Contributing writer
The Goessel High School volleyball team breezed through a night of Wheat State League volleyball games and then found the going tougher at the Olpe Round Robin Tournament on Saturday.
On Sept. 18 at home, the Bluebirds dominated their opponents, 100-40, to win another two matches in league play. Against Solomon, Goessel jumped out to a 10-3 lead on many Gorilla errors. The Bluebirds continued to add to their lead and won the first set, 25-13. With Goessel ahead 16-4, Solomon seemed unable to turn around the momentum as the Bluebirds went on to win the second set, 25-7.
Against perennial foe Little River, Goessel dominated and pushed their lead to 18-9. The Redskin coach called timeout but the Bluebirds went on a 7-1 run to finish the first set 25-10. The Bluebirds played cohesive defense and aggressive offense as they finished the second set with the same score as the first, 25-10.
The Bluebirds moved on to Olpe for a Saturday tournament. The Kansas Volleyball Association gave the Bluebirds a fourth place ranking in the state in 1A Division 1 at the end of last week, but the second-ranked team in 2A was also in this tournament. Goessel was the only 1A school in the tournament with the other schools all being in the 2A class.
Goessel lost the opening match of the morning with a 25-21 and 25-15 loss to a tough Northern Heights team from Allen.
The second match saw the Bluebirds come out strong and dismantled Marais Des Cygnes Valley High School, 25-7, in the first set. Although the second set was closer, the Bluebirds prevailed, 25-21.
A high-powered team from Wabaunsee fired hits at the Bluebirds but Goessel hung tight sending the first set into overtime before losing, 27-25. Goessel again held close in the second set, letting the deficit widen at the end of the game with the final score 25-19. The Bluebirds defeated Peabody for the second time this season with a 25-15 and 25-16 win.
Against highly ranked Olpe, GHS receivers could only pick up so many hard kills and just barely lost the first set, 25-23. The feathers flew in the second set as the Bluebirds stayed close to the Eagles for the whole game. Olpe nudged Goessel for the victory with a 25-22 score. Against some of the leading teams in 2A, Goessel came up just a bit short.
The Bluebirds ended the week with a 6-0 Wheat State League record and an overall record of 14-5. Goessel will head for the tough Canton-Galva tournament with state-ranked Hillsboro, Moundridge, and always-tough Hesston on Saturday.