Volleyball Game Preview: Father McGivney Catholic Griffins vs. Belleville West Maroons

The Father McGivney Catholic Griffins will take on the Belleville West Maroons in a tournament on Friday.

On Thursday, Father McGivney Catholic came up short against Edwardsville and fell 2-0. The Griffins have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.

The match finished with set scores of 25-14, 25-18.

Meanwhile, Belleville West beat Granite City 2-0 on Wednesday. The Maroons haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.

Belleville West never let Granite City on the board, but things got pretty close in the first set. The final score came out to 25-23, 25-11.

Belleville West's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Father McGivney Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.

Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Father McGivney Catholic hasn't let much over the net this season, having averaged 4.9 blocks per game. It's a different story for Belleville West, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 blocks. Given Father McGivney Catholic's sizable advantage in that area, the Maroons will need to find a way to close that gap.

Father McGivney Catholic was able to grind out a solid victory over Belleville West in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 2-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Griffins since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.