SALINA—Championship Saturday for the Moundridge High School volleyball team didn’t go as expected.
After earning a berth to the Class 2A Kansas State High School Activities Association State Volleyball Tournament semifinals Oct. 31 by going undefeated in pool play Oct. 29, the Wildcats had their sights set on hoisting the championship trophy.
Instead, the Wildcats left Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina as the tournament’s fourth-place finishers.
It was the first time Moundridge had made it to state volleyball since 2018, when the Wildcats took third place. The last time Moundridge won the state title was in 2009.
To secure their fourth-place win, the Wildcats faced a pool-play rematch against Thomas More Prep-Marian.
This time, the Monarchs flitted away with a win.
Moundridge dropped the first set 25-22, but they rallied in the second, defeating TMP 25-23.
This forced the definitive third set.
Moundridge and TMP traded the lead through the early points.
The Wildcats fell behind 3-1 but battled back, with Hattie Hecox and Anna Galle contributing kills to tie the score at 3-3.
The teams continued exchanging points, and a Payton Wilson tip down the line gave Moundridge a 6-5 advantage.
The lead changed hands several times as the teams remained close.
Aspyn Stos put Moundridge ahead 8-7, and Wilson later tied the score at 9-9 with a block.
After TMP moved back in front, the Wildcats rallied again.
A block by Stos and Hecox tied the set at 12-12, and a TMP attack that went out gave Moundridge its final lead at 13-12.
TMP answered with a run that shifted the momentum.
The Monarchs moved ahead 18-14 before Moundridge began chipping away at the deficit.
Hecox delivered a powerful attack to make it 19-17, and the Wildcats continued to battle at the net.
A Moundridge block, a TMP ball into the net and a Mackie Conkling attack through the defenders brought the score to 22-20.
The Wildcats pulled within two points again at 23-21, but TMP held on to close out the set 25-21 and claim third place.
Wildcats battle through three-set semifinal loss
Before facing TMP, Moudridge squared off against the Rossville High School Bulldawgs in the more electric of the day’s two matches.
The competition was a nail-biter as it was a back-and-forth battle that featured five lead changes across three sets, with neither team able to maintain control for long stretches.
Moundridge ultimately fell, but the Wildcats pushed Rossville to the final points of the deciding set.
Moundridge came out strong in the opening set, building a 5-1 advantage behind its offensive attack.
Rossville rallied to take a 7-6 lead and later stretched that advantage to 15-12.
The Wildcats answered with a run of their own, tying the score at 15-15 before the teams traded points.
After Rossville briefly moved back in front, Moundridge regained the lead at 18-17 and closed out the set, 25-20.
The second set saw another strong start from Moundridge.
The Wildcats opened with a 3-0 lead and held a 12-8 advantage before Rossville began chipping away.
The teams were tied at 14-14 when Rossville took its first lead of the set at 15-14.
That proved to be the turning point, as Rossville built a 22-16 advantage and went on to win 25-20.
The deciding set was just as competitive.
Rossville scored the first three points, but Moundridge fought back to take an 8-7 lead and eventually moved ahead 13-10.
Rossville responded to tie the score at 13-13, and the teams continued trading points.
Rossville took the lead again at 17-16, but Moundridge stayed within striking distance, tying the score at 20-20 and 21-21.
Rossville found enough separation in the closing points to secure the 25-23 win.
Several Wildcats contributed to the effort, including Hecox and Conkling with key kills, while Galle, Stos and Wilson provided important blocks.
Halle Hecox also helped spark the team with an ace.
Reflecting the contest’s competitive nature, there were 15 different instances during the match when the score was tied—five in the first set, one in the second and nine in the third.
