East Union is gearing up for its first postseason appearance in girls volleyball since 2015, while Lathrop and River Islands are aiming for their first playoff victories.
Meanwhile, River Islands’ undefeated flag football team wants to continue building on its historic second season.
The Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs begin this week, with girls volleyball beginning tonight and flag football on Wednesday. Championship games for both sports are on Nov. 7 at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento.
Play-in contests took place on Monday, and one local team needed to compete in an extra match to qualify. Sierra’s girls volleyball team swept Golden Valley to earn the No. 15 seed and the right to meet No. 2 Rio Americano (37-6) in the loaded Division II bracket.
The Timberwolves (19-10) join cross-town rival and fellow Valley Oak League co-champion Manteca (19-5), which has an even longer trip ahead as the No. 11 seed. The Buffaloes head to battle-tested No. 6 seed Granite Bay (19-18).
Four area schools are in Division III.
Four-time Trans Valley League titlist Ripon (24-4) is the top seed and highly favored to reach final. Second-seeded Nevada Union (32-14), coached by former Ripon assistant Brad Keethe, is the favorite to come out of the other side of the bracket. Ripon opens tonight with Vanden (12-18), which swept Beyer in a play-in, 25-18, 25-17, 25-12.
Western Athletic Conference champ Lathrop (26-3) rode a 25-match winning streak in the regular season to the No. 3 seed. The Spartans are 0-7 all-time in the SJS playoffs and will look to end the drought against No. 14 Twelve Bridges (7-16).
If things go as expected for the Spartans, they’re guaranteed to reunite with a familiar opponent on Thursday. They’d host the winner of No. 6 Ripon Christian (14-15) and No. 11 East Union (11-14). Lathrop swept East Union in a non-league match last month, and it was Ripon Christian that knocked off the Spartans in the opening round two years ago.
Third-year River Islands (11-13) is in the Division IV playoffs for a third straight season. The 14th-seeded Riptide have a tough first-round draw in No. 3 Escalon (20-10)
For flag football, River Islands received the third seed after finishing 18-0 in the regular season with a Central California Athletic Alliance crown. No. 14 Greene Academy (14-12) of Sacramento visits on Wednesday.
Manteca (17-4) had its best regular-season campaign, ending up as the runner-up of the VOL. The 11th-seeded Buffaloes travel to No. 6 Lodi (18-4), the Tri-City Athletic League co-champion.
Sierra (13-8) is seeded eighth in Division III and welcomes No. 9 Fairfield (14-6). The winner likely takes on defending D-III champion Christian Brothers (17-5), seeded No. 1, Two-time reigning WAC champ and No. 4 seed Lathrop (20-3) takes on No. 13 Vanden (12-13-2).
Ripon (15-10) is on the visiting end of the Nos. 8-9 match-up in Division IV. Twelve Bridges (11-7) is the host. A win would likely send Ripon to a rematch with TVL foe at No. 1 seed Hilmar (19-3).
