HAYS — Unforced errors and lack of focus were problem areas all season for Southern Coffey County High’s Lady Titans. They thought they had gotten past those areas when they won their Kansas Class 1A substate volleyball title.
But unforced errors and lack of focus reared their ugly heads again Friday afternoon and evening as the Lady Titans played in the 2010 Kansas Class 1A, Division State Volleyball Tournament.
Going into the three pool matches of the state tournament, Lady Titan head coach Korey Lankton said the team had to avoid unforced errors such as missed serves, net violations and missing hits on attacks at the nets.
Southern Coffey County had a strong start winning the first set of their first match then lost the next six sets over the three matches. The Lady Titans and the rest of the Class 1A, Division I teams were thrown off their schedule as the Class 1A, Division II pool play went long pushing the start of the afternoon session back by over an hour at Fort Hays State’s Gross Memorial Arena.
“I’m very proud of all of these girls. They were a close team and
really played as a team out here,” said Lankton after the state tournament run. “It was important to these girls to do the work to get back to state. They did and had a very good year.”
Southern Coffey County senior Samantha Jacob, a 5-7 outside hitter, was named to the 2010 Kansas Class 1A, Division I All-Tournament Team. The all tournament teams are selected by the Kansas Volleyball Association.
Southern Coffey County came out with confidence in the opening match. The Lady Titans got in front 6-2 against Baileyville B&B High’s Falcons. When the Falcons came back to make it 16-13, SCCH senior Keasha Parks served up three points.
Baileyville came up to within three again, 21-18. Sophomore Sarah Webb got the kill for the Lady Titans to get the serve back. Southern Coffey County posted a 25-22 win in the first set.
The teams went point for point until B&B’s Laura Sudbeck served five straight points in the second set. Down 17-9, SCCH senior Kristin Stephens put up a block to get the ball back but the Lady Titans never could catch up.
The Falcons pushed out to a 10-4 lead in the third set. Southern Coffey County fought back as sophomore Martyna Hegwald strung together a four-point service stint. One point came on a kill by junior Ashton Isch then Hegwald had an ace serve.
A tip by senior Brooke Scheele had the Lady Titans still in the match at 20-13. Scheele served two service points. The Lady Titans couldn’t come up with a big run and ended up losing the set and the match.
B&B, seeded fifth in the tournament, beat eighth-seeded Southern Coffey County 22-25, 25-14, 25-16.
Jacob delivered nine kills for the Lady Titans while Stephens and Isch each had seven. Senior Brooke Scheele was credited with 22 assists. Jenna Witteman, a junior, had eight digs.
“The Baileyville match was a pivotal one for us. We knew it would take a tremendous match for us to beat Olpe because Olpe is just bigger, more athletic and faster than we are. If we had gotten the win in the first match, I think things could have gone better for us,” Lankton said.
“When you play teams like Baileyville and Olpe, you can not give away points. We played good volleyball against Baileyville and had some long volleys in that match. We would have a couple of mental errors then make mini-runs.”
The Lady Titans had to put that loss behind them quickly as they turned around to take on top-seeded Olpe High’s Eagles in the next match.
Southern Coffey County and Olpe know each other well as they both are in the Lyon County League. The Eagles got up early, 9-2, in the first set and never allowed the Lady Titans to get in the flow.
In the second set, the Lady Titans were down 3-1 when Parks served three points. It was a kill by Jacob that put the Lady Titans up 4-3. That was the last lead they’d have as the Eagles began to pull away for a 25-9, 25-13 win.
Stephens had four kills in the match for Southern Coffey County. Jacob, Isch and Webb each had two kills. Parks put up five set assists and Scheele had four. Witteman led in digs again with five.
The Lady Titans had to sit out the next two matches. When they came back for their third pool match, they faced the Sylvan Lucas Unified Mustangs.
“After going 0-2, it was tough to keep our focus in this last match. It was not our best volleyball of the season. The girls battled but just couldn’t come out with a win against Sylvan Lucas,” Lankton said.
Down 8-4, the Lady Titans came to within one as Jacob served for three points. They got no closer in the first set. They played tough in the second set also but the Mustangs were able to pull away for a 25-18, 25-16 win.
Stephens put down six kills in the match while Jacob and Isch each had four kills. Scheele and Parks had five set assists apiece. Isch had five digs.
Olpe and Baileyville B&B moved into Saturday’s semifinals. Olpe defeated Hoxie in the semifinal while B&B lost to second-seeded St. John-Hudson. St. John-Hudson claimed the 2010 Kansas Class 1A, Division I championship, knocking off Olpe 19-25, 25-22, 25-23. B&B defeated Hoxie 26-24, 25-14 for third place.
Southern Coffey County is 1-5 in state tournament matches in the past two years — the only years the Lady Titans have been to state. The Lady Titans finished the 2010 season at 22-18.
Lady Titans end season in 1A state
