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County powers Rural, Hayden, Silver Lake, Rossville take aim on state volleyball titles
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Perennial Class 3A volleyball contender Silver Lake will be the team to beat in this week's state tournament at Hutchinson Sports Arena, earning the top seed in the eight-team field with a sparkling 41-1 record on the season.
Silver Lake volleyball celebrates its Class 3A sub-state title Saturday at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
In the brand new state tournament format installed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the 3A field will play its three pool matches on Thursday before a day off on Friday and the semifinals, championship and third-place matches on Saturday.
Silver Lake sophomore Karys Deiter spikes the ball during Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Sarah Johnson's Eagles will open their state bid at 11 a.m. Thursday with a Pool I match against No. 8 seed Hesston (26-12).
Silver Lake junior Jaylie Whitehead makes a return during Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
After a match off, Silver Lake will return to the court at 1 p.m. to face No. 5 seed Ellsworth (32-8) before closing out pool play with a 3 o'clock match against No. 4 Wichita Trinity (28-5).
On the other side of the 3A bracket are No. 2 seed Riverton (36-4), No. 3 Hoisington (36-4), No. 6 Holton (34-9) and No. 7 Osage City (27-12).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 9 a.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 3A VOLLEYBALL
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
THURSDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
10 a.m. -- Wichita Trinity (4: 28-5) vs. Ellsworth (5: 32-8).
11 -- Silver Lake (1: 41-1) vs. Hesston (8: 26-12).
12 p.m. -- Wichita Trinity vs. Hesston.
1 -- Silver Lake vs. Ellsworth.
2 -- Ellsworth vs. Hesston.
3 -- Silver Lake vs. Wichita Trinity.
Pool II
10 a.m. -- Hoisington (3: 36-4) vs. Holton (6: 34-9).
11 -- Riverton (2: 36-4) vs. Osage City (7: 27-12).
12 p.m. -- Hoisington vs. Osage City.
1 -- Riverton vs. Holton.
2 -- Holton vs. Osage City.
3 -- Riverton vs. Hoisington.
SATURDAY
9 a.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
Washburn Rural volleyball is the No. 4 seed for the Class 6A state volleyball tournament, with the Junior Blues looking for their ninth state title. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Eight-time champ Rural No. 4 seed in Class 6A
Eight-time Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural will be making its ninth straight state appearance, earning the No. 4 seed for Friday and Saturday's state event at Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina with a 30-7 record.
Kevin Bordewick's Junior Blues will open Pool I play in Friday's first match of the day at 10 a.m., facing No. 5 seed Olathe West (26-7).
Washburn Rural's Brynn Anderson has turned in a banner freshman season, helping lead the Junior Blues to a ninth straight Class 6A state tournament berth. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
After a match break, Washburn Rural will face No. 8 seed Free State (20-12) at 12 p.m. before closing out pool play at 3 p.m. against top seed Mill Valley (31-4).
On the other side of the 6A bracket are No. 2 seed Blue Valley West (30-4), No. 3 Wichita Northwest (30-6), No. 6 Manhattan (27-8) and No. 7 Olathe Northwest (28-9).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 1 p.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 6A VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
10 a.m. -- Washburn Rural (4: 30-7) vs. Olathe West (5: 26-7).
11 -- Mill Valley (1: 31-4) vs. Free State (8: 20-12).
12 p.m. -- Washburn Rural vs. Free State.
1 -- Mill Valley vs. Olathe West.
2 -- Olathe West vs. Free State.
3 -- Mill Valley vs. Washburn Rural.
Pool II
10 a.m. -- Wichita Northwest (3: 30-6) vs. Manhattan (6: 27-8).
11 -- Blue Valley West (2: 30-4) vs. Olathe Northwest (7: 28-9).
12 p.m. -- Wichita Northwest vs. Olathe Northwest.
1 -- Blue Valley West vs. Manhattan.
2 -- Manhattan vs. Olathe Northwest.
3 -- Blue Valley West vs. Wichita Northwest.
SATURDAY
1 p.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
State medalists, repeat picks top 2025 All-Shawnee County girls golf team
The 2025 All Shawnee County girls golf team -- From left: Lauren Cox, Washburn Rural; Kailyn Petersen, Washburn Rural; Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake; Elise Eckert, Seaman; Makenna Stuke, Seaman; Lauren Borjon, Hayden; Izzy Glotzbach, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Five state medalists, including three first-team repeat picks, headline the 2025 All-Shawnee County girls golf team.
Hayden seniors Lauren Borjon and Izzy Glotzbach are both three-time first-team all-county selections while Washburn Rural senior Lauren Cox is a first-team repeater.
City and United Kansas Conference team champion Seaman is represented by seniors Elise Eckert and Makenna Stuke on the all-county first team along with Silver Lake senior Kailyn Hanni and Washburn Rural junior Kailyn Petersen.
Hanni, Stuke and Petersen were all second-team all-county selections in 2024 while Eckert earned first-team honors in her first season at Seaman.
Hanni placed fifth in Class 3A-1A, Glotzbach tied for fifth in 4A and Eckert tied for fifth in 5A while Borjon tied for 12th in 4A and Cox tied for 18th in 6A.
Eckert and Borjon were both four-time state medalists while Glotzbach and Hanni were both repeat medalists.
Eckert in 5A, Glotzbach in 4A and Hanni in 3A-1A all earned first-team All-State honors from the state's coaches while Borjon was a second-team pick and Stuke earned honorable mention.
Named to this year's second team were Washburn Rural seniors Taryn Jellison, Briley Miles and Peyton Merrick, Hayden junior Brooke Johnson, Seaman juniors Chloe Schmidtlein and Kaitlynn Frye and Silver Lake freshman Avenley Head.
All-Shawnee County first-team capsules:
State volleyball: Silver Lake looking to cap dream season with Class 3A state title
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Silver Lake volleyball coach Sarah Johnson expected her team to be good this fall, but she is quick to admit that she never really expected the 41-1 record that the Eagles will take into this week's Class 3A state tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Silver Lake volleyball celebrates a point in last Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Now the aim for top-seeded Silver Lake is to finish off its dream season with the school's 10th state title and first since 2018.
"I honestly wasn't expecting this record at this point in the season, however, I did have very high hopes for this squad,'' Johnson said. "My first feeling of, 'this team has the potential to go far,' was this summer at the Mokan volleyball tournament at Washburn University.
"We came out first at that tourney with some tough competition. There is just something special about them. They are all bought in, willing to give their all, okay with being held accountable, and have a love and respect for one another cheering the other one on.''
Silver Lake's only loss came against 5A sub-state finalist Shawnee Heights in its 10th match of the season and the Eagles have reeled off 32 straight wins entering 3A pool play Thursday.
"Leadership and unity is definitely part of it,'' Johnson said of the Eagles' success. "A good sign of leadership is the ability to listen. I feel that they are all open to each other's ideas and feedback. They take it and learn from it. A big thing I've seen with this group leading to the success they've had thus far is the ability to not get rattled.
"We talk about getting uncomfortable in practices so when we are faced with uncomfortable situations in matches, it's familiar and we are comfortable. They have that calm confidence that helps them in those tough situations.''
Johnson knows that the Eagles are likely to encounter some of those tough situations in a 3A field that includes five teams with at least 33 wins and all eight with at least 26.
But the Silver Lake coach knows her team is extrememly capable of answering the challenge.
"Yes, this weekend will be tough,'' Johnson said. "Our goal is to keep at it like we have all year -- limit our own errors, not let a team go on runs and adjust to different players/teams quickly and efficiently without getting rattled.
"(We want to) continue rising to the occasion and competing at a high level physically and mentally.''
In the brand new state tournament format installed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the 3A field will play its three pool matches on Thursday before a day off on Friday and the semifinals, championship and third-place matches on Saturday.
Silver Lake sophomore Karys Deiter spikes the ball during last Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Silver Lake junior Jaylie Whitehead makes a return during last Saturday's Class 3A sub-state tournament at Silver Lake. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
The Eagles will open their state bid at 11 a.m. Thursday with a Pool I match against No. 8 seed Hesston (26-12). After a match off, Silver Lake will return to the court at 1 p.m. to face No. 5 seed Ellsworth (32-8) before closing out pool play with a 3 o'clock match against No. 4 Wichita Trinity (28-5).
On the other side of the 3A bracket are No. 2 seed Riverton (36-4), No. 3 Hoisington (36-4), No. 6 Holton (34-9) and No. 7 Osage City (27-12).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 9 a.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 3A VOLLEYBALL
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
THURSDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
10 a.m. -- Wichita Trinity (4: 28-5) vs. Ellsworth (5: 32-8).
11 -- Silver Lake (1: 41-1) vs. Hesston (8: 26-12).
12 p.m. -- Wichita Trinity vs. Hesston.
1 -- Silver Lake vs. Ellsworth.
2 -- Ellsworth vs. Hesston.
3 -- Silver Lake vs. Wichita Trinity.
Pool II
10 a.m. -- Hoisington (3: 36-4) vs. Holton (6: 34-9).
11 -- Riverton (2: 36-4) vs. Osage City (7: 27-12).
12 p.m. -- Hoisington vs. Osage City.
1 -- Riverton vs. Holton.
2 -- Holton vs. Osage City.
3 -- Riverton vs. Hoisington.
SATURDAY
9 a.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
Eight-time Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural will be making its ninth straight state tournament appearance this weekend in Salina. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural takes aim on ninth Class 6A state crown
Eight-time Class 6A state champion Washburn Rural will be looking for title No. 9 this weekend in its ninth straight state appearance.
The 30-7 Junior Blues earned the No. 4 seed for Friday and Saturday's 6A event at Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina with a 30-7 record.
Six of Rural's seven losses have come against state tournament teams in 6A, 5A and 4A, while the seventh defeat came at the hands of a Gardner-Edgerton team that played in a 6A sub-state final.
And now Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick, who has led the Junior Blues to all eight of their state titles and ranks No. 2 on Kansas' all-time wins list, is hoping his team can step up its game even more this weekend.
"It's all about raising your level of play and your level of intensity, your mental toughness, and all those factors go into it,'' Bordewick said. "But we still have to be us. We can't be somebody we're not.
"The greatest teams make the routine plays more often than just making great plays and if we can just make routine plays more often than the other team we should be alright.''
The Junior Blues will open Pool I play in Friday's first match of the day at 10 a.m., facing No. 5 seed Olathe West (26-7), and Bordewick said he wants all of his team's focus to be on that match against an Owls team that defeated Rural 15-25, 25-19, 25-22 early in the season.
"We're just worried about Olathe West,'' he said. "We haven't really talked about any other teams yet. We did not feel like we played well against them, but they had a lot to do with that, too, when we played them way back in early Sept.
Brynn Anderson has turned in a banner freshman season, helping lead the Junior Blues to a ninth straight Class 6A state tournament berth. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
"I think overall, when you put everything together, we've come a really long way. We expect a lot out of ourselves and we have standards that people strive to get to and I think they've done that. They've continued what we've had for several years really, really well. I'm pretty proud of all of them.''
After a match break after facing Olathe West, Washburn Rural will face No. 8 seed Free State (20-12) at 12 p.m. before closing out pool play at 3 p.m. against top seed and two-time defending state champ Mill Valley (31-4).
On the other side of the 6A bracket are No. 2 seed Blue Valley West (30-4), No. 3 Wichita Northwest (30-6), No. 6 Manhattan (27-8) and No. 7 Olathe Northwest (28-9).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to 1 p.m. semifinals on Saturday, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 6A VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
10 a.m. -- Washburn Rural (4: 30-7) vs. Olathe West (5: 26-7).
11 -- Mill Valley (1: 31-4) vs. Free State (8: 20-12).
12 p.m. -- Washburn Rural vs. Free State.
1 -- Mill Valley vs. Olathe West.
2 -- Olathe West vs. Free State.
3 -- Mill Valley vs. Washburn Rural.
Pool II
10 a.m. -- Wichita Northwest (3: 30-6) vs. Manhattan (6: 27-8).
11 -- Blue Valley West (2: 30-4) vs. Olathe Northwest (7: 28-9).
12 p.m. -- Wichita Northwest vs. Olathe Northwest.
1 -- Blue Valley West vs. Manhattan.
2 -- Manhattan vs. Olathe Northwest.
3 -- Blue Valley West vs. Wichita Northwest.
SATURDAY
1 p.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
