By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After suffering heavy graduation losses from last year's Class 6A state championship team, including All-American Brooklyn DeLeye, and being without injured star senior Zoe Canfield for the early portion of the 2023 season, veteran Washburn Rural coach Kevin Bordewick knew his Junior Blues were going to go through some growing pains this fall.
Washburn Rural senior star Jada Ingram (6) celebrates a kill with her teammates during Tuesday's 3-1 dual victory over Spring Hill. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
And while that has certainly been the case in an up-and-down start to the year, Bordewick said there's no doubt his Junior Blues are making progress, including a 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-17 home dual victory over Spring Hill Tuesday night that pushed Washburn Rural above .500 at 5-4.
"We play such good teams and you still have to look at some of the things like missed serves or not being in the right spots, sometimes not pressing over on a block, but we have made a significant amount of progress, we really have,'' Bordewick said.
"It's just a totally different group. Even Jada (Ingram), she's not playing in the spot she's played in for three years, and all of us are in different spots and we don't have Zoe yet (at setter). Stella (Kelly) is doing a great job for being on the freshman team last year and being in varsity against really good competition and just progressivly gotten a lot better.''
Ingram, a returning All-Shawnee County first-team pick who has committed to UNLV, agreed with her coach that the Junior Blues are starting to turn the corner.
"From the first game to now I think that we have progressed so much,'' Ingram said. "Like Bord said, we've been having to rebuild, having girls in different spots that they've never played in, but I think we're all doing a great job, we're all coming together as a team, and I really see some improvement.''
Washburn Rural senior Macey Jones makes a diving save during Tuesday's 3-1 dual win over Spring Hill. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural junior Kate Hinck sets the ball for the Junior Blues during Tuesday's 3-1 dual win over Spring Hill. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues got off to a rocky start in the first set against the 11-4 Broncos, with Spring Hill taking control late in a 25-22 victory.
But Rural jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second set and went up 6-1 on back-to-back kills from Ingram.
Spring Hill battled back to go up 13-9 and 15-12 but the Junior Blues answered with a 5-0 run to take a 17-15 advantage.
There was a tie at 17-all before a block from sophomore Dayne Shriver and an Ingram kill put Rural in command 22-17.
Spring Hill cut its deficit to 22-19 but the Junior Blues were able to close out the four-point win, getting a pair of kills from senior Ava Bruno.
The Broncos were up for most of the third set, including a 19-14 advantage, before Washburn Rural went on a 9-0 tear behind the serving of junior Kate Hinck and multiple kills from Ingram to take a 23-19 lead.
Spring Hill got within 23-20 and 24-21 before Bruno ended the set with a kill.
Washburn Rural never trailed in the fourth and deciding set, building leads of 16-11 and fighting through a Spring Hill rally to close out the win with the final four points, capped by a kill from junior Layla Collins.
The Junior Blues will face another tough test on Thursday, traveling to St. Thomas Aquinas for a triangular with Aquinas and Maize South.
Aquinas is the defending 5A state champion while Maize South advanced to the state tournament.
Rural will be at home Saturday to host its invitational tournament (9 a.m. start), with Blue Valley, Free State, Manhattan and St. James Academy also taking part in that event.
Blue Valley finished second to Rural in the 6A state tournament a year ago while St. James was the 5A runnerup.
MATCH RESULTS
Washburn Rural def. Spring Hill, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-17.
