Section playoffs set

Five Mid-Valley Northern Section volleyball teams have earned bids into the postseason, and two of the those teams will face off to open Division V play.

No. 11 Colusa (9-10, 5-5 Sacramento Valley League) will visit No. 6 East Nicolaus (17-8-2, 8-2 Mid-Valley League) in a rematch from both teams' season openers.

While East Nicolaus defeated the road team, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-13, in late August in a match peppered with impressive statistics, the question of which team improved more throughout the course of the regular season will be answered on Thursday at 7 p.m.

In their only meeting this season, Spartans' hitter Juliet Conant led her team with 12 kills and four aces, while Hailey Green recorded 10 digs and Haley Uhland added 20 assists.

Meanwhile, Megaly Acevedo dropped seven aces and Colusa teammate Erika Avina added five blocks.

Caroline Meyers led Colusa with 146 kills this season, while Avina sits just behind with 132.

And while five girls are in double-digits in the ace category, there's no question who the team wants drilling it over the net in crunchtime.

Acevedo averages seven aces a match and has 50 on the year.

Of course, the Spartans have some impressive stats of their own.

Conant has simply been a monster this season, racking up 330 kills and averaging eight aces per match, while Uhland has dished 492 assists.

In Division IV, No. 6 Live Oak (6-14, 5-5 SVL) visits No. 3 Central Valley (21-9, 8-2 Northern Athletic League) on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Central Valley endured a tough non-league schedule before winning eight of its last nine matches.

Live Oak won three of its last four to squeeze into the postseason.

Bitter rivals No. 1 Sutter (39-1, 10-0 Butte View League) and No. 2 Gridley (23-8-1, 8-2 BVL) earned first-round byes and will host home matches on Nov. 18.

If the two teams win, they will meet in Sutter on Nov. 22 for the Division IV title.

Sutter is led by Whitney Lee's 304 kills and Jessica Moore's 223. Lee also has 63 blocks, while teammates Kayli Paulucci and Kamalei Clifton have combined for more than 800 assists this season.

Five Bulldogs have notched more than 100 kills, led by Kacy Blenn's 159. Erica Palencia leads the club with 257 digs, while Teryn Mathews' 538 assists are tops on the team.