Goessel girls hope to clinch title at home Tuesday
Contributing writer
Goessel’s only loss to a Wheat State League team last year was at Little River in the League Tournament.
“The girls really wanted to beat Little River at Little River, and they really want to clinch the Wheat State League title at home on Tuesday,” said Coach Crysta Guhr.
The Goessel team breezed through the match with Solomon Sept 20, winning in two sets, 25-11, 25-10.
The Bluebirds then faced the home team Redskins for an important Wheat State League match. They expected the first set to be close, but the Bluebirds went on to win 25-17. The second set was a ‘nail biter’ all the way. Coach Guhr noted that neither team led by more than two points until Little River grabbed a 23-20 lead. Guhr called timeout and the Bluebirds won the next point. Tia Goertzen went back to serve and Goessel scored forcing a Little River timeout. The Bluebirds scored again, and again the Redskin coach used her last timeout.
“Tia really kept her composure back there (at the serving line),” Coach Guhr said. Goessel scored five consecutive points to win, 25-23.
Goessel’s home matches with Hope and Wakefield this Tuesday will be the last matches in the regular season that count in Wheat State League Standings. The Bluebirds are 6-0 in the league and have a desire to repeat as regular season Champions.
Paige Booton notched 22 kills in the four sets Sept. 20, Aimee Flaming ended the night with 32 assists and Johanna Hoffman covered 23 digs on defense. Goertzen had four aces serving with 95 percent accuracy.
At the Olpe Tournament Saturday, Goessel started out a little flat in the 9 am game. Against Marais des Cygnes Valley, Goessel fell behind 12-5 in set one. The Bluebird rally fell short with a loss 25-21. The momentum from catching up in the previous game carried forward in to the second set with Goessel jumping out to a 6-2 lead. The Trojans soon gained a 23-22 advantage, before the Bluebirds scored three consecutive points to win, 25-23. In the third set, the Bluebirds played most of the game trying to catch up. Goessel lost the third set, 25-16.
The Bluebirds fell way behind the Central Christian team 10-3, but then scrambled back sending the match into overtime with the Cougars prevailing 27-29. In the second set Goessel played well against the highly ranked team and had the score tied at 20, but again the Cougars scored enough points to take a 25-21 win.
Against the host school Olpe, the Bluebirds were unable to keep up, losing 25-13 and then 25-17.
Goessel got back into the winning mode with Wheat State League opponent Peabody Burns. The game was close with the Bluebirds leading 9-8, but then points fell to Goessel as they coasted to a 25-15 win in the first set. Goessel jumped out to an early 7-1 lead in the second set and never let the Warriors catch up. The Bluebirds went on to win 25-6.
Against the Northern Heights team the Bluebirds kept gradually building their lead and played well to a 25-17 win in set one and then a 25-15 win in set two.
The Bluebirds ended the week with an overall record of 12-7 and a 6-0 mark in the Wheat State League.