24 first-place votes. North is currently ranked seventh, but that could all change after tonight.

Memorial and North are both healthy, while Santa Fe hasn’t been so fortunate. Middle blocker Alex Hodges is suffering from shin splints that require her to wear a boot during the day, while Heather Hartness, who plays on the back row, is presumably out for the season after having an appendectomy this week.

“It should have been a good week of practice, but it hasn’t gone as planned,” Ethridge said. “I’m quite a bit concerned, we need to play very well just to maintain the level we’ve been playing at. That’s going to be tough, because I think the other two teams are healthy. It’s going to be interesting to see how we respond to these setbacks.”

North appears to have the most to gain. On a night when the Lady Huskies take on the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the state, a pair of wins would catapult them in the rankings.

Memorial is fighting to keep its No. 1-spot, while Santa Fe needs to earn at least one win to prove it belongs in the top five.

“There’s a chance we will play 15 games tomorrow night, when you have quality teams like this, that’s always probable,” Ethridge said. “Of course, I thought that was going to happen against Kelley, and they swept us in three, then did the same thing to Memorial.”

Memorial is 9-2 on the year, with its only losses coming to No. 2 Union, and class 5A’s No. 1 Bishop Kelley. Santa Fe is 10-3, losing to Memorial, No. 4-ranked Owasso, and Kelley. North is 7-6, having been defeated by both Memorial and Santa Fe at the Union Tournament.

North will take on Santa Fe at 4 p.m. followed by Santa Fe vs. Memorial at 5:45. North will then face Memorial at 7:30.