By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After placing fourth in Class 5A in both 2021 and 2022, Seaman's volleyball team broke through last fall to claim the school's first state title.
Now the Vikings' focus is on winning a second straight crown Friday and Saturday at the Tony's Pizza Events in Saturday, earning the top 5A seed with a glossy 37-2 record.
Seaman volleyball celebrates its Class 5A sub-state championship last Saturday at Seaman. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
After rolling through last Saturday's home sub-state with straight-set wins over Topeka West (25-10, 25-11) and Maize South (25-15, 25-20), the Vikings will open this year's state title bid with Friday pool play.
Seaman will open its day with a 4:30 p.m. Pool I match against United Kansas Conference foe De Soto, the No. 8 seed at 17-19, followed by a 6:30 match against No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas (30-5) and an 8:30 match against No. 4 seed Blue Valley Southwest (32-5).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to Saturday's 1 p.m. semifinals, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
Maggie Moulden, one of six seniors on the Seaman roster, said she feels like the Vikings are up to the challenge of repeating.
“(We're) definitely wanting to go back and win state again,'' Moulden said. "We know we’re going to see very good competition, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Senior Kinley Wilhelm agreed.
“We just have a connection like no other and this is our fourth straight trip as seniors and I think it is a great opportunity to have one last ride together,'' she said. "I’m super-excited with how we played (in sub-state) and hoping we can transfer that to the tournament (this weekend).”
On the other side of the 5A bracket are No. 2 seed Great Bend (35-2), No. 3 Andover (31-4), No. 6 St. James Academy (28-6) and No. 7 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (30-7).
CLASS 5A VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
3:30 p.m. -- Blue Valley Southwest (4: 32-5) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (5: 30-5).
4:30 -- Seaman (1: 37-2) vs. De Soto (8: 17-19).
5:30 -- Blue Valley Southwest vs. De Soto.
6:30 -- Seaman vs. St. Thomas Aquinas.
7:30 -- St. Thomas Aquinas vs. De Soto.
8:30 -- Seaman vs. Blue Valley Southwest.
Pool II
3:30 p.m. -- Andover (3: 31-4) vs. St. James Academy (6: 28-6).
4:30 -- Great Bend (2: 35-2) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (7: 30-7).
5:30 -- Andover vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
6:30 -- Great Bend vs. St. James Academy.
7:30 -- St. James Academy vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
8:30 -- Great Bend vs. Blue Valley Southwest.
SATURDAY
1 p.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
Eight-time champ Rural No. 4 seed in Class 6A
Washburn Rural has flown under the radar a little bit this fall, earning the No. 5 ranking in Class 6A through the regular season, but Kevin Bordewick's Junior Blues are back in their familiar spot as a state contender, earning the No. 4 state seed with a 30-6 record entering Friday and Saturdays state tournament at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.
Washburn Rural celebrates a kill from senior Layla Collins (3) in Saturday's Class 6A sub-state volleyball tournament at Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Junior Blues dominated last Saturday's sub-state at Rural, taking a 25-11, 25-8 semifinal win over Liberal before earning its state berth with a 25-14, 25-19 win over Lawrence Free State in the championship match.
Rural, which has won eight state titles under Bordewick, most recently in 2022, will open this season's state bid with three Friday pool matches, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The Junior Blues will open the state tourney with an 8:30 match against No. 5 seed Wichita North (30-8), followed by a 10:30 match against No. 8 Manhattan (20-15) and closing out pool play against top seed Blue Valley West (33-4) at 1:30 p.m.
Bordewick, No. 2 on the all-time Kansas wins list, said seeds don't matter a lot at state and that his team will approach things the way it always has.
"We've been the low seed, we've been middle, we've been the top seed and everybody's got an even record,'' Bordewick said. "We're just going to play as hard as we possibly can.
"The pressure's what you make of it and we're just going to go in and just see what we can do.''
On the other side of the 6A bracket are second seed Olathe West (31-4), No. 3 Mill Valley (32-5), No. 6 Blue Valley North (25-8) and No. 7 Garden City (22-14).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinals, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 6A VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
8:30 a.m. -- Washburn Rural (4: 30-6) vs. Wichita North (5: 30-8).
9:30 -- Blue Valley West (1: 33-4) vs. Manhattan (8: 20-15).
10:30 -- Washburn Rural vs. Manhattan.
11:30 -- Blue Valley West vs. Wichita North.
12:30 p.m. -- Wichita North vs. Manhattan.
1:30 -- Blue Valley West vs. Washburn Rural.
Pool II
8:30 a.m. -- Mill Valley (3: 32-5) vs. Blue Valley North (6: 25-8).
9:30 -- Olathe West (2: 31-4) vs. Garden City (7: 22-14).
10:30 -- Mill Valley vs. Garden City.
11:30 -- Olathe West vs. Blue Valley North.
12:30 p.m. -- Blue Valley North vs. Garden City.
1:30 -- Olathe West vs. Mill Valley.
SATURDAY
9 a.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
Wildcats back in 4A title hunt after state drought
The tradition-rich Hayden Wildcats are back in the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in five seasons after a dominating performance in last Saturday's sub-state tourney at the Bueltel Activity Center.
Hayden opened its sub-state bid with a 25-19, 25-13 semifinal win over Baldwin before a 25-16, 25-14 win over Paola in the sub-state final.
Hayden celebrates its Class 4A sub-state volleyball championship last Saturday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The 29-10 Wildcats, seeded No. 4, will open their first state bid since winning the state title in 2019 with pool play starting at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
And the goal for Hayden is the same as it was in '19.
"(Class) 4A state champions, that's the goal,'' Wildcat coach Corrinne McGreevy said.
Hayden will be making its first trip to state under former Wildcat star McGreevy while Jesica Farmer-Walter, who coached the Wildcats to five state titles, is an assistant coach.
Reagan McGivern and Bella Reid are the lone seniors on a Hayden team that includes seven freshmen but McGreevy said she feels like her young Wildcats are ready for the state tourney.
"When you get to state you're pressing a lot but a lot of those freshmen have played high-level volleyball so they know what it takes to compete,'' McGreevy said. "I tell them all the time, 'You may be freshmen but you can go be player of the year. Age doesn't matter and you can take over this game and put them on your back and go win a state championship.''
Hayden will open its state bid at 8:30 a.m. Friday against No. 5 seed Holton (29-11) before facing No. 8 Bishop Miege (18-18) at 10:30 and top seed Clay Center (36-3) to close out pool play at 1:30 p.m.
On the other side of the bracket are No. 2 seed Rock Creek (34-4), No. 3 Clearwater (33-4), No. 6 Concordia (23-14) and No. 7 seed McPherson (24-15).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinals, followed by the championship and third-place matches.
CLASS 4A VOLLEYBALL
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
FRIDAY'S POOL PLAY
Pool I
8:30 a.m. -- Hayden (4: 29-10) vs. Holton (5: 29-11).
9:30 -- Clay Center (1: 36-3) vs. Bishop Miege (8: 18-18).
10:30 -- Hayden vs. Bishop Miege.
11:30 -- Clay Center vs. Holton.
12:30 p.m. -- Holton vs. Bishop Miege.
1:30 -- Clay Center vs. Hayden.
Pool II
8:30 a.m. -- Clearwater (3: 33-4) vs. Concordia (6: 23-14).
9:30 -- Rock Creek (2: 34-4) vs. McPherson (7: 24-15).
10:30 -- Clearwater vs. McPherson.
11:30 -- Rock Creek vs. Concordia.
12:30 p.m. -- Concordia vs. McPherson.
1:30 -- Rock Creek vs. Clearwater.
SATURDAY
9 a.m -- Semifinals.
(Championship and third-place matches 25 minutes after conclusion of last semifinal).
