By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Hayden Wildcats outlasted a field full of ranked teams to win the Seaman Invitational volleyball tournament on Saturday, besting Lansing in the championship match.
Hayden's volleyball team poses for a team picture after winning Saturday's Seaman Invitational. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Hayden volleyball celebrates its Seaman Invitational championship Saturday. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Although the Wildcats fell to Class 4A rival Bishop Miege in pool play, they got by Seaman 25-22, 25-23 in their semifinal match. The Wildcats then took down the fifth-ranked team in Class 5A, Lansing, 25-20, 25-22 to take home the trophy.
“I’m so proud of them. Overall, they played so awesome,” said Hayden coach Corrinne McGreevy.” “This team plays so hard. They always have grit. Whenever they get faced with adversity, they stick together.”
The adversity McGreevy alluded to was the defeat at the hands of Bishop Miege, 25-17, 22-25, 25-13.
“They’re a fantastic team,” McGreevy said of the Stags. “It’s always a really good match between us. We competed well against them, especially in that second game. In the third game, I think we got a little bit in our own way, and sometimes that happens.
“I told the girls (after the loss to Miege) that you just gotta shake it. And they did. We take second, we come over here and win it. With sports, that’s the beauty of it.”
Mallory Tanking (11), Hayden's lone senior, helped lead the Wildcats to the championship in Saturday's Seaman Invitational. [Photo by Brent Maycock/TSN]
“This is so fun! I love playing with these girls,” Hayden’s lone senior, Mallory Tanking, said of winning the tournament. “We love each other and we play for each other, no matter what.”
The tournament featured Bishop Miege and Hayden, Class 4A’s first- and second-ranked teams; Garden City, the fifth-ranked team in 6A; and Bishop Carroll and Lansing, 5A’s fourth- and fifth-ranked teams.
“This tournament is awesome,” McGreevy said. “There are so many really, really good teams here and its really good volleyball all day. It just helps us prepare for sub-state and then hopefully on to state.”
Tanking is one of several Wildcats who return from the 2025 4A state runners-up. She said the Seaman Invitational proved the team has a high ceiling once again.
“I feel like this was really good experience for the postseason,” Tanking said. “This told us we can compete with anyone and we can come back from anything.”
Seaman surprised the field by emerging from its pool on top of Garden City, Lansing and Kansas City’s Maranatha Christian Academy. The Vikings lost a three-set fight with Maranatha but emerged ahead of the other 2-1 teams.
After falling to Hayden in the semifinal battle, Seaman lost to Bishop Miege, 25-18, 25-14 in the third-place match.
Seaman junior Lydia Dreher (left) sets the ball in Saturday's Seaman Invitational while freshman teammate Kamryn Carlson (13), an all-tournament pick, stands by. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
“I feel like we really battled today, and I think we made a lot of strides in the right direction,” said Seaman coach Tatiana Dowling. “Obviously, there is still plenty to work on, but that’s exactly where you want to be in this part of the season: battling, starting to put some things together, and understanding what you need to work on so that you can get better for future games.
“We battled some of the best teams in the state out there, and we’ve got two freshmen, three sophomores and a senior on the floor at one time. This should tell them that they can play with anybody.”
Junior Hailey Schmidtlein (right) was named to the Seaman Invitational all-tournament team after helping lead the Wildcats to the tournament championship. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Hayden and Seaman each placed a player on the All-Tournament Team. Representing Hayden was junior Hailey Schmidtlein. For Seaman, freshman Kamryn Carlson won tournament honors.
SEAMAN INVITATIONAL
POOL A RESULTS
Garden City def. Maranatha 25-15, 25-20; Lansing def. Garden City 25-16, 25-14; Seaman def. Garden City 25-20, 25-22; Lansing def. Maranatha 17-25, 25-17, 25-17; Maranatha def. Seaman 25-22, 26-24; Seaman def. Lansing 25-20, 28-26.
POOL B RESULTS
Bishop Miege def Bishop Carroll 25-13, 25-16; Hayden def. Bishop Carroll 25-23, 25-21; Bishop Carroll def Highland Park 25-7, 25-14; Bishop Miege def. Hayden 25-17, 22-25, 25-13; Bishop Miege def. Highland Park 25-8, 25-11; Hayden def. Highland Park 25-8, 25-11.
SEMIFINAL RESULTS
Lansing def. Bishop Miege 25-19, 25-13; Hayden def. Seaman 25-22, 25-23.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Hayden def. Lansing 25-20, 25-22.
THIRD PLACE MATCH
Bishop Miege def. Seaman 25-18, 25-14.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Olivia Stevens, Bishop Miege; Kamryn Carlson, Seaman; Brooklyn Andrews, Lansing; Halle Lainez, Lansing; Hailey Schmidtlein, Hayden; Lauren DeGroot, Bishop Carroll; Charly Voolertsen, Garden City; Macy Karlin, Maranatha; Maryn Dean, Bishop Miege; Tessa Redmond, Bishop Miege.
