Capturing the title at the Concordia Invitational each of the last two seasons has brought a different thrill level for Clay Center and head coach Robert Moran.
 
A year ago, the tourney title served as a springboard for the Tigers’ return to the Class 4A state tournament and a 37-5 overall record. In the 2024 tourney finals, Clay Center knocked off nemesis Beloit, which had not only beaten the Tigers earlier in the day in pool play, but also earlier in the season on Clay Center’s home court.
 
“They were a solid team” Moran said. “That was a real big stepping point for us to beat them in the championship game and that really gave us a boost toward the end of our season to finish out really strong. It was a turning point in our season and our psyche.”
 
The thrill from defending that tournament title last weekend in Concordia was a little more personal for Moran. In drubbing Riley County 25-12, 25-11 in the championship match, the Tigers delivered Moran his 600th career victory.
 
“It was exciting on both fronts,” Moran said of the milestone and tourney crown. “I was mot pleased that we won the tournament. Other than dropping one set to Riley County (in pool play), I felt like we were in control of every single match and every single set. The girls are just playing so consistent right now and I love the way they’re communicating and working together. For me, that was the most satisfying part of it, that we’re playing really well at a good time of the year.
 
“I’m happy for them for the win and I’m happy that they were part of the milestone I reached as well.”
 
Whether or not it counts as a milestone, the tournament title does mark a significant achievement for the Tigers. The crown was Clay Center’s eighth straight regular-season tournament championship, a streak that started in 2023 when the Tigers captured the crown at the Council Grove Invitational.
 
Clay Center won tournaments at Marysville, Riley County, Concordia and Council Grove last fall and has defended three of those four so far this season. And they’ve been dominant in doing it, dropping only one match in tourney play, a three-set loss to Holton at Marysville, and only two other sets in tourney play, both to Riley County.
 
“You’ve got to have some fortune on your side at some point,” Moran said of the tournament streak. “These days, they can last seven, eight hours long. We’ve been fortunate to not have injuries. We’ve been fortunate to find ways to keep our girls fresh and strong at the end of the day. And obviously over the course of the streak there’s been times where the ball’s bounced our way a couple times in order for us to win a set or match that we might have been in trouble in. There’s a lot of fortune there, but it’s also been a testament to this group that they do not like to lose and find a way to win no matter what the situation is.”
 
Coming off a 37-5 season a year ago, Clay Center had plenty of firepower returning in the junior trio of Raimee Lipker, Lily Edwards and Addy Pladson. They combined for 918 kills a year ago with Lipker and Edwards each over 300 led by Lipkers 380. 
 
Sure enough, they’ve been the driving force again this season. Lipker already has 285 kills, while Edwards has 225 and Pladson 183.
 
But there were also some big holes to fill in Clay Center’s lineup from a year ago, namely with the loss of two-year starting setter Janae Crimmins and middle hitters Ayla Johnson and Raegann McDonald. But the Tigers have seamlessly filled those spots this season.
 
Sophomore Raicee Lipker has taken over as the Tigers’ setter and has 693 assists with just nine errors in more than 1,800 chances. The middle spots have been covered by seniors Savannah Bloomdahl, Braylee Langvardt and Miley McGee and junior Molly McGee, who have combined for 131 kills and 61 blocks.
 
“She’s come in and brought a lot of athleticism,” Moran said of Raicee Lipker. “She’s got a lot of experience in club and sand volleyball. You put that with her athleticism and she’s stepped in and really elevated our offense and is meshing with our hitters right now. She’s been a great find.
 
“Our middles, we don’t ask them to do a ton of things, but they’ve been very consistent and don’t make a lot of errors and have done everything you want them to do.”
 
Clay Center’s only other loss this season came to Class 6A perennial power Washburn Rural in mid-September. After sweeping Chapman 25-9, 25-13 and 25-17, 25-11 on Tuesday night, the Tigers clinched the North Central Kansas League title.
 
It’s the Tigers’ fifth league crown in the last six years in a league that has traditionally been very tough from top to bottom and last year put three teams in the Class 4A state tournament field with Rock Creek finishing as Class 4A state runner-up and Concordia there as well.
 
“It’s been a really tough volleyball league and last year just goes to show how tough it is,” Moran said. “You can’t take league nights for granted. Chapman came out and beat Rock Creek earlier this year. You just know you’re going to get tested and it will be a tough part of your schedule every year.
 
“We’ve just been very consistent. We don’t have too many low spots and don’t lose our heads. This group, the core group, are junior now and as sophomore last year they really started to hit their stride. This year’s seniors have been very consistent, but those juniors have stepped it up and done a great job. The best thing I can say about them is they never panic. They never think they’re out of a game and at any point we can go on a run and finish off a match.”
 
The wins over Chapman moved Clay Center’s record to 27-2 this season. Moran is now 602-301 in his career, the last 19 at Clay Center after a six-year stint at Cuba-Hillcrest to start his coaching career. He led Clay Center to its lone state volleyball championship in 2014 when the Tigers went 41-5 and won the Class 4A Division II crown.
 
He’s now one of just 41 coaches in state history to win 600 or more matches.
 
“It means one, I’ve been doing it for quite awhile now,” Moran said. “And two, I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of good kids come through our programs. Kids that are willing to work hard. We feel like we’ve developed a good culture and have a good setting for the girls that allows them to shine and do their best.”
 

 
COMPANY IN THE CLUB: GOESSEL’S GUHR ALSO RECORDS 600TH WIN
 
While Moran was notching his milestone victory in Concordia, Goessel’s Crysta Guhr was becoming a member of the 600-win club herself.
 
Guhr’s milestone win came at the Canton-Galva Invitational where the Bluebirds finished 2-3 and took fourth. Goessel handed Class 1A Division II No. 1 Ingalls just its second loss of the season to start pool play and after a loss to defending Class 3A state champion Halstead also beat Marion to finish pool play to give Guhr her 600th career win.
 
All 600 of those victories have come at Goessel.
 
“I know how blessed I am to get to work with young athletes and in a community and school that supports our program,” said Guhr, who now has a 602-222 overall record in 21 seasons as Bluebird coach after Tuesday’s Wheat State League sweep of Peabody and Centre. “All 600 of these wins are at Goessel and honestly the losses have taught me just as much as the wins over the years. Looking back, I’m reminded of all the amazing players and coaches I’ve spent so much time with. Coaching is such a privilege and I truly do love it.”
 
After falling to with losses to Class 1A Division I No. 1 Little River in the semifinals and Class 2A Inman in the third-place match. Goessel is now 20-9 on the season and is ranked No. 7 in Class 1A Division I this season.
 
Little River, meanwhile, pulled out a 14-25, 25-23, 25-18 win over Halstead in the finals of the tournament to capture the title and improve to 28-2 overall.
 

 
OTHER VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS

• Washburn Rural captured the Centennial League Tournament title for the fifth straight season and seventh time in the last eight years, going 5-0 on the day. The Junior Blues’ toughest challenge came in their opening match with Manhattan with the Indians taking the first set 25-20 before Rural bounced back with 25-18, 25-17 wins. The Junior Blues then swept Class 4A No. 3 Hayden 25-16, 25-14 and rolled past Junction City, Emporia and Topeka High. Rural has won 11 straight matches after a 5-4 start – all 11 of those wins coming in a one-week span.

 

 

• Silver Lake went 6-0 to take the title at its home tournament last weekend, all six wins coming in straight sets. The Eagles allowed more than 20 points just once on the day, a 25-23, 25-19 win over Eudora. It was a milestone day for the Eagles as Kylie Hanni recorded her 2,000th career assist and Jaylie Whitehead notched her 1,000th career dig. The Eagles are 34-1 after sweeping Perry-Lecompton and Jefferson West in Big East League play on Tuesday, clinching the league title with the win over West.
• Jackson Heights’ Brynn Shupe reached 1,000 digs last week.
• Wellsville took the title at its home tournament, avenging a pool play loss to Marais des Cygnes Valley by beating the Trojans 25-21, 19-25, 25-19 in the finals. MdCV had won the pool match 15-25, 25-15, 26-24, but after knocking off Santa Fe Trail in the semifinals in three sets the Eagles rode the momentum to the title. Alana Green and Mallory Harter made the all-tournament team for the Eagles, while Emily Criqui and Colbie Cormode were picks for MdCV. Santa Fe Trail’s Quincy Cook and Anderson County’s Jadan Miller rounded out the all-tourney team.

 

 

•  Jefferson West’s Harriet Dean went over the 1,000 career assist mark at the Silver Lake Invitational as the Tigers went 2-3 at the tourney.

 
 
CROSS COUNTRY STANDOUTS

• After setting Horton’s school record in her first race of the season, Charger freshman Raelynn Blanton lowered her own school mark in winning the Centralia Invitational. Blanton won by 17 seconds over Troy freshman Ella Grable in 21:46.66, taking nearly 20 seconds off the 22:05.34 she ran at Marysville. Centralia claimed the girls’ team title at the meet.
• Clifton-Clyde’s Cohen Girard took the boys’ individual title at Centralia, winning in 17:06.73 to beat runner-up Lucas Meredith of Jefferson County North by nearly 14 seconds. Nemaha Central took the boys’ team title, winning on a sixth-runner tiebreaker with Axtell after both finished with 63 points.
• Minneapolis’ girls captured the team title at the Beloit Invitational, placing all five scorers in the top 25.
• Wamego swept the team titles at the Newton Invitational as the Red Raider boys placed four in the top six and scored 25 points to win by 51 over Derby. Peyton Parker led a 2-3-4 finish for Wamego, followed by Isaac Ibendahl and Braxton Williams while Logyn Evans was sixth and Emil Wolfe took 10th. The girls got a 3-4 finish from Shayne Pittenger-Reed and Elsie Rickstrew and Colleen Murphy finished sixth to help a team score of 42 that beat Dodge City by 13 points.
• Seaman’s Brody Anderson stayed undefeated on the season, cruising to the title at the Vikings’ home meet. Anderson finished in 15:25.07 to beat Blue Valley Northwest’s Jacob D’Souza by 49 seconds.
• Manhattan’s girls continued their strong season, sweeping the top three individual spots to run away with the team title at the Maple Leaf Classic in Baldwin. Gabrielle Converse won the race in 18:27.29, finishing just ahead of teammates Zara Koehn and Isla Spreer, who went 2-3 in 18:28.69 and 18:30.94, respectively. Scarlett Williams (sixth) and Andie Strathman (seventh) also finished in the top 10 as the Indians finished with 19 points to beat Blue Valley West by 20. Manhattan’s boys also took first as a team with 33 points, 16 ahead of West, and were led by a 4-5-6 finish from Patrick Huser, Benjamin Huser and Will Richards with Jaxon Wheeler (eighth) and Kyler Grogg (10th) also in the top 10.
• Riley County’s Jeter Adams came within a second of his career-best in capturing the title at the Council Grove Invitational. Adams’ winning time of 16:49.35 was just off his career-best of 16:48.28 run last year at regionals. Adams finished 19 seconds ahead of Olpe’s Kaleb Arnold, who was second in 17:08.49, and he led the Falcons to a runner-up team finish to Chapman by six points.
• Northern Heights’ Ellei McCrory took the girls’ individual title at Council Grove, winning in 1925.57, 26 seconds ahead of runner-up Lilly Skalsky of Olpe and Liberty Cuevas of Chapman, who crossed within .41 seconds of each other in the battle for second. Osage City took the girls’ team title by 11 points over Chapman with the Indians led by a 5-6 finish from Emory Speece and Jaiton Bosse.
• Sacred Heart’s Mia Hamilton raced to the title at the Bennington Invitational by more than a minute, winning in 21:37.70.
• Goessel’s Eli Gaeddert won the boys’ race at Bennington in 17:05.80, more than a minute ahead of Solomon’s Mykia Finegan .