A one-year realignment for MHSAA volleyball places East Webster and Eupora in Region 2-2A, along with Philadelphia. All three will be fielding volleyball teams for the first time in the fall, which pleases coaches Jonathan Childs of Eupora and Dallas McCracken of East Webster. 'I think it will be good for us. It will put everybody in an equal situation,” Childs said. McCracken pointed out that most of the 2A schools in the area have not had volleyball teams in the past. “We're all on the same field. Everybody is going to be on ground zero together.” Eupora and East Webster are among schools that added volleyball to replace slow-pitch softball as a fall sport for girls. MHSAA discontinued slow-pitch due to a decreasing number of schools fielding teams. As a result of schools adding volleyball, MHSAA has gone from four to six classifications.1A, 2A and 3A schools had been combined in Class I. Twenty-nine teams will compete in 2A this year. Childs said there is interest in the sport at Eupora. “In leading up to Spring Break, there were people talking about it, excited about it. I feel that at Eupora we have the girls we need to compete. I think it will be fun.” He planned to have tryouts after Spring Break, but that was prevented by the cancellation of classes. Childs will also continue to coach Eupora girls basketball. “From August to February, I will be moving around.” East Webster held an interest meeting and about 100 junior high and high school girls attended. “That was awesome,” McCracken said. “That's East Webster. Our kids will come out.” Because of the interest, East Webster will also initiate a junior high program. McCracken has been a physical education teacher at East Webster for 23 years, and is a former softball coach, but will be coaching volleyball for the first time. “We're going to get in there and learn together. And we're going to have fun. I feel like we are going to be competitive. My goal is to win and I feel like we can win. We have athletes.” East Webster has a full schedule, including home-and-home with Eupora and Philadelphia. The top two teams in the region will qualify for the 2A playoffs. Class I playoffs were dominated by 3A schools last year, with all four semifinalists. St. Joseph is the only 2A school that advanced past the opening round of the playoffs so the tournament should be wide open. The tentative MHSAA schedule has July 27 as the first day for practice. A scrimmage is scheduled for August 3, classic games August 7 or 8, first games August 11 and the opening playoff round Oct. 15. There will be another realignment next year.
