Jackson County Central will be part of a powerful 32-team field for the 36th annual Todd L. Bachman Invitational volleyball tournament hosted by Lakeville North Friday and Saturday. A total of 16 schools will have both varsity and JV teams competing,
For the varsity tourney, 10 teams are at least receiving votes in this week's ratings by the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association, including all four in the Huskies' pool.
JCC is ranked second in Class 2A and has a record of 20-3.
Each of those losses has been to be a team ranked first in the state, two from Minnesota (Class 3A Marshall and Class 2A Southwest Christian) and one from South Dakota (Class AA Sioux Falls Christian.
Jackson County Central opens pool play at 5 p.m. Friday vs. Class 2A No. 7 Caledonia (16-4). The Huskies defeated Caledonia 2-1 at the Class AA Showcase in Burnsville last month.
JCC then faces Class 4A receiving votes Prior Lake (11-11) at 7:30 p.m. The Huskies concludes pool play at 9 a.m. Saturday vs. Class 4A No. 5 Eden Prairie (11-4).
Bracket play will follow.
Here are the pool assignments:
Pool 1
Eden Prairie (Class 4A No. 5)
Jackson County Central (Class 2A No. 2)
Prior Lake (Class 4A RV)
Caledonia (Class 2A No. 7)
Pool 2
Marshall (Class 3A No. 1)
Sioux Falls Roosevelt
Lakeville South
Rochester Mayo
Pool 3
East Ridge (Class 4A No. 7)
Northfield (Class 4A No. 9)
New Prague (Class 3A No. 5)
Hill-Murray
Pool 4
Stewartville (Class 3A No. 2)
Lakeville North (Class 4A No. 8)
Moorhead
Rochester Century
The JV tourney is bracket play.
JCC plays Moorhead at 5 p.m. Friday and then meets either Lakeville North or Caledonia at 7:30. Teams play two more matches on Saturday.
The tournament is named after Todd Bachman, an institution in the Twin Cities gardening community and the father of Elisabeth (Wiz) Bachman, a 2004 Olympic volleyball player.
He was stabbed to death while attending the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Wiz is married to U.S. men's volleyball (and current University of Minnesota) coach Hugh McCutcheon, who was there competing in the games.