ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In high school sports, class and district assignments are treated like a holiday by diehard fans, athletes and coaches. The early wake-up to check where a favorite team is placed resembles that of a child on Christmas morning. For coach Kim Huss and the rest of Bishop LeBlond volleyball, the move back down to Class 2 had the group as excited as those first presents being opened.
“We’re excited to be in Class 2 I think that’s where we naturally fit based on our enrollment,” Huss said. “We know that we have a tough road ahead of us with our MEC schedule of games and the regular season. So we’re just looking to build on regular season and head into postseason strong.”
Bishop LeBlond lands in Class 2 District 16. The move also comes after MSHSAA reevaluated its Championship Factor system this summer. The association adopted a depreciating model that gives more weight to recent postseason success while older accomplishments gradually count for less over the six-year window. With some of LeBlond’s previous deep postseason runs carrying less weight as they age, the change likely played a role in allowing the Golden Eagles to return to Class 2 despite the program’s sustained success.
On the opposite side of what could be a sectional matchup, sit Mid-Buchanan and East Buchanan. Mid-Buchanan brings a star-studded cast, while East Buchanan returns five of six starters from last year’s run to state. The two district winners between LeBlond’s 16 and the KCI’s 15 will meet in the sectional round in a game that could solidify the winner as one of the most dangerous teams in the state.
The possibility of that sectional matchup featuring two Buchanan County teams only adds to the intrigue. With the state Final Four held at Civic Arena in St. Joseph, teams across the area have an opportunity to play for a trip to state just minutes from home.
“I think that, probably for our kids, the disappointment of being moved up last year was because it was the first year that the final four was actually going to be in St. Joseph instead of Cape Girardeau,” Huss said. “So we’ve made five trips to Cape Girardeau but we’ve never got to play here in the hometown, so now we have something to work for, we’re going to try to work to get into the final four here.”
Although Bishop LeBlond volleyball can simply be described as a dynasty, the Golden Eagles have never hoisted a state championship trophy. With LeBlond’s high level of play, the move back to Class 2 and the state tournament being hosted just three miles away, the dream gets a little more real by the day.
That dream won’t come without its challenges. A potential sectional matchup between two local juggernauts could be one of the toughest matches of the entire postseason, and every team still has an entire regular season to navigate before it can worry about getting there.
For the Golden Eagles, though, the destination has never been easier to picture. After years of traveling across the state in pursuit of a championship, LeBlond now has a chance to finish its season in its own backyard in the Class where they’ve seen the most success.
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