Five bold predictions for each bracket of the girls volleyball playoffs

The N.C. High School Athletic Association and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association girls volleyball playoffs are underway.

In this playoff preview, we go over the different contenders and top players in each bracket.

Before reading, don't miss out on these helpful links for the girls volleyball playoffs: 

Helpful Links

• HighSchoolOT Volleyball Coverage
• NCHSAA Volleyball Championship History
• Girls Volleyball Statewide Top 25
• HighSchoolOT on YouTube
• View and Purchase Volleyball Photos
• Subscribe to HighSchoolOT Newsletters, Breaking News Alerts
• Statewide Scoreboard
• Daily Schedule
• Conference Standings
• Report Scores to HighSchoolOT

1. The best players in each bracket

North Carolina is a hotbed of girls volleyball talent (about half of the NCAA's top 10, in any given week, has at least one N.C. native playing a key role).

This postseason is no different.

• NCISAA 4A — Wesleyan Christian's Nejari Crooks (Penn State)
• NCISAA 3A — Wake Christian's Lydia Deans (Tennessee Tech)
• NCISAA 2A — Gaston Day's Kendyl Taylor (Jacksonville beach)
• NCISAA 1A — Halifax Academy's Payton Odom
• 8A — Green Hope's Chloe Burbage (Louisville)
• 7A — Reagan's Elly Randolph (Kentucky)
• 6A — J.H. Rose's Caroline Bayes
• 5A — Hickory's Kira Morin (Georgia Southern)
• 4A — Lake Norman Charter's Danielle Lewis (Missouri)
• 3A — Polk County's Reeve Carroll
• 2A — C.S. of Davidson's Rory Boyle (N.C. State)
• 1A — Vance Charter's Carson Rowan

2. The breakout stars in each bracket

Last season, players like West Forsyth's Aurora Rosa, Wake Christian's Lydia Deans, and Cedar Ridge's Dani Solomon had outstanding postseasons that led to them cementing a spot on the HighSchoolOT all-state team. 

Here's an idea of who might do the same this year.

• NCISAA 4A — Charlotte Country Day's Sanaa Mohammed
• NCISAA 3A — Asheville Christian's Reece Shuman
• NCISAA 2A — Faith Christian School's Tynleigh Hinton
• NCISAA 1A — Statesville Christian's Addison Layne
• 8A — East Mecklenburg's Jane Young
• 7A — Weddington's Kendyl Younger
• 6A — Union Pines' Madeline Adair
• 5A — Jesse Carson's Rylee Hedrick
• 4A — Southwestern Randolph's Cheynne Dixon
• 3A — Midway's Ella Clark
• 2A — Camden County's Bailey Miller
• 1A — Robbinsville's Zaelyn Phillips

3. The toughest regions to win, ranked

Hickory brought back just about everyone from last year, but it's the toughest bracket in our estimation. 

The 7A and 6A classes have a lot of parity at the top as well.

1. 5A (Hickory, West Henderson, Franklin, Jesse Carson, Seaforth, Cedar Ridge, South Point)
2. 7A (Marvin Ridge, D.H. Conley, Cardinal Gibbons, Reagan, Heritage)
3. 6A (North Iredell, J.H. Rose, Northern Guilford, Watauga, East Chapel Hill, West Johnston, Swansboro)
4. 8A (Green Level, Green Hope, Hoggard, West Forsyth)
5. NCISAA 4A (North Raleigh Christian, Charlotte Latin, Charlotte Country Day, Wesleyan Christian)
6. 2A (Cherokee, C.S. of Davidson, Cornerstone Charter, Camden County, Holmes, Perquimans, Manteo)
7. NCISAA 3A (Wake Christian, Davidson Day, Asheville Christian)
8. 4A (Lake Norman Charter, Uwharrie Charter, Southwestern Randolph)
9. 3A (Pine Lake Prep, Midway, Ayden-Grifton, Trinity, East Surry, North Stanly, Wake Prep)
10. 1A (N.C. Leadership Academy, Robbinsville, Falls Lake, Vance Charter)
11. NCISAA 2A (Faith Christian School, St. Thomas More, Gaston Day, Hickory Christian)
12. NCISAA 1A (Statesville Christian, Halifax Academy)

4. The defending champions' likelihood of repeating, ranked

Truth be told, it's not hard to envision NINE of these teams repeating. 

The chances of it actually playing out that way, however, are slim -- but they're not zero.

1. Lake Norman Charter (4A), 1-seed West
2. J.H. Rose (6A), 2-seed East
3. Hickory (5A), 2-seed West
4. Green Level (8A), 1-seed East
5. D.H. Conley (7A), 1-seed East
6. C.S. of Davidson (2A), 2-seed West
7. Wake Christian (NCISAA 3A), 1-seed
8. North Raleigh Christian (NCISAA 4A), 1-seed
9. Falls Lake (1A), 3-seed East
10. Gaston Day (NCISAA 2A), 4-seed
11. Ayden-Grifton (3A), 3-seed East
12. Lawrence Academy (NCISAA 1A), 4-seed

5. Who's going to win it all?

You were probably waiting for this, right? 

Here are our championship predictions:

• NCISAA 4A — North Raleigh Christian over Charlotte Latin
• NCISAA 3A — Davidson Day over Wake Christian
• NCISAA 2A — St. Thomas More over Gaston Day
• NCISAA 1A — Halifax Academy over Statesville Christian
• 8A — Green Level over West Forsyth
• 7A — Cardinal Gibbons over Marvin Ridge
• 6A — J.H. Rose over North Iredell
• 5A — Hickory over Cedar Ridge
• 4A — Lake Norman Charter over Southwestern Randolph
• 3A — Midway over Pine Lake Prep
• 2A — C.S. of Davidson over Camden County
• 1A — Vance Charter over N.C. Leadership Academy

BONUS: A team that could break through

Did you know -- Watauga, Perquimans, and Camden County have the three most playoff victories in NCHSAA history without a championship. 

All three have more than a fighting chance in their brackets.  

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