By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's volleyball team honored its lone senior, Jenessa Broxterman, in grand style on Senior Night Thursday at the Bueltel Activities Complex.
Broxterman played a key role as the Wildcats outlasted Topeka West in a back-and-forth five-set match, posting a 25-17, 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12 dual victory.
Hayden senior volleyball player Jenessa Broxterman, flanked by her parents Stacy and Justin Broxterman, is honored on Senior Night Thursday at Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Jenessa Broxterman (right), Hayden volleyball's lone senior, is hugged by Wildcat teammates while her younger sister, Carsyn (left), looks on. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"This was huge,'' Broxterman said. "This gives an undefeated record at home, 2-0, so it feels great and getting another win on the board makes it better for sub-state,'' Broxterman said.
Broxterman said that being able to win on Senior Night was icing on the cake.
"It makes it so much better,'' she said.
Hayden coach Jim Davis also made sure that the Broxterman sisters got the opportunity to play together for the only time this season, which was an added bonus.
Jenessa's freshman sister, Carsyn, suffered a season-ending ACL injury before the season started, but Davis inserted Caryn in the Hayden lineup for the first two points of the fifth set.
"(Davis) really wanted to see us play together and I think that's what he decided to do,'' Broxterman said. "It was awesome. I didn't think I was going to be able to play with her this year because she's a freshman and I'm a senior but it was really nice.''
Broxterman said being Hayden's lone upperclassmen carried a lot of responsibility with it from a leadership standpoint, but said she's proud of how far the Wildcats have come.
"It's been a lot to take on because last year we had a bunch of seniors, so having it all on me has really been a challenge, but I have a bunch of friends, a bunch of juniors and sophomores that were on the varsity team that are really helping me out here,'' Broxterman said.
"We're starting to connect, we're starting to really keep our energy up and stay consistent and I really think it's going to help us going into sub-state.''
Hayden, now 10-17 on the season, jumped out to a 17-6 lead in the first set, with freshman Kadence Watts capping an 8-0 run with a kill.
Topeka West (18-10) mounted a comeback behind senior Makinsey Jones to cut Hayden's lead to 18-14, but a kill from Broxterman put the Wildcats in front 22-14 and she ended the eight-point victory with another kill.
West built leads of 17-9, 18-10 and 22-12 in the second set and survived a Hayden rally to close out the set on a kill from junior Addison Brooks.
The Chargers took control early in the third set and survived another late Hayden surge to take a 2-1 lead in the match but the Wildcats turned in a solid fourth set to force the fifth set.
Hayden led by just a 22-20 margin late in the set but got a kill from junior Reagan Huscher and a pair of kills from junior Hannah Schmitz to close out the 25-21 win.
Topeka West led early in the fifth set but Hayden never trailed after opening up a 7-3 advantage on a kill from freshman Reese Huscher.
West got as close as 9-8 and 14-12 before Hayden scored the final point to close out the win.
MATCH RESULTS
Hayden def. Topeka West, 25-17, 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12.
