By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County volleyball teams got state off to a hot start on Friday, with Silver Lake in Class 3A and Seaman in 5A punching their tickets to the state semifinals with perfect 3-0 records in pool play.
Seaman went 3-0 in Class 5A pool play Friday at Salina, advancing to the state semifinals for the third straight season. [File photo/TSN]
Playing at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, No. 6 3A seed Silver Lake turned in a dominating 3-0 performance in pool play, rolling to three straight wins to capture the Pool II championship.
Silver Lake opened with a 25-23, 25-23 win over No. 3 seed Cheney before knocking off No. 2 seed Neodesha, 25-22, 25-16, and taking a 25-12, 25-16 victory over No. 7 Riverton.
Nine-time state champion Silver Lake advances to a 9 a.m. semifinal Saturday to face Pool I runnerup Smoky Valley, with the championship and third-place matches following the semis.
Seaman, the No. 4 seed in the 5A field, opened its fourth straight state appearance at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina with three straight-set wins to claim the Pool I title.
The Vikings started their day with a 25-15, 25-21 win over No. 5 seeed Spring Hill before taking a 25-14, 25-21 win over No. 8 seed Andover.
Seaman then hooked up with top seed Andover Central in its final pool play match and the Vikings handed Central only its second loss of the season in a 25-19, 25-12 decision.
Seaman, which has finished fourth in 5A the past two seasons, will play a 9 a.m. semifinal Saturday against Pool II runnerup Maize South, with the championship and third-place matches to follow the semifinals.
Defending state champion Washburn Rural opens 6A pool play at 3:30 p.m. Friday and will also play matches at 6:30 and 7:30.
CLASS 5A STATE VOLLEYBALL
At Tony's Pizza Events Center, Salina
SATURDAY'S SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS
9 a.m. -- Seaman (36-6) vs. Maize South (37-4); St. Thomas Aquinas (30-8) vs. Spring Hill (33-9).
(Consolation and championship matches will begin 25 minutes after last semifinal has concluded)
CLASS 3A STATE VOLLEYBALL
At Sports Arena, Hutchinson
SATURDAY'S SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS
9 a.m. -- Heritage Christian (36-5) vs. Cheney (37-5); Silver Lake (31-11) vs. Smoky Valley (31-12).
(Consolation and championship matches will begin 25 minutes after last semifinal has concluded)
