CLASS 1A DIVISION I
 
AT UNITED WIRELESS ARENA, DODGE CITY
 



DONIPHAN WEST
 
Coach: Andrea Keller
 
Record: 34-5 (No. 6 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Pretty Prairie (3: 36-4), 3:30 p.m.; vs. Sylvan-Lucas (2: 37-2), 6:30 p.m.; vs. St. Francis (7: 29-9), 7:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Avery Weathersbee, sr., OH; Kyra Johnson, sr., S; Katie Johnson, so., MB; Claire Cole, sr.; Malaina Whetstine, jr.; Brennah Edi, so.; Taygen Reno, jr.
 
Worth noting: State appearance is first for Mustangs in program history since consolidation of Highland and Midway-Denton in 2004. … Highland won state title in 1992. … Keller previously coached at Highland Community College and is in fifth year as Mustangs coach. … West finished runner-up in the Twin Valley League to two-time reigning 1A Division II state champion Hanover. … Mustangs earned state berth with win over powerhouse Centralia on its home court in sub-state finals, the third win over the Panthers this season. … Mustangs took second at Riverside Invitational and third at Hiawatha Invitational. … Cole and freshman Belle Smith also are on Doniphan West’s state-qualifying cross country team with Cole being the TVL champion and four-time state qualifier. … Katie Johnson leads team in kills with 245 while Weathersbee has 234 and Whetstine 159. … Johnson also leads in blocks with 25. … Kyra Johnson has 599 assists and went over 1,600 career assists this season. … She also has a team-high 44 aces. … Five players have over 200 digs led by Kyra Johnson’s 272.
 


 
FLINTHILLS
 
Coach: Crystal Ratcliff
 
Record: 37-2 (No. 1 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Olpe (8: 24-15), 4:30 p.m.; vs. Spearville (5: 32-4), 6:30 p.m.; vs. Little River (4: 35-4), 8:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Karly Girty, sr., S/OH; Harlee Randall, so., MH; Kolby Holcomb, jr., OPP; Taren Lakin, sr., L; Madison Alvord, sr., OH; Rylie Wright, so., OH; Emily Scribner, so., S; Laura Scribner, sr., DS.
 
Worth noting: Mustangs qualified for state for the second time in three years and will make seventh appearance overall. … Flinthills finished fourth in 2004 and 2016. … Mustangs were undefeated South Central Border League champions and also won the league tourney as well as tourney titles at their home tournament, Remington and the Spartan Invitational. … Mustangs have won 34 straight matches since 2-2 start that included losses to 3A state qualifier Eureka and Douglass. … Randall has 322 kills with a .413 hitting percentage and also has 89 blocks and 74 aces. … Girty has 84 aces, 219 kills, 244 digs and 489 assists, having more than 1,300 assists in her career. … Emily Scribner has 262 assists. … Alvord has 127 kills and Holcomb has 100. … Lakin has 175 digs and Laura Scribner has 129. … Mustangs on pace to set school records for winning percentage, ace percentage, serve receive and blocks, and are nearing records for kills and hitting percentage.
 


 
LITTLE RIVER
 
Coach: Kim Rolfs
 
Record: 35-4 (No. 4 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Spearville (5: 32-4), 3:30 p.m.; vs. Olpe (8: 24-15), 5:30 p.m.; vs. Flinthills (1: 37-2), 8:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Alaina Eck, jr., OH; Aubrey Olander, jr., MH; Ashley Stephenson, jr., RS; Kate Ellwood, jr., S; Kami Grasser, jr., OH; Mea DeBaere, sr., L; Havana Olander, fr., MH; Chenzi DeBaere, so., S; Lucy Wright, fr., RS.
 
Worth noting: Redskins return to state after going 1-2 in pool play last year. … Trip is seventh overall. … Little River won 1984 state title and took second in 2005, third in 1983 and 1995 and fourth in 1994 and 2003. … Redskins were Wheat State League regular season and tournament champions, going undefeated against league foes. … They also won the Centre and Canton-Galva Tournaments and were third at the Lyons Tournament. … Only losses came to 2A qualifier Inman, Marion, Ell-Saline and Southeast of Saline. … Eck has team-high 295 kills and is second in digs with 274. … Aubrey Olander has 268 kills and 94 blocks. … Chenzi DeBaere has 420 assists and Ellwood has 337 with Ellwood going over 1,000 career assists this year. … Mea DeBaere went over 1,000 career digs and has 314 this season. … Stephenson has 135 kills and 50 blocks, while Havana Olander has 120 kills and 75 blocks.
 


 
OLPE
 
Coach: Crystal Heins
 
Record: 24-15 (No. 8 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Flinthills (1: 37-2), 4:30 p.m.; vs. Little River (4: 35-4), 5:30 p.m.; vs. Spearville (5: 32-4), 7:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Grace Coughlin, jr., MH; Drew Haag, sr., L; Kadey Robert, jr., S; Makenna Broyles, sr., OH; Ava Clark, sr., RS; Jenna Smith, sr., OH; Grace Markowitz, sr., S; Lilly Skalsky, fr., OH/MH; Milly Bailey, jr., OH/MH.
 
Worth noting: Eagles return to state for the first time since 2019. ... Olpe was back-to-back state champion with 2A title in 2011 and 1A title in 2012. … Eagles won Olpe Invitational and finished tied for third in Lyon County League behind 1A Division II qualifier Lebo and Southern Coffey County. … Eagles were seeded third in their sub-state. … Five losses came to state-qualifying teams. … Coughlin has 151 blocks. … Robert leads team with 45 aces. … Haag has 167 digs. … Markowitz has 149 assists. … Skalsky is also state cross country qualifier.
 


 
PRETTY PRAIRIE
 
Coach: Lori Young
 
Record: 36-4 (No. 3 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Doniphan West (6: 34-5), 3:30 p.m.; vs. St. Francis (7: 29-9), 5:30 p.m.; vs. Sylvan-Lucas (2: 37-2), 8:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Bailey Young, sr., MH; Emma Hendrickson, sr., S/MH; Trinity Kruse, sr., DS/OH; Copper Collins, sr., L; Carlin Stucky, sr., DS/OH.
 
Worth noting: Bulldogs were Class 1A Division I state runners-up last year, falling 25-10, 24-26, 25-19 to Spearville in state championship match. … Bulldogs finished last season 41-6 and are now 77-10 over the past two seasons. … Bulldogs were Heart of the Plains champions this season and also won tournament titles at Pratt-Skyline and Chaparral. … Two of four losses came to 3A or 4A schools while another came to 1A Division II qualifier and No. 2 seed Attica. … Young has 399 kills with a .375 hitting percentage, as well as 57 blocks. … Hendrickson has 232 kills and 231 assists. … Kruse has 340 digs and 161 kills. … Collins has 304 digs and serves at 97%. … Stucky has 277 digs and 122 kills. … Several Bulldogs were on Pretty Prairie’s state championship basketball team last March.


 
 
SPEARVILLE
 
Coach: Syble Thompson
 
Record: 32-4 (No. 5 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Little River (4: 34-5), 3:30 p.m.; vs. Flinthills (1: 37-2), 6:30 p.m.; vs. Olpe (8: 24-15), 7:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Cameron Offerle, sr., OH; Tawney Krominga, sr., OH; Michaela Hubbell, jr., MB; Kara Brakey, sr., MB.
 
Worth noting: Lancers are defending Class 1A Division I state champions and beat Pretty Prairie 25-10, 24-26, 25-19 in last year’s championship match. … Spearville has qualified for state nine times since 2011 either in Class 1A or 2A and finished second in 2A in 2019 to Wabaunsee. … Offerle was the 1A Division I player of the year last year and is a three-time all-SPIAA performer coming into this year. … Krominga also was All-State last year and is a two-time all-league pick. … Two of four losses this season came at SPIAA Tournament, but Lancers were regular-season league champions. … Other losses came to Holcomb and Hoxie at a tournament in mid-September.


 
 
ST. FRANCIS
 
Coach: ShayLinn Zweygardt
 
Record: 29-9 (No. 7 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. Sylvan-Lucas (2: 37-2), 4:30 p.m.; vs. Pretty Prairie (3: 36-4), 5:30 p.m.; vs. Doniphan West (6: 34-5), 7:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Ellee Krien, sr., L; Jesslyn Houtman, sr., OH/DS; Rian Zimbal, sr., MH; Gracie Parsons, sr., OH; Makaila Matthies, jr., DS; Molly Gilliland, sr., S/RS.
 
Worth noting: Indians back at state after a one-year absence and trip is fourth overall. … St. Francis still seeking first semifinal appearance. … Krien has 507 digs and 71 aces this season and 1,418 digs and 220 aces in her career. … Houtman has 222 kills and 232 digs and topped 500 career kills this season. … Zimbal has 175 kills and 89 blocks and also went over 500 kills this season. … Parsons has 148 kills and 48 blocks. … Matthies has 65 aces and 283 digs. … Gilliland has 255 assists, 135 kills and 132 digs.
 


 
SYLVAN-LUCAS
 
Coach: Linda Haring
 
Record: 37-2 (No. 2 seed)
 
Pool-play matches: vs. St. Francis (7: 29-9), 4:30 p.m.; vs. Doniphan West (6: 34-5), 6:30 p.m.; vs. Pretty Prairie (3: 36-4), 8:30 p.m.
 
Key Players: Keeli Knobbe, sr., OH; Sophie Pancost, sr., S; Goldie Dohe, sr., OH; Emma Cline, jr., L; Emma Finkenbinder, jr., MH; Addie Wallace, sr., MH; Maggie Labertew, so., S.
 
Worth noting: Mustangs’ state trip is first since 2017 when they finished third. … Program has four trips overall, all under Haring, who won her 500^th career match this season. … Sylvan-Lucas won the Northern Plains League title and won the Osborne Tournament. … Only losses came to Minneapolis and Bennington in mid-September and Mustangs are on 26-match winning streak. … Knobbe has 382 kills this season and is three away from 1,200 in her career. … She also has 56 aces and 282 digs this season. … Pancost has 397 assists and went over 1,000 for her career this year. … She also has 182 digs and 35 aces. … Dohe has 148 kills, 44 aces and 211 digs. … Cline has 395 digs. … Labertew has 346 assists, 220 digs and 23 aces. … Wallace has 43 aces and 35 blocks and Finkenbinder has 76 kills and 55 blocks.