Immediately following her team’s victory in the championship match of last weekend’s Lyons Invitational, Southeast of Saline coach Ashley Gilpin was approached by athletic director Jeff Fuss from the host school.
 
His words were music to Gilpin’s ears.
 
“He said, ‘Coach, your team was so great. I had no idea you guys were this good!,” Gilpin said. “We were the surprise of the day.”
 
The argument could be made that Southeast of Saline is the surprise team in the state in Class 3A. After going 16-16 last season and winning just five matches three years ago, the Trojans stand at 14-6 and just enjoyed one of the biggest weeks in the program’s recent history.
 
Southeast of Saline captured the tournament title at Lyons, knocking off state-ranked Ellinwood twice in the tourney -- including a 25-17, 25-16 win in the championship match – and state-ranked Little River in the semifinals.
 
The tourney championship was the first for the Trojans in more than five years.
 
“It was amazing,” Gilpin said. “I’ve got a mom who’s been with me for six years because she’s had two daughters play here and we barely have gotten into the main gym during that time. To win it, everybody was just kind of besides themselves.”
 
Southeast of Saline didn’t rest on the laurels of its championship and followed it up with arguably an even bigger accomplishment. On Tuesday night, the Trojans split matches with Class 3A No. 3 Beloit, dropping the first match 20-25, 25-17, 25-23 before taking the second match 25-27, 25-11, 27-25.
 
The victory ended Beloit’s North Central Activities Association win streak at 50 straight matches.
 
“We played them tough and both matches had the exact same point difference – that’s how close it was,” Gilpin said. “We were super-happy to get that win and it was a big celebration. It was a goal we had and it felt good.”
 
Southeast graduated five seniors off last year’s 16-win squad, most notably leading setter Karsyn Schlesener. But Gilpin liked the pieces she had coming back this season to continue the program’s progression back to being among the best in 3A.
 
“We had most of the positions covered and the ones that weren’t would get stronger pretty quick,” Gilpin said. “We’ve got some young ones out there but we’re well-rounded. We’ve got outsides, we’ve got middles and we’ve got a back row.”
 
The Trojans’ attack has been balanced. Sophomore Macy Bunch and junior Lexi Jacobson are tied for the team lead in kills with 129 while sophomore Christina Wingo is right behind with 116. As complements from the outside and right side, seniors Reagan Goetz (81 kills) and Brynn Hawbaker (34 kills) have been solid as well.
 
Brielle Patacek, who shared time as a setter in last year’s 6-2 offense has taken command of the position in this year’s 5-1 scheme and has 408 assists and 39 aces. Libero Chase Gilpin (186 digs, 18 aces) and defensive specialist Kyler Boley (83 digs, 13 aces) have also been big.
 
“It’s just every day telling them to believe in themselves,” Gilpin said. “I knew we had some talent coming along and that helped. But we work hard and they have great work ethic. We stay late, turn on the music and pound the ball. They’re committed.”
 
Southeast started the season somewhat slow, falling to Clay Center and Minneapolis in the season-opener and going 2-3 at their home tournament. But that tournament also showed the Trojans they were capable of competing with the best in the state with two of the losses coming to 2A No. 1 Hillsboro (25-19, 25-22) and 4A No. 3 Circle (25-14, 14-25, 25-16).
 
“We have such a tough schedule and our tournament brings in some powerhouse teams,” Gilpin said. “Even losing (to Circle), but playing them well helped us with confidence.”
 
Southeast avenged the early-season loss to Minneapolis with a sweep of the Lions to start league play. The schedule doesn’t let up at this weekend’s Concordia Invitational where they very well could meet up with Beloit again.
 
But the Trojans are on their way to their first winning season since 2016 and best season since the 2015 went 34-4. Southeast hasn’t qualified for state since 2013.
 
“We don’t sit around in the lockerroom all the time and talk about, ‘Hey, let’s get to state,’” Gilpin said. “We feel ourselves coming on and we’ve had several girls mention if we play like this the rest of the season we can be in the top 10, make it through sub-state. There’s a feeling out there that we haven’t put into words yet. But there’s a feeling there.”
 
 
OTHER VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS
 

• Nemaha Central added another tournament trophy to its resume and this one might be the most impressive of the season for the Thunder after winning the Wamego Invitational. The tournament title was the third for the Thunder this season.

 
Not only did Nemaha win the tourney, the Thunder didn’t drop a set in cruising to a 6-0 mark in Wamego. That included a big 25-18, 25-17 win over Class 4A No. 3 Circle in the championship match to cap the day.
 
Ella Larkin led a balanced attack in the title match with 8 kills, finishing the day with 35 total. Addy Holthaus, Cali Honeyman and Sam Nordhus each added 5 kills against Circle with Holthaus finishing the day with 32, Nordhus 28 and Honeyman 29. Lilly Schultejans had 77 assists and Ellie Rusche had 48 assists.
 
Nemaha Central is 25-1 overall with its lone loss coming to Royal Valley. The Thunder are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A
 
 

• Washburn Rural, No. 1 in Class 6A, captured the title at its home tournament, winning all six matches in straight sets. The Junior Blues improved to 15-1 on the season, earlier in the week beating Class 5A powers Spring Hill and St. Thomas Aquinas.

 
The win over Aquinas was the second for Rural this season, handing the nationally-ranked Saints their only two losses of the season. The Junior Blues won the second meeting 25-17, 25-19, 25-22 in a best-of-five setting.
 

• Seaman took home the championship at its home tournament, beating reigning Class 3A state champion Olathe Heritage Christian twice along the way. Seaman won the first meeting 25-17, 26-24 and then topped the Chargers in the title match 25-15, 22-25, 25-16.

 

• Southern Coffey County’s Josie Weers recorded career kill No. 1,000 at the Burlington Invitational last Saturday, helping the 1A Titans to a runner-up finish at the tourney. Weers had 54 kills on the day.

 

• Olpe won its home tournament with a 5-0 mark.

 

• Clay Center coach Robert Moran notched career win No. 500 when the Tigers swept Marysville in North Central Kansas League play on Tuesday night.

 

• Marysville’s Bella Lott leads the NCKL in kills and blocks with 174 kills and 48 blocks.

 
 
CROSS COUNTRY STANDOUTS
 

• Topeka West’s Lenny Njoroge added another win to his comeback resume, taking the title in the Crimson Division at the prestigious Rim Rock Invitational. Njoroge won by more than 14 seconds over David Flaig of Regis (Colo.) Jesuit while Nemaha Central’s John Langill was third. Njoroge’s time 16:00.10 would have placed him sixth in the Gold Division race, which was won by Shawnee Mission East’s Wyatt Houghton in 15:18.50.

 

• Piper’s Grace Hanson finished runner-up in the girls Gold race at Rim Rock in 18:41.90, nearly a minute behind Salina Central’s Katelyn Rupe (17:45.50).

 

• Wabaunsee’s Payton Wurtz won her fourth straight race in as many outings this season, taking the title at the Chargers’ home Jason McKinney Memorial Meet. She’s the first Charger girl to win four races in one season and her seventh career victory ties Madeline Hess for the most in a career at Wabaunsee. Her winning time of 20:00.44 was 50 seconds ahead of runner-up Lillian Skalsky of Olpe.

 

• Nemaha Central’s Hailey Nordhus won her second title of the season at the Nemaha Central Invitational. Nordhus previously won the Marysville Invitational and led a 1-2 finish at the home meet with Maddy Mosteller as the Thunder won the team title. Axtell’s Grady Buessing was the boys winner at Nemaha.

 

• Anderson County’s boys won the team title at the Prairie View-Ramsey Invitational with Tucker Nelson going under 18 minutes for the first time in his career to post the individual win as well, finishing in 17:53.03. Prairie View’s Bree Alen ran away with the girls’ race, winning by nearly a minute and a half in 20:00.94.

 

• St. Marys took the boys title at the Royal Valley Invitational as Tug Wilson and Peyton Poppelreiter finished 1-2 individually.

 

• Southeast of Saline got a 1-2-3-4 finish in the boys race at its home meet to run away with the team title. Levi Allen won in 16:24.00, just .7 seconds ahead of Damion Jackson while Cayden Walker was third and Brayden Walker finished fourth. The Trojan girls also claimed the team title, led by a 4-5 finish from Abby Commerford and Ashley Prochazka.

 

• Minneapolis’ Alayna Cossaart was runner-up at Southeast of Saline, her fourth top-two finish this season. She won the Concordia meet and was second at Southeast, Hesston and Clay Center.

 

• Marysville’s Silas Miller won the boys’ title at the Republic County Invitational and then finished third in the Blue Division at the Rim Rock Invitational. Miller won at Republic County in 16:23 and posted a 16:51.90 at Rim Rock to finish behind a pair of Wichita Collegiate runners.