CLASS 6A
 
AT TONY’S PIZZA EVENTS CENTER, SALINA
 

 
BLUE VALLEY WEST
 
Coach: Jessica Horstick
 
Record: 30-4 (No. 2 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Olathe Northwest (7: 28-9), 11 a.m.; vs. Manhattan (6: 27-8), 1 p.m.; vs. Wichita Northwest (3: 30-6), 3 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Olathe East, 25-17, 25-21; beat Blue Valley, 25-14, 25-14.
 
Key Players: Peyton Kubik, jr., OH; Carlie Pandjaris, sr., L; Jensen Kubik, so., OH; Aliyah Harris, so., MH; Nyah Harris, so., S; Sasha Cromer, jr., S; Alyssa Young, sr., DS.
 
Worth noting: Jaguars return to state for the 10th time in the past 11 years with the only absence coming in 2019. … West finished as state runner-up last year, falling three sets in the championship match to Mill Valley, 13-25, 25-20, 25-22. … Jaguars won state titles in 2015 and 2020 and also took second in 2016, 2017 and 2021 and fourth in 2023. … Program also won a state title in 5A in 2005. … Horstick is 335-106 in her 11 years at West. … West has two wins over fellow 6A qualifier Olathe West and two wins over 5A qualifier Blue Valley Southwest. … Jaguars finished at Eastern Kansas League runners-up to St. Thomas Aquinas, whom they also beat once this season. … Only losses came to 6A state qualifier Blue Valley West, 5A qualifiers Aquinas and Blue Valley Southwest and Lee’s Summit (Mo.) West, the latter coming in the finals of the MOKAN Tournament. … Jaguars won home tournament. … Peyton Kubik, a Pittsburgh commit, became program’s all-time kills leader this season and has 1,241 in her career, including 415 this season. … She’s recorded at least 400 kills in each of her first three seasons and is hitting at a .331 clip this season with a 48.3 kill percentage. … Younger sister Jensen is second on team with 262 kills while Aliyah Harris is right behind with 214 kills. … Nyah Harris has 458 assists and Cromer, an Auburn commit, has 379. … Pandjaris, who is committed to Rockhurst, leads team with 258 digs. … Aliyah Harris is tops on the team with 62 aces and Jensen Kubik has 40.
 

 
FREE STATE
 
Coach: Jayme Lisher
 
Record: 20-12 (No. 8 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Mill Valley (1: 31-4), 11 a.m.; vs. Washburn Rural (4: 30-7), noon; vs. Olathe West (5: 26-7), 2 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Wichita Southeast, 25-5, 25-7; beat Garden City, 25-13, 25-16.
 
Key Players: Anniston Clark, jr., MB; Tessa Nover-Estes, jr., S.
 
Worth noting: After one-year absence, Firebirds return to state after taking out 2024 state qualifier Garden City on its home court in the sub-state finals. … Trip to state is eighth overall and Firebirds have two top-four finishes. … Free State finished 8-5 in tough Sunflower League that produced four 6A state teams. … Firebirds handed top-seeded and two-time defending state champion Mill Valley won of its four losses. … Free State took second at Hays Tournament with loss to 5A No. 1 seed Bishop Carroll in finals. … After missing last season with injury, Clark has come back strong and leads team in kills with 366 and blocks with 79 and is committed to Lipscomb. … Nover-Estes has team-high 797 assists and team-high 248 digs. … She is closing in on 2,000 career assists.
 

 
MANHATTAN
 
Coach: Nicole Jones
 
Record: 27-8 (No. 6 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Wichita Northwest (3: 30-6), 10 a.m.; vs. Blue Valley West (2: 30-4), 1 p.m.; vs. Olathe Northwest (7: 28-9), 2 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Campus, 25-11, 25-13; beat Derby, 25-19, 25-19.
 
Key Players: Bailey Busch, jr., OH; Janie Hilgers, sr., L; Keeli Tepe, sr., S; Madison Stanard, jr., MB; Ansley Becket, jr., MB; Jelena Depusior, jr., RS; Evie Ruliffson, jr., DS.
 
Worth noting: Indians making third straight state appearance and have qualified in three of four seasons with Jones as head coach. … Indians finished fourth last year at state, falling in semifinals to eventual state champion Mill Valley and then losing to Olathe West in third-place match. … Program has four state titles overall, the last coming in 2010. … Indians were runner-up in the Centennial League to fellow 6A qualifier Washburn Rural. … They also finished second at their home tournament and Rural’s tournament. … Indians have wins over 5A qualifiers Maize South, St. James Academy and Great Bend (twice) and fellow 6A qualifier Free State. … All eight losses have come to state-qualifying teams, including four to Rural. … Others came to 6A qualifiers Blue Valley West and Mill Valley, 4A qualifier Hayden and 3A No. 1 seed Silver Lake. … Busch leads team with 383 kills and 44 aces and also has 273 digs as a six-rotation player. … She hit her 1,000th career kill this season and is approaching 1,000 career digs. … Stanard has 145 kills and team-high 74 blocks while Becket has 126 kills and 56 blocks. … Tepe has 808 assists. … Hilgers has 334 digs and 26 aces. … Ruliffson also has 26 aces and 150 digs. … Stanard has 29 aces and Tepe has 24.
 

 
MILL VALLEY
 
Coach: Kylie Corneliusen
 
Record: 31-4 (No. 1 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Free State (8: 20-12), 11 a.m.; vs. Olathe West (6: 26-7), noon; vs. Washburn Rural (4: 30-7), 3 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Shawnee Mission West, 25-12, 25-10; beat Olathe North, 25-15, 25-14.
 
Key Players: Ella Florez, sr., S; Riley Riggs, jr., OH; Olivia Nzioki, sr., MB; Leilah Perry, sr., MB; Corinne Schwindt, sr., L.
 
Worth noting: After winning program’s first-ever state championship in 2023, Jaguars captured second straight state title last, beating Blue Valley West 25-12, 20-25, 25-10 in the championship match. … Mill Valley making fourth straight state appearance and took fourth in 2022. … Corneliusen is 138-25 in her four-year career, having led Jaguars to four of program’s six state-tournament appearances. … Jaguars shared Sunflower League title with Olathe West, beating the Owls in their match, but losing to fellow 6A qualifier Olathe Northwest. … Two of other three losses came to fellow 6A qualifier Free State and 5A qualifier St. Thomas Aquinas. … Florez is an Iowa State commit who has 853 assists this season to lead the Sunflower League. … She recorded her 3,000th career assist this year and is the school record-holder with 3,212 in her career. … She also added 281 digs and 40 aces. … Riggs, a South Carollina commit, leads the team with 425 kills, which also led the Sunflower League, also has team-high 54 aces. … She already is the Jaguars’ career leader in kills with 1,127. … Nzioki, a Northwestern State commit, leads Jaguars in blocks with 76, just ahead of Florez (64) and Perry, who is committed to Pittsburg State. … Nzioki also has 187 kills, while sophomore Sophia Sturdy has 177 and Perry has 115. … Schwindt has 234 digs and 42 aces. 
 

 
OLATHE NORTHWEST
 
Coach: Riley Shinkle
 
Record: 28-9 (No. 7 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Blue Valley West (2: 30-4), 11 a.m.; vs. Wichita Northwest (3: 30-6), noon; vs. Manhattan (6: 27-8), 2 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Lawrence, 25-23, 25-7; beat Gardner Edgerton, 25-19, 25-23.
 
Key Players: Rosalee Johnson, so., OH/DS; Alyssa Gray, sr., OH/S/OPP; Bridget Apsey, sr.; Amaya Jimenez, so., L; Emma Parker, sr., S.
 
Worth noting: Ravens making 11 state trip in program history, the last berth coming in 2023 when they finished third. … Northwest captured back-to-back state championships in 2016 and 2017 and also took second in 2020 and third in 2018 and 2021. … Ravens won the Lawrence Invitational and finished third at the MoKan Tournament. … Six of nine losses came to state qualifying teams, including 6A qualifiers Washburn Rural, Olathe West and Blue Valley West (twice) and 5A qualifiers St. Thomas Aquinas and Maize South. … Ravens also beat 6A No. 1 seed Mill Valley, 5A qualifier St. James Academy (twice) and 4A qualifier Bishop Miege. … Johnson leads team in kills with 367 while Gray is close behind with 322. …  Parker has 595 assists and Gray has 369. … Apsey has 95 blocks and junior Bella Wolf has 73. … Jimenez has 384 digs (Sunflower best) and Johnson has 378 and Gray 276.
 

 
OLATHE WEST
 
Coach: Amy Hoffsommer
 
Record: 26-7 (No. 5 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Washburn Rural (4: 30-7), 10 a.m.; vs. Mill Valley (1: 31-4), 1 p.m.; vs. Free State (8: 20-12), 2 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Olathe South, 25-13, 25-16; beat Shawnee Mission East, 25-22, 25-15.
 
Key Players: Ella Stowell, sr., OH; Cameron Sher, sr., MH; Neely Leathers, sr., S; Kylee Webb, jr., RS.
 
Worth noting: After qualifying for state for the first time in program history last year, placing third, Owls making second straight appearance. … Owls fell to Blue Valley West in semifinals last year in a touch 13-25, 25-20, 25-22 three-set match before beating Manhattan 25-13, 25-12 in third-place match. … Owls shared Sunflower League title with Mill Valley this season, each finishing with one loss in league play. … League title was second in three years for Owls. … West beat seven ranked teams during season and have wins over fellow 6A qualifiers Olathe Northwest and Washburn Rural and 5A qualifiers St. Thomas Aquinas and Lansing. … All five losses to Kansas teams this year came to state qualifiers – Mill Valley, Blue Valley West (twice), Aquinas and Blue Valley Southwest – and other two losses came to out-of-state teams. … Stowell has 350 kills, 222 digs and 60 blocks and recorded her 1,000th career kill this fall. … Leathers recorded her 2,000th career assist and has 911 this season along with 43 blocks, 242 digs and 49 aces. … Sher has 222 kills, 71 blocks, 187 digs and 32 aces. … Webb in first year as starter but ranks second in kills with 236 and also has 24 blocks. 
 

 
WASHBURN RURAL
 
Coach: Kevin Bordewick
 
Record: 30-7 (No. 4 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Olathe West (5: 26-7), 10 a.m. vs. Free State (8: 20-12), noon; vs. Mill Valley (1: 31-4), 3 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Wichita West, 25-11, 25-4; beat Maize, 25-11, 25-21.
 
Key Players: Karsyn Horyna, sr., MH; Dayne Shriver, sr., MH; Stella Kelly, sr., S; Taylor Guffey, sr., L; Molly Schuler, jr., LH/RH; Brynn Anderson, fr., LH.
 
Worth noting: Rural making ninth straight trip to state and has qualified 27 times in the last 29 seasons, including 16 straight from 1997-2012. … Junior Blues have eight state championships in program history, the last coming in 2022. … Junior Blues also have 16 top-three finishes and 21 final fours, including 11 straight top 3s and 14 straight final fours from 1999-2012. … Rural has won at least 30 matches in 24 out of past 27 seasons. … Bordewick has moved to No. 2 on the state’s career coaching victory list with a 1,119-288 overall record (1,072-248 at Rural), ranking only behind former Bishop Miege coach Gwen Pike who was 1,224-239 in her 36 years. … Rural won Centennial League regular season and tournament titles, its fifth straight league title and seventh in the last eight years. … Junior Blues also won titles at the Manhattan and Emporia tournaments. … Junior Blues started season 5-4 before winning 16 straight matches, starting the streak with a win over 5A qualifier St. James Academy. … Only losses in last 28 matches have come to 6A qualifier Blue Valley West, 5A qualifier St. James and Gardner Edgerton, two of those in three sets. … Rural beat fellow 6A qualifier Manhattan four times this season and also beat 6A qualifier Olathe Northwest, 5A qualifiers St. James and Great Bend and 4A qualifiers Clay Center and Hayden. … Kelly went over 2,000 career assists this season. … Anderson has been impact freshman and leads team in kills. … Shriver is second on team in kills and Horyna is third with Horyna the leading blocker. … Guffey leads in digs and serve receive.
 

 
WICHITA NORTHWEST
 
Coach: DeJanae Arnold
 
Record: 30-6 (No. 3 seed)
 
Pool-play matches Friday: vs. Manhattan (6: 27-8), 10 a.m.; vs. Olathe Northwest (7: 28-9), noon; vs. Blue Valley West (2: 30-4), 3 p.m.
 
Sub-state results: beat Liberal, 25-13, 25-12; beat Topeka High, 25-5, 25-4.
 
Key Players: Gyntre Flecther, sr., S; Brooklyn Benoit, sr., OH; Johanna Fountan, so., MH; Karissa Patterson, jr., RS; Rylee Triplett, fr., OH; Braelyn Williams, sr., MH; Reese Johnson, sr., L.
 
Worth noting: Grizzlies return to state after two-year absence. … Northwest qualified three straight years from 2020-22 and this year’s state trip will be eighth overall for the program. … Grizzlies finished runner-up in Greater Wichita Athletic League to 5A No. 1 seed Bishop Carroll, which handed them two of their six losses. … Grizzlies also lost to fellow 5A qualifier Kapaun Mt. Carmel and 4A No. 1 seed Andale, but also beat Kapaun twice. … Northwest won three regular-season tournaments, including one at Eisenhower when Benoit went down with injury in finals. … Benoit leads team with 335 kills while Patterson has 230 and Williams has 136. … Fletcher has 747 assists. … Johnson has 376 digs and Benoit has 252 and Fletcher has 204. … Benoit also has 43 aces with Fletcher having 42 and Williams 38. … Williams has 49 blocks. … Arnold in second year as head coach and is a Northwest alum.