CLASS 1A DIVISION II
 
AT WHITE AUDITORIUM, EMPORIA
 

 
AXTELL
 
Coach: Rhonda Hasenkamp
 
Record: 27-13 (No. 8 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Marais des Cygnes Valley (1: 39-2), 11 a.m.; vs. Victoria (4: 34-6), noon; vs. Hanover (5: 32-7), 2 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Chetopa, 25-5, 25-8; beat Marmaton Valley, 25-7, 25-10; Sub-state results: beat Hartford, 25-11, 25-11; beat Lebo, 26-24, 25-16.
 
Key Players: Natalee Strathman, sr., MB; Katelyn Detweiler, so., S; Maggie Strathman, so., MB; Regan Hasenkamp, so., OH; Calleigh McClellan, sr., OH; Alyssa Hasenkamp, sr., DS.
 
Worth noting: Axtell back at state for first time since 2017 and 11th time overall. … Eagles captured program’s lone state title in 2016, winning the Class 1A Division II crown. … Axtell had runner-up finishes in 2001, 2004 and 2015 and took third in 1990, 1997, 2005 and 2014. … Hasenkamp in first year as head coach and played on 1997 Axtell team that took third before playing collegiately at Washburn on Ichabods’ first-ever MIAA championship team in 2002. … Eagles one of six Twin Valley League state qualifiers and bulk of losses came in league play, including nine to state qualifying teams. … Another loss came to 4A qualifier Rock Creek. … Axtell also owns win over 1A II qualifier and defending champion Hanover. … Eagles were runner-up to Hanover at home tournament and took fifth in TVL tournament. … Strathmans lead Eagles in kills with Maggie having 252 and Natalee right behind with 239. … Detweiler has team-high 711 assists and 79 aces and also has 298 digs, 100 kills and 43 blocks. … She went over 1,000 career assists and is nearing 600 digs. … Natalee Strathman has 74 blocks and Maggie has 59 blocks. … Natalee also has 46 aces and 239 digs and went over 700 kills and digs in her career. … Regan Hasenkamp has 164 kills and 228 digs and McLellan has 139 kills.
 

 
BUCKLIN
 
Coach: Amy Fleener
 
Record: 25-11 (No. 7 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Ingalls (2: 35-5), 11 a.m.; vs. Linn (3: 32-5), noon; vs. Dighton (6: 28-12), 2 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Minneola, 25-11, 25-6; beat Rolla, 25-11, 25-9; beat Moscow, 25-7, 25-21. Sub-state results: beat Satanta, 25-19, 25-11; beat Attica, 15-25, 27-25, 25-20.
 
Key Players: Emmerson Kirk, sr., S; Karlee Evans, sr., MH/MB; Isabel Bowman, sr., MH/MB; Tristan Stout, sr., OH.
 
Worth noting: Following a one-year absence, Bucklin back at state for second time in three seasons and third time in last five years. … Red Aces also had three straight trips from 2011-13, which included a third-place finish in 2013, the best showing for the program at state. … Red Aces finished fourth in SPIAA League with all the top four being state qualifiers this season. … Kirk has 676 assists and went over 2,000 career assists in early October, sitting at 2,211 going into state. … She also has 833 career digs, including 272 this year as well as 72 kills. … Evans leads team in four categories – kills (263), aces (62), digs (274) and blocks (21). … Bowman missed a third of the season with a knee injury but is back for the postseason and has 189 kills, 169 digs and 26 aces in her limited action. … Stout has 192 kills, 253 digs and 59 aces. … Evans and Bowman each went over 600 kills and 700 digs for their careers this season.
 

 
DIGHTON
 
Coach: Kaylee Martindale
 
Record: 28-12 (No. 6 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Linn (3: 32-5), 10 a.m.; vs. Ingalls (2: 35-5), 1 p.m.; vs. Bucklin (7: 25-11), 2 p.m.
 
Reigonal results: beat Weskan, 25-11, 25-9; beat Western Plains, 25-14, 25-8. Sub-state results: beat Pawnee Heights, 25-12, 25-12; beat Cheylin, 25-18, 21-25, 25-23.
 
Key Players: Lani Speer, sr., OH.
 
Worth noting: Hornets back at state for the first time since 2021. … Trip to state is sixth since 2011 for program. … Top finish came in 2013 when Dighton took second Class 1A Division II to Baileyville B&B. … Hornets won Northwest Kansas League Tournament title and took third at their home tournament. … Hornets upset Cheylin in sub-state finals after having loss to them in three sets in early October. … Two losses came to 1A I qualifier Quinter, whom Dighton also beat. … Speer has been dominant force at net for her career.
 

 
HANOVER
 
Coach: Melissa Holle
 
Record: 32-7 (No. 5 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Victoria (4: 34-6), 10 a.m.; vs. Marais des Cygnes Valley (1 39-2), 1 p.m.; vs. Axtell (8: 27-13), 2 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Natoma, 25-8, 25-5; beat Centre, 25-4, 25-6. Sub-state results: beat Stafford, 25-5, 25-5; beat Hutchinson Central Christian, 25-15, 25-9.
 
Key Players: Drew Bruna, jr., MH; Katie Holle, sr., S; Ally Scheele, sr., L; Gracie Bruna, jr., OH; Leigha Jueneman, sr., DS; Trinity Schlabach, sr., MH.
 
Worth noting: Hanover returned to the top of 1A Division II last year, beating Lebo in the title match after losing to the Wolves in the championship match the previous two seasons. … Title was third in last five years for the Wildcats, who won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021, also beating Lebo for the 2021 crown. … Wildcats also have a state title in 1979 and runner-up finish in 2016 among eight previous total state appearances. … Hanover won regular-season tournament titles at Clifton-Clyde, Republic County and Axtell and finished second at the Twin Valley League Tournament to fellow 1A II qualifier Linn. … Three of Wildcats’ losses have come to Linn and two came to 2A qualifier Valley Heights. … Another loss came to 1A II qualifier Axtell. … Drew Bruna leads Wildcats with 318 kills and also has 78 blocks. … Gracie Bruna has 194 kills, 391 digs and 63 aces. … Holle has 770 assists and 286 digs. … Scheele had 456 digs and 54 aces. … Jueneman has 190 digs and Schlabach has 151 kills and 57 blocks. … Melissa Holle won her 300th career match and is 310-116 in her career.
 

 
INGALLS
 
Coach: Bulma Galaviz
 
Record: 35-5 (No. 2 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Bucklin (7: 25-11), 11 a.m.; vs. Dighton (6: 28-12), 1 p.m.; vs. Linn (3: 32-5), 3 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Ashland, 25-10, 25-13; beat Caldwell, 25-13, 25-14. Sub-state results: beat Cunningham, 25-10, 25-13; beat Moscow, 25-12, 25-23.
 
Key Players: Olivia Stein, sr., OH; Jill Schmeeckle, jr., MB; Jennasey Stoudemire, jr., MH; Leah Steinmetz, so., OH.
 
Worth noting: Ingalls making third state appearance in last four years, the only state berths for the program. … Bulldogs finished third at state last year, losing to eventual champion Ha over in the semifinals before beating Argonia for third. … Finish was best ever for the program. … Galaviz in first year as head coach replacing Randy Rockhold. … Ingalls won SPIAA League Tournament and finished runner-up in league’s regular season standings. … Bulldogs also won Hodgeman County Invitational. … Bulldogs started season 15-0 before losing to 1A I qualifier South Gray. … Other losses came to 1A I qualifiers Goessel and Spearville as well as 2024 3A champion Halstead and Wichita Homeschool Warriors. … Stein has 616 kills this year and currently ranks No. 2 all-time in state history in kills with 2,548 career kills, just 87 shy of the state record of 2,635 set by Hutchinson Central Christian’s Jamie Patrick from 2008-11. … Schmeeckle has 219 kills and 539 assists. … Stoudemire has 349 assists. … Stein has 284 digs and Steinmetz has 204. … Schmeeckle leads team in aces with 78 while Stein has 67 and Stoudemire 52.
 

 
LINN
 
Coach: Amy Bott
 
Record: 32-5 (No. 3 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Dighton (6: 28-12), 10 a.m.; vs. Bucklin (7: 25-11), noon; vs. Ingalls (2: 35-5), 3 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Peabody, 25-11, 25-9; beat Stafford, 25-9, 25-8. Sub-state results: beat Centre, 25-8, 25-8; beat Otis-Bison, 25-8, 25-13.
 
Key Players: Gretchen Bott, jr., S; Baileigh Peters, jr., OH; Geni Turk, jr., L; Sophia Hiltgen, fr., S/OH; Izzy Rogge, jr., MH; Ella Oehmke, sr., RS.
 
Worth noting: Bulldogs making second straight state appearance and 11^th overall in program history. … Linn has finished in the top four four times in program history. … Bulldogs won Twin Valley League Tournament title for the first time in program history, beating fellow 1A II qualifier and defending state champion Hanover in the finals. … Bulldogs beat Hanover three times this season, while losing to the Wildcats once. … Other in-state losses came to 2A qualifier Valley Heights and 1A I qualifier Centralia while other two losses came to Nebraska teams. … Bulldogs won Rock Hills Invitational title as well and finished runner-up in TVL regular season standings to Heights. … Bott leads team in three categories – kills (326), assists (431) and aces (74). … She went over 1,000 career assists and 200 aces at midseason. … Hiltgen has 271 kills and Peters has 157. … Hiltgen also has 350 assists. … Turk has 323 digs and Peters has 213. … Peters also has 43 aces.
 

 
MARAIS DES CYGNES VALLEY
 
Coach: Missy Cruqui
 
Record: 39-2 (No. 1 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Axtell (8: 27-13), 11 a.m.; vs. Hanover (5: 32-7), 1 p.m.; vs. Victoria (4: 34-6), 3 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Wakefield, 25-11, 25-4; beat Hartford, 25-12, 25-10. Sub-state results: beat Marmaton Valley, 25-3, 25-18; beat Blue Valley-Randolph, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21.
 
Key Players: Emily Criqui, so., OH; Akyra Traver, sr., S; Colbie Cormode, sr., MB; Gracen Stahl, sr., MB.
 
Worth noting: Trojans returning to state for the first time since 2003, ending a 22-year drought. … Two players on this year’s team – Stahl and Traver – had mothers who played on that state team. … That’s the only other time Marais des Cygnes Valley qualified for state. … Trojans swept Lyon County League regular-season and tournament titles, taking the tourney title for the second straight year and going undefeated against league foes. … Trojans also won the Hartford Invitationals title and took second at the Wellsville Invitational, falling to the host Eagles in three sets in the finals. … Only other loss came to Lyndon in opening tournament of the season. … Criqui has 524 kills, 394 digs, 92 aces and 44 blocks. … Traver has 507 assists, 140 kills, 258 digs and 59 aces. … Stahl has 167 kills and Cormode has 144. … Stahl also has 70 aces, 45 blocks and 167 digs. … Cormode has 67 blocks. … Traver recorded her 1,000th career assist this season while Criqui has 150 career aces and is 10 kills shy of 900 and 32 digs shy of 900 as a sophomore.
 

 
VICTORIA
 
Coach: Sarah Nuss
 
Record: 34-6 (No. 4 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Hanover (5: 32-7), 10 a.m.; vs. Axtell (8: 27-13), noon; vs. Marais des Cygnes Valley (1: 39-2), 3 p.m.
 
Regional results: beat Pawnee Heights, 25-15, 25-9; beat Logan-Palco, 25-14, 25-9. Sub-state results: beat Wallace County, 24-26, 25-21, 25-22; beat Wheatland-Grinnell, 19-25, 25-22, 28-26.
 
Key Players: Myah Younger, sr., OH/MB/DS; Grace Younger, so., S/OH; Emma Dinkel, sr., S/OH; Lyla Rodger, so., L; Addison VonLintel, so., MB.
 
Worth noting: Knights making fifth state appearance in Nuss’ 10 years as head coach, including a three-year run from 2019-21 in Class 1A Division I. … Knights making second straight trip, 0-3 in pool play last year. … Program has six overall appearances and lone top-four finish was a fourth in 2021. … Knights won the La Crosse/Otis-Bison and Ellis Tournament titles, beatin 1A I qualifier Quinter in three sets in the finals at Ellis. … Victoria was down 24-19 in third set of sub-state title match with Wheatland-Grinnell before rallying for 28-26 win to clinch state berth. … Three of six losses came to 2A unbeaten Ellinwood and two more came to St. John. … Wins are the most for the program since program began in 1973. … VonLintel leads team in kills with 270 and also broke the school’s single-season blocks record with 73. … Myah Younger has 256 kills, while Dinkel has 183 and Grace Younger 115. … Grace Younger has 359 assists and Dinkel has 339. … Myah Younger broke the school record for digs and Dinkel broke the school record for assists, each going over 1,000 in those respective categories. … Rodger has 329 digs while three others have at least 200. … Grace Younger leads six Knights with at least 20 aces, having a team-high 61.