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Garden Plain returns to state for third time in five years (Photo by Roy Graber / October 21, 2012) |
Top-seeded Garden Plain won the Class 3A volleyball substate at Kingman on Saturday to advance to the state tournament for the third time in five years.
The Owls surprised only themselves in winning the tournament – stacked heavily with teams they had already faced multiple times this season.
After knocking off Wichita Independent 25-14, 24-12 in the first round and Douglass 25-19, 25-17 in the semis, Garden Plain squared off in the finals against No. 2 seed Cheney, who topped Kingman 27-25, 25-11 and Belle Plaine 25-20, 25-13.
In the first game of the finals, the two teams tied at every point until Garden Plain pulled ahead on an Elizabeth Costello kill to make it 4-3. The Owls would maintain an advantage until Cheney’s Megan Miller scored on an ace to tie things at 19. Cheney pulled ahead when Garden Plain’s Cadence Bourne spiked the ball into the net. Cheney maintained a lead throughout, ending the first game 25-22 on a Kayla Dewey kill.
The Owls pulled out to a 5-1 lead in the second game, before Cheney bounced back to tie things at 7. The Cardinals found a hole in the Owl lineup to pull ahead 8-7.
Garden Plain would eventually regain its lead with its 15th point, and closed things with a Cheney ball going into the net to end it 25-19.
The Owls fired on all cylinders in the third game, jumping out to a 10-1 lead. They continued to dominate, ending it 25-12 on a Cassidy Haukap ace.
“We led quite a bit in that first set, then we started kind of doubting ourselves,” said head Owl volleyball coach Gina Clark. “So in the time out all we did was we talked about not doubting yourselves. I told them that I don’t doubt them as a coach. So In the second set they were more confident, and that’s all they needed to take care of the third one.”
Clark said they had a worthy opponent in Cheney, who has only one senior in Haley Jacobs.
“They are an extraordinarily young team, and the thing about them is that this is the fourth time we’ve played them this season, they’ve played us tougher,” Clark said.
All schools competing in the substate – except host Kingman -- were members of the Central Plains League, and all are geographically close to one another.
“Everybody who was here, we’ve seen multiple times, and that makes it tough, actually,” Clark said.
The Owls’ last trip to state was in 2010. They also earned a state berth in 2008.
In the semifinals, Garden Plain was played closely by Douglass, with a tie on each of the first five points in their first game. The Owls pulled ahead, eventually building a comfortable lead. Garden Plain defeated the Bulldogs 25-19 when Douglass hit the ball out of bounds.
In the second meeting of the Owls and Bulldogs, the two teams tied at 13 and 15, but the Owls would win 25-17 on a Maddison Thompson kill.
Cheney advanced to the final round after downing Belle Plaine. But the Dragons pulled out to a 5-1 lead before Cheney made its move to tie things at 12. A Dewey kill enabled the Cardinals to take the lead, which they never lost. The Cardinals dominated the second game to take the match.
The substate offered no upsets. Besides the championship match, the only other match to go to three games was in the first round between No. 4 seed Douglass and No. 5 Chaparral. The Bulldogs took the match 30-28, 23-25, 25-21.
The Owls surprised only themselves in winning the tournament – stacked heavily with teams they had already faced multiple times this season.
After knocking off Wichita Independent 25-14, 24-12 in the first round and Douglass 25-19, 25-17 in the semis, Garden Plain squared off in the finals against No. 2 seed Cheney, who topped Kingman 27-25, 25-11 and Belle Plaine 25-20, 25-13.
In the first game of the finals, the two teams tied at every point until Garden Plain pulled ahead on an Elizabeth Costello kill to make it 4-3. The Owls would maintain an advantage until Cheney’s Megan Miller scored on an ace to tie things at 19. Cheney pulled ahead when Garden Plain’s Cadence Bourne spiked the ball into the net. Cheney maintained a lead throughout, ending the first game 25-22 on a Kayla Dewey kill.
The Owls pulled out to a 5-1 lead in the second game, before Cheney bounced back to tie things at 7. The Cardinals found a hole in the Owl lineup to pull ahead 8-7.
Garden Plain would eventually regain its lead with its 15th point, and closed things with a Cheney ball going into the net to end it 25-19.
The Owls fired on all cylinders in the third game, jumping out to a 10-1 lead. They continued to dominate, ending it 25-12 on a Cassidy Haukap ace.
“We led quite a bit in that first set, then we started kind of doubting ourselves,” said head Owl volleyball coach Gina Clark. “So in the time out all we did was we talked about not doubting yourselves. I told them that I don’t doubt them as a coach. So In the second set they were more confident, and that’s all they needed to take care of the third one.”
Clark said they had a worthy opponent in Cheney, who has only one senior in Haley Jacobs.
“They are an extraordinarily young team, and the thing about them is that this is the fourth time we’ve played them this season, they’ve played us tougher,” Clark said.
All schools competing in the substate – except host Kingman -- were members of the Central Plains League, and all are geographically close to one another.
“Everybody who was here, we’ve seen multiple times, and that makes it tough, actually,” Clark said.
The Owls’ last trip to state was in 2010. They also earned a state berth in 2008.
In the semifinals, Garden Plain was played closely by Douglass, with a tie on each of the first five points in their first game. The Owls pulled ahead, eventually building a comfortable lead. Garden Plain defeated the Bulldogs 25-19 when Douglass hit the ball out of bounds.
In the second meeting of the Owls and Bulldogs, the two teams tied at 13 and 15, but the Owls would win 25-17 on a Maddison Thompson kill.
Cheney advanced to the final round after downing Belle Plaine. But the Dragons pulled out to a 5-1 lead before Cheney made its move to tie things at 12. A Dewey kill enabled the Cardinals to take the lead, which they never lost. The Cardinals dominated the second game to take the match.
The substate offered no upsets. Besides the championship match, the only other match to go to three games was in the first round between No. 4 seed Douglass and No. 5 Chaparral. The Bulldogs took the match 30-28, 23-25, 25-21.
