Little River outlasts Flinthills in three sets to capture 1A-D1 title

DODGE CITY, Kan. (Catch it Kansas) - The Little River Redskins defeated the Flint Hills Mustangs 25-11, 18-25, and 25-9 to win the Class 1A Division I State Volleyball Championship.

The two teams faced off in pool play the day before. Little River came out top in the three-game battle 23-25, 25-9, 25-12.

Both sides also went to three games in their semi-final matches. Little River defeated Pretty Prairie 25-16, 26-28, 25-11. Flint Hills came back to defeat Doniphan West 17-25, 25-22, 25-22.

Flint Hills had a small one-point lead early in the first game. After the game was tied at six all, Little River took over and grew the lead to 25-11 to win the first game.

During the first game, Paige Corter went down with an ankle injury and play had to be stopped to tend to her. She did not finish the game. The Mustangs were already reeling from losing Kolby Holcomb yesterday to a leg injury. Corter would return to the court later in the match.

Little River started in control of the second game. They built a 6-3 lead early in the game.

After tying up the game, Flint Hills’s Emily Scribner hit an ace to take a 7-6 lead.

The lead would trade a few times until Little River got three points ahead again at 13-10.

Flint Hills tied the game up at 14 all then Harlee Randall hit an ace to take a 15-14 lead. Little River tied the score again at 15 all.

Madison Alvord and Karly Girty both hit kills on back-to-back points to give Flint Hills a two-point lead of 17-15.

After that point, Flint Hills would only allow three more points for Little River and won the second game 25-18.

Little River served first in the third game and won the first point. They never looked back from that opening lead.

Little River held Flint Hills to only nine points in the third game. They won it and the championship with a score of 25-9.

“I’m so proud of them for how they battled,” said Flint Hills Head Coach Crystal Ratcliff. “A lot of things went their (Little River) way and put us on our heels a little bit. It was too big of a hole to dig out of this time. We wanted this rematch after yesterday. We wanted it so bad but it just didn’t go our way.”

Flint Hills end their season with a 40-4 record.

“I told the kids that they might never find themselves in this situation again. To go out and make it happen,” said Little River Head Coach Kim Rolfs to her team before the third game. “Last year we were here but did not make it out of pool play. We felt like we left some things here.”

Little River ends the season with a record of 40-4.

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