By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West's volleyball team bounced back from a pair of United Kansas Conference losses a night earlier to sweep Wednesday's USD 501 triangular at Highland Park, with the Chargers taking straight-set wins over the Scots and Topeka High.
West topped Highland Park 25-20, 25-18 in its first match of the night before taking a 25-15, 25-18 win over Topeka High while improving to 10-15 of the season and taking top honors in the 501 triangular for the second straight season.
Topeka West senior Sydney VanDyke spikes the ball in Wednesday's USD 501 volleyball triangular at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
West senior star Sydney VanDyke said the Chargers get even more fired up than usual when they get the opportunity to face their district rivals.
"I think so,'' VanDyke said. "It's a lot more competitive and we try our hardest against both teams to win. We all want to beat each other.''
Topeka West celebrates a point in Wednesday's USD 501 volleyball triangular at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And VanDyke was proud of how the Chargers bounced back from Tuesday's losses.
"I thought we played great,'' VanDyke said. "We definitely improved since yesterday and we came together more as a team today.
"I think we'll take these matches into next week and the following weeks to improve ourselves over the rest of the season.''
West coach Alyx Nash agreed with VanDyke that the 501 triangular is one the Chargers circle on their schedule.
"One thousand percent,'' Nash said. "And it's always tough coming in here because you've got a triangle of rivals and two good coaches on the other side of the net no matter if its Highland Park or Topeka High and the girls obviously have friendships so they're trying to rival each other and battle each other through the net.
"It's always a fun meet, but we always know we've got to prepare for it because at any point in time it can be anybody's game.''
Hi Park battled the Chargers to a five-point first-set loss before getting five kills and an ace from VanDyke in the second-set win.
West trailed Topeka High 2-0 and 3-2 early in the first set before rallying for 8-3 and 10-4 leads and rolling the rest of the way.
The Chargers never trailed in the second set after building 4-0 and 6-1 leads out of the gate.
Topeka High senior Campbell Dawson (20) goes up for a kill in Wednesday's USD 501 volleyball triangular at Highland Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Bridget Bargmann's Topeka High team bounced back from the West loss to take a 25-11, 25-18 win over Highland Park as senior Campbell Dawson was a force at the net for the Trojans.
Topeka High improved to 5-12 with the win while Isaach Johnson's Scots dipped to 10-13.
Match results
Topeka West def. Highland Park, 25-20, 25-18; Topeka West def. Topeka High, 25-15, 25-18; Topeka High def. Highland Park, 25-11, 25-18.
