By DELBERT PETERS

Staff writer

The Bluebirds spent Saturday at the Canton-Galva Volleyball Tournament, and earned a fifth-place finish.

Little River was the Bluebirds’ first opponent, and Goessel allowed too many runs to stay close. With the score tied 8-8, the Redskins went on a 7-0 run and held the lead until the end of the set, 25-19. In the second set, the Bluebirds fell behind 6-0 and Little River never gave up the lead, ending the contest 25-15.

Against the Wichita Warriors, Goessel trailed 8-10, but then allowed the Warriors 10 unanswered points. Goessel cut into the deficit but lost the contest 25-17. The second set was similar to the first, with the Bluebirds losing 25-16.

In the third match of pool play, Goessel turned the tables on Arkansas City Christian Academy. Rachael Zogleman played well from the right side and Elizabeth Alderfer from the left side. Raechel Boese was credited with four aces, as the Bluebirds took the first set 25-9.

In the second set, Kaleigh Guhr continued to dish out assists, as Bethany Herrel connected on a kill from the middle. Elizabeth Schmucker played well from the back row, and Boese and Zogleman continued to hit well in the front row. Goessel won 25-16 in the second set.

In the fifth-place matchup, Goessel faced Solomon. The Bluebirds pulled away in the first set 25-17. In the final set, the margin of victory was even larger as Goessel captured a 25-15 win.

On Tuesday night, the Bluebird volleyball team had two Wheat State League matches at Hope.

Against Wakefield, Goessel won 25-15, 25-22. Rural Vista, the combined team in volleyball with Hope and White City, is ranked in the highest spot in Kansas 1A. Goessel suffered a drubbing in the first set 25-11, but played a close match with the state’s best despite losing 25-22.

Goessel is 12-13 for the season and will host Canton-Galva (13-8) and Solomon (7-15) in the last Wheat State League games of the season.