Marshfield’s volleyball team will host La Grande as the top-ranked Pirates try to advance to the Class 4A state tournament.
The playoff bracket was finalized Tuesday after all the play-in round matches were contested, including a victory by North Bend that pushed the Bulldogs into the playoffs as well. North Bend travels to Mazama on Saturday for its first-round playoff match.
Marshfield enters the playoffs on a six-match win streak, including a victory over Class 2A power Gaston in a nonleague match Tuesday at Cottage Grove High School. The Pirates are 19-3 overall and have not lost to a Class 4A school all seasons. The setbacks were to Class 6A Roseburg in the season opener, to Sisters (No. 1 in Class 3A) at a tournament and to Class 5A Crater at home.
La Grande finished 3-3 in the Greater Oregon League and has an overall losing record (6-14). But the Tigers did win their play-in match Tuesday, beating visiting Stayton 25-16, 25-19, 25-17.
North Bend, meanwhile, topped Astoria 25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 25-13 at home Tuesday in its play-in match.
The Bulldogs, 12-9 overall and ranked 11th in the Class 4A power rankings, visit Mazama, which shared the Skyline League title with Henley, each sporting 7-1 league records. The Vikings, 14-7 overall, split their matches with Henley during the league season, but beat the Hornets in Marshfield’s tournament before falling to the host Pirates in the championship match. Mazama is the No. 6 seed for the playoffs.
Marist Catholic, which beat North Bend to earn the No. 2 seed for the Sky-Em League after both finished with 5-3 league records, also advanced to the playoffs by beating St. Helens 25-20, 25-10, 25-20 on Tuesday. The Spartans face Crook County in the first round on Saturday, with the winner facing Marshfield or La Grande in the quarterfinals at Springfield High School.
The North Bend-Mazama winner faces either No. 3 seed The Dalles or Scappoose in the quarterfinals.
The Sky-Em League’s other two teams both lost in the play-in round. Cottage Grove fell to Philomath 25-17, 25-12, 25-18 and Junction City lost at Sweet Home 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-11.
CLASS 3A: Coquille will be at Creswell on Saturday for its second-round match, scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Red Devils are seeded No. 10 and Creswell No. 7 after Coquille, the Far West League champion, lost to St. Mary’s in the league title game.
The Class 3A playoffs started Wednesday with four matches, including Siuslaw hosting Vale (results were not available). The Siuslaw-Vale winner faces No. 2 Pleasant Hill on Saturday, with the winner of that match facing Coquille or Creswell in the quarterfinals at Springfield.