Genoa-Kingston is the defending Class 2A state champion (and facing the defending 2A runner-up). Kaneland has reached a 3A sectional in six of the last seven postseasons. And Sycamore is back in a sectional for the first time since 2015.

Here’s a look at each team as they prepare for sectional semifinals on Monday. A win pushes them into the final Wednesday, with the supersectional round looming Friday.

Class 2A

Genoa-Kingston Cogs (36-1)

How they got here: The Cogs knocked off Byron 25-12, 25-10 in the first round of the Aquin Regional, then needed three sets to get by the hosts in a 25-9, 25-27, 25-17 win.

What’s next: No. 1 Genoa-Kingston faces No. 2 IC Catholic in the semifinals of the Genoa-Kingston sectional at 7 p.m. Monday in a rematch of last year’s state title game. The winner faces either No. 3 Rockford Christian or No. 1 Timothy Christian in the final at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The winner heads to the Timothy Christian Supersectional on Friday.

Who to know: The Cogs return the trio that powered their run to the state championship last year, starting with senior Alayna Pierce. She’s got 476 kills and a kill percentage of 54.6%. She’s also second on the team with 221 digs and third with 49 aces. Senior Alivia Keegan has 303 kills but also is the team’s top distributor with 441 assists. Senior Hannah Langton provides the defense with 311 digs to lead the team. She’s also tied for the team lead with 69 aces. But junior Mia Wise has played a big role for the Cogs as well, she’s tied with Langton for the team lead in aces, is third with 92 kills and 159 digs, and is second with 302 assists.

What to know: The Cogs are absolutely stacked this year, but so is IC Catholic (32-3), with its own trio of senior returners powering the ship. Senior Ava Falduto has 319 kills and 295 digs. Alysa Lawton has 318 digs. And Lucy Russ has 694 digs. It’s a match custom made for a state championship game, just happening five rounds earlier. The Knights have lost to York, Marist and Mother McAuley, while the Cogs’ lone loss is to St. Charles North.

Class 3A

Sycamore Spartans (22-14)

How they got here: The Spartans won the Burlington Central regional with a 14-25, 25-15, 25-18 win over the hosts. They knocked off Lake Forest, 25-21, 25-16 in the first round.

What’s next: The No. 6 Spartans face No. 1 St. Francis at 6 p.m. Monday in the St. Francis Sectional, with the winner playing No. 2 West Chicago or No. 3 Deerfield at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The winner of the sectional advances to the Antioch Supersectional at 6 p.m. Friday.

Who to know: Laci Neece and Ava Carpenter power the Sycamore attack at the net. Carpenter is hitting at a 20% clip and has 100 digs. Neece has a hitting percentage of 38.8% with 130 digs. Grace Lichardt also has been a force around the middle of the net for the Spartans, and Reese Morgan has 175 digs.

What to know: After beating the Rockets, Neece said the team wanted to win its first regional since “I don’t even remember.” Turns out, she would have been in about fifth grade when the Spartans last claimed a regional crown in 2015. Kaneland has been a frequent postseason thorn in the Spartans’ side, ending their season four times since that 2015 regional crown. The Knights are in a different supersectional. The Spartans needing three sets isn’t really a surprise. They’re 8-7 in matches that go three sets, or 42% of their matches this year.

Kaneland Knights (27-10)

How they got here: The Knights opened the postseason with a 25-5, 25-2 win over Solario in a Montini Regional semifinal, then knocked off the hosts 25-23, 25-20 for the crown.

What’s next: No. 2 Kaneland faces No. 3 St. Laurence in a sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Monday, with the winner to face either No. 9 Chicago Kennedy or No. 5 Glenbard South at 6 p.m. for the final. The winner advances to the Little Village Supersectional.

Who to know: Rosie Karl is a front-row force for the Knights with 290 kills and 23 blocks. But she can also play some defense, with 183 digs. She serves a 92% clip with 32 aces. Mia Vassallo has 301 digs, a serve receive rating of 2.25, and serves at a 92.4% clip with 46 aces. Sophie Kanzur has 106 kills and 61 blocks playing along the front row.

What to know: There are only two years when the Knights haven’t made the sectional round since 2016. In 2017, the Knights were a 4A team and were bounced in a regional semifinal against St. Charles North, who wound up taking fourth at state that year. And there was no 2020 postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the IHSA website, the Knights last won a sectional in 1977. They won the Interstate 8 this year, beating Sycamore in the last conference match of the season to avenge an earlier loss and win the title.