Coming off just the second state-tournament appearance in program history, Rock Creek had some serious reloading to do in 2023.
 
Graduation claimed seven seniors off the state roster, leaving just two full-time starters returning this season. Granted, both returners were some big-time pieces to build around – senior setter Sam Killingsworth and junior middle hitter Ayla Klingenberg – but enough holes needed filled to at least cast a little doubt whether the Mustangs could stay a contender in Class 4A.
 
Only there really wasn’t.
 
“We still knew we’d be strong because Sam was really our leader and Ayla is just a great hitter and a six-rotation player,” third-year coach Alli Snapp said. “Those were our only six-rotation players last year so we were getting the core of our team back, if that makes sense. But we’ve had two sophomores who this year have really stepped up. They went from freshman to varsity and really have come into their role on the team this year, too, and that’s made a big difference.”
 
Rock Creek has filled its holes and answered its questions in convincing fashion this year. With a split against Silver Lake on Tuesday night, the Mustangs wrapped up their first Mid-East League title since sharing the crown with the Eagles in 2019.
 
The Mustangs also secured the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A east bracket with a 28-7 overall mark and will host a sub-state this Saturday.
 
The league title came in the final year of the Mid-East League with Rock Creek moving to the North Central Kansas League and four of the remaining league schools merging with the Big Seven League to form the new Big East League.
 
“This was a big goal of ours this season,” Snapp said. “Last year, we split with a lot of those teams and this season going in, we really wanted to win it especially since it’s the last year of the league.”
 
Rock Creek was 8-0 in league play going into last night’s finale at home with Silver Lake. The Mustangs came out fired up and took a 25-14, 25-20 win in the first match to secure the league title. Silver Lake won the second match 25-20, 21-25, 25-21 to deny the Mustangs an undefeated league title, but it didn’t take any shine off the accomplishment.
 
“This was a big step for us, especially going into sub-state,” Snapp said. “The girls felt a little bit of pressure coming in so winning the first one relieved some of it. We came really strong and that was helpful.”
 
Rock Creek has picked off key wins throughout the season on its way to earning the top seed in the 4A east bracket. The Mustangs beat 3A power Nemaha Central at its own tournament – one of just three losses the Thunder have this season – and had a solid 4-1 showing at the tough Hillsboro Invitational last weekend to help clinch the top seed by a half-loss over Independence, which is 28-8. 
 
Sophomores Brynna Zoeller and Ambree Portelli have been a big key to Rock Creek’s ability to keep things rolling. Zoeller had primarily been a setter throughout her career growing up, but with Killingsworth entrenched at that position, she worked on developing into a right side hitter for the Mustangs this year and has delivered 176 kills, 60 blocks and 32 aces. Portelli plays middle opposite of Klingenberg and has 150 kills and 74 blocks.
 
“Both of those girls had a goal to be on varsity and were willing to do what it took, coming in for extra sessions,” Snapp said. “We took a lot of confident players and really the confidence grew in each other throughout the season. They started to come together more and more as we played and got confident in each other’s abilities. That’s been really fun to watch and when we’re on it’s so much fun to see them click with each other.”
 
Klingenberg and Killingsworth have been the constants with Klingenberg following up a record-setting sophomore season with 320 kills, 78 blocks, 315 digs and 29 aces. Killingsworth has 770 assists and 28 aces. New outside hitter Tailyn Kadavy had 175 kills and new libero Hadley Rempe has 272 digs.
 
OTHER VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS
 

• Valley Heights captured its first Twin Valley League Tournament title in several years, avenging a pool loss to Centralia with a 25-18, 25-19 win over the Panthers in the title match. The Mustangs went 2-1 in pool play, losing 25-18, 24-26, 25-23 to Centralia in the match to decide the pool winner. That forced Heights to take on regular-season champion Hanover in the semifinals after the Wildcats cruised through their pool without dropping a set. But Heights upset Hanover 14-25, 26-24, 25-20 to earn the rematch with Centralia in the finals.
• After winning its first Flint Hills League regular-season championship in five years, Osage City secured it first league tournament title in 13 years, going 5-0 over the weekend at Chase County. The Indians beat Central Heights Chase County and Mission Valley in pool play before outlasting Lyndon 26-24, 25-22 in the semifinals. Taking on West Franklin in the finals, Osage City pulled out a 25-19, 25-14 win for the title. Campbell Stark had 11 kills in the title match and 48 on the day while Callie Lane dished out 101 assists on the day. Lexi Boss added 5 kills in the finals and Jewelia Kitselman had 9 digs and 2 aces. Osage City is 24-10 going into sub-state play.
• Lebo added the Lyon County League Tournament title to its undefeated league regular-season championship, cruising through the tournament with a 5-0 mark. The Wolves gave up more than 17 points in a game in only one match, their 25-18, 28-26 win over Olpe in the finals. Lebo had dominated the Eagles 25-12, 25-13 in pool play before Olpe upset Pool B winner Marais des Cygnes Valley 25-23, 25-12 in its semifinal match. Saige Hadley had 69 kills and 10 blocks in the tourney while Audrey Peek added 36 kills and 38 digs. Abi Jones had 93 assists.
• Little River completed its sweep of the Wheat State League titles, adding the tourney title to its regular-season crown with a 5-0 showing last weekend. The Redskins won all five matches in straight sets, including a 25-21, 25-10 win over Goessel in the finals. Alaina Eck had 8 kills and Audrey Olander added 7 in the finals and Kate Ellwood had 13 assists. Eck had 54 kills on the weekend and Olander added 27 and Ashley Stephenson 20 while Ellwood had 77 assists.
• Nemaha Central completed an undefeated run in the Big Seven League’s final year of its 52-year existence, sweeping Perry-Lecompton and Hiawatha on Tuesday night to cap a 14-0 league season. The league title was the 25^th for the program overall and the Thunder improved to 36-3 going into sub-state play.
• With sweeps on Tuesday night, Jefferson County North and Pleasant Ridge each clinched a share of the Northeast Kansas League title. Both finished 15-1 in league play, each handing the other its only league loss. Jefferson North is 30-5 overall and Pleasant Ridge is 24-8, both in the same 2A sub-state at North.
• Chapman’s Clare Kuntz recorded her 450^th dig of the season at the Irish’s final home matches and in the process set a school record for digs per set in a season with 6.5. Kuntz also went over 700 career digs.
• Washburn Rural won the title at the Emporia Tournament for the third consecutive year, finishing the regular season 26-10. The Junior Blues picked up wins over 5A powers Maize South, Spring Hill, Seaman and Bishop Carroll at the tourney with the 25-15, 25-20 win over Seaman in the finals avenging a 25-23, 20-25, 25-19 loss to the Vikings in pool play. At the tournament, Zoe Canfield surpassed 2,500 career assists after earlier in the week Jada Ingram recorded her 1,000^th career kill.
• Olathe Heritage Christian completed an undefeated Kaw Valley Conference championship, going 10-0 in league play. The Chargers are 31-4 as they look to capture their fourth straight state championship in two weeks.