By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After finishing third in last year's Class 4A state tournament, No. 6 seed Hayden is back in the title hunt after a perfect 3-0 day Friday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Corrinne McGreevy's Wildcats, 32-9 on the season, claimed the Pool II championship with three straight-set victories.
Hayden volleyball is headed to the Class 4A state semifinals Saturday after a perfect 3-0 record in pool play at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden opened its day with a 25-16, 25-19 win over No. 3 seed McPherson and then knocked off No. 2 Clay Center, 25-14, 26-24 before clinching the pool championship with a 25-20, 25-13 win over No. 7 seed Buhler in the Wildcats' final match of the day.
Hayden will now face Pool I runnerup Paola (27-10) in the semifinals, with the Panthers advancing on a tiebreaker despite a 1-2 record in pool play.
No. 1 seed and Pool II champion Andale (34-1) will face Pool I runnerup Clay Center (40-3) in the other semifinal.
The championship and third-place matches will begin 25 minutes after the conclusion of the final semifinal.
Rural comes up short in bid for 6A semifinals
After splitting its first two matches Friday, No. 4 seed Washburn Rural pushed two-time defending Class 6A state champ and top seed Mill Valley to three sets in the Junior Blues' final pool match of the day at the Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina before Mill Valley escaped with a 25-27, 25-18, 25-17 win.
Mill Valley, 2-1 on the day, advanced to Saturday semifinals as the Pool I runnerup while Washburn Rural ended its season with a 31-9 record on the year.
Bulldawgs go 1-2 in 2A pool play
No. 8 seed Rossville split its first two Class 2A state pool play matches at Dodge City's United Wireless Arena and went to three sets in its final match against No. 5 seed Hillsboro, but came up short in its bid to advance to Saturday's semifinals.
The Bulldawgs dropped a 25-12, 25-13 decision to top seed and undefeated Ellinwood in its opening match before taking a 19-25, 25-19, 25-15 victory over No. 4 Humboldt.
After dropping a 25-20 first-set decision to Hillsboro Rossville answered with a 25-15 win in the second set, but the Trojans took the match with a hard-earned 26-24 win in the third set.
Eagles set for 3A semifinals
After a day off, top seed and Pool I champ Silver Lake, now 44-1 and the winner of 35 straight matches, will play a 9 a.m. Class 3A semifinal Saturday at Hutchinson Sports Arena against Pool II runnerup Hoisington, which went 2-1 Thursday and is now 38-5 on the season.
Silver Lake volleyball advanced to Saturday's Class 3A semifinals with a perfect 3-0 record in pool play on Thursday. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
The other semifinal will pit Pool II champion Holton against Pool I runnerup Wichita Trinity. Holton went 3-0 in pool play to improve to 37-9 while Wichita Trinity went 2-1 and is now 30-6.
Silver Lake posted three straight-set victories Thursday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, earning the Pool I title and advancing to Saturday's semifinals.
The Eagles opened their state bid with a 25-20, 25-13 win over No. 8 seed Hesston.
Silver Lake then outlasted No. 5 Ellsworth 25-23, 31-29 before taking a 27-25, 25-16 win over No. 4 Wichita Trinity in its final match of the day.
Saturday's championship and third-place matches will follow 25 minutes after the final semifinal is completed.
