By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sure, veteran Washburn Rural volleyball coach Kevin Bordewick and his Junior Blues would like to forget about what happened in last year's state volleyball tournament when Rural dropped tough three-set matches in the semifinal and third-place matches to finish fourth after opening the season with 41 straight wins.
Washburn Rural senior star Brooklyn DeLeye recently went over the 2,000 kill mark for her career and will be playing in her fourth Class 6A state tournament for the Junior Blues this weekend. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural will be looking for its eighth Class 6A state volleyball title this weekend in Salina. [File photo/TSN]
But although its a painful memory, Bordewick said Rural has discussed what transpired a year ago and what they need to do to make sure that this weekend in the Class 6A state tournament at Salina has a happier end.
"We already have talked about it because I don't want it to be the white elephant in the room,'' Bordewick said. "We talk about the pressure, we talk about what's expected, we talk about what happened last year and how we didn't show up and compete, and I think that will drive us a little bit.
"I think it will help us if it's talked about and out there. I don't want it hidden and then all of a sudden something goes bad and it just snowballs on us.''
Washburn Rural is in much the same position it was a year ago, entering Friday's pool play as the No. 1 seed with a 40-1 record.
Senior Taylor Russell and the Washburn Rural volleyball team will take a 40-1 record into Friday's Class 6A state tournament at Salina. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural's Zoe Canfield will be playing in her third Class 6A state volleyball tournament this weekend as a junior. [File photo/TSN]
Senior Brooklyn DeLeye, who recently eclipsed the 2,000 kill mark for her career, leads a veteran Rural team that also includes tournament-tested seniors Taylor Russell, Chloe Carlgren and Katie Borough and juniors Zoe Canfield and Jada Ingram.
Bordewick is confident that having another year's experience could pay off for the Junior Blues this weekend.
"I think any experience always helps and I think we've seen that maturity,'' Bordewick said. "And no offense to any of the seniors that were on last year's team, but I do think this group, even though we lost once early, is actually a little bit better as far as understanding each other than last year, just because of another year that we've gotten under our belt.''
Washburn Rural has also made a few additions/position adjustments that Bordewick thinks have paid dividends.
"We put Taylor on the right side rather than the left side, we've had Layla (Collins) come up and is doing a great job for a sophomore on the other left side and (junior) Macey Jones has been huge in the back row and just the energy she brings has really amped us up,'' Bordewick said. "So I do think overall we're a little bit better, mostly because of a year's experience.''
Obviously, over the course of a two-day tournament there's always going to be some plays that don't go a team's way and Bordewick said the key is to be able to quickly forget those plays and move on.
"We've got to start thinking about the next play because you've got to go,'' he said. "With basketball or most any other sport, the sport keeps going. This one the play's dead, everybody's watching, everybody sees it and then you just dwell on it until the next serve. This is a sport you've got to have a short memory.
"You can learn from (mistakes) obviously, but you can't dwell on it.''
Washburn Rural will open pool play at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Tony's Pizza Events Center against No. 8 seed Blue Valley West (23-13) and will also play pool play matches against No. 5 Blue Valley (28-9) and No. 4 Liberal (27-8).
On the other side of the 6A bracket are No. 2 seed Wichita Northwest (33-4), No. 3 Mill Valley (30-8), No. 6 Blue Valley North (23-10) and No. 7 Free State (25-12).
The top two finishers in both pools will advance to Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinals.
Washburn Rural is making its 24th state appearance in 28 seasons under Bordewick, with 20 Final Fours, and is shooting for its eighth state championship.
"I feel like this pretty much every year, but if we play the way I think that we're capable of playing, then I do like our chances, but you've got to go and prove it,'' Bordewick said. "You've got to earn it, because it sure as heck isn't going to be given to you.''
CLASS 6A STATE VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY POOL PLAY
Pool I (Court A)
8:30 a.m. -- Liberal (4: 27-8) vs. Blue Valley (5: 28-9)
9:30 -- Washburn Rural (1: 40-1) vs. Blue Valley West (8: 23-13)
10:30 -- Liberal vs. Blue Valley West
11:30 -- Washburn Rural vs. Blue Valley
12:30 p.m. -- Blue Valley vs. Blue Valley West
1:30 -- Washburn Rural vs. Liberal
Pool II (Court B)
8:30 p.m. -- Mill Valley (3: 30-8) vs. Blue Valley North (6: 23-10)
9:30 -- Wichita Northwest (2: 33-4) vs. Free State (7: 25-12)
10:30 -- Mill Valley vs. Free State
11:30 -- Wichita Northwest vs. Blue Valley North
12:30 p.m. -- Blue Valley North vs. Free State.
1:30 -- Wichita Northwest vs. Mill Valley
SATURDAY
9 a.m. -- Semifinals
(Consolation and championship matches will begin 25 minutes after last semifinal has concluded)
