Volleyball

Trojans finish 2nd

Centre ends season with first-round loss

By MINDY KEPFIELD and ROWENA PLETT

Staff writers

Hillsboro took second at state championships Saturday.

The Trojans defeated Garden Plain 2-1 but fell to Smith Center 2-0 in the finals.

“Overall, it was a great season for us,” coach Sandy Arnold said.

The girls finished at the top of their league with a 35-10 win-loss record.

“Nine of our 10 losses were to teams that qualified for the state tournament in their respective classes,” Arnold said.  “I am very proud of the girls for what they accomplished this season.”

Hillsboro defeated Garden Plain 19-25, 25-17, 25-22 in the semifinals Saturday.

The Trojans fell behind in the first game and struggled to recover their nerves when the Owls launched a six-point run.

“We adjusted our attack and serving in the next two games, and it seemed to make a big difference,” Arnold said.

Hillsboro fell to Smith Center 25-23, 25-12 in the finals.

Trojans serve in the first game were effective and their blocking helped fend off speed attacks by the Redmen.

*We worked our tails off in the finals, trying to find holes in a very scrappy Smith Center defense,” Arnold said.

The Trojans fell behind 20-23 in the first game and battled back to tie it, but Smith Center held on for the win. 

In the second game, Hillsboro fell behind when Smith Center launched a 9-0 scoring run. 

“They played tough defense and attacked the ball with a variety of attacks that kept us off balance,” Arnold said.  

Centre

Centre, seeded seventh in the state tournament at Emporia, failed to make it past the first round Friday, losing to Hanover, Great Plains, and Dighton in two games each.

The last game, a 25-19 loss, proved to be their best. Stand-in Jenaya Plett served for five straight points for the team’s best scoring run.

For Centre seniors Lexis Brewer, Carlye Deines, and Alex Remmers, it was their last game.

“They were sad but happy that they got a taste of playing in a state tournament,” coach Shelby Srajer said.

The team finished the season with a record of 17-23.