DODGE CITY – Moments after the 2A state title match, the Ellinwood Eagles rushed toward a poster they had positioned courtside. 

It read ‘Leave No Doubt’ with boxes for the Eagles to check off throughout their postseason run. 

“Checking boxes became kind of a theme, and to leave no doubt, ” Ellinwood coach Greg Maxwell said. “Every time they stepped on the court I said, ‘Don't give anything away for cheap. Nothing cheap, make them earn everything.’ ”

The Eagles slammed the final checkmark sticker on the poster following a 25-16, 25-21 win over Valley Heights in the 2A title match on Saturday at United Wireless Arena, completing a 47-0 season and capturing the program’s first state championship. 

“I'm overwhelmed right now with excitement,” Ellinwood senior Regan Widener said. “We've been working for this for a long time, so it just feels really rewarding.”

Maxwell, who has turned the Eagles into a perennial contender in his eight seasons as coach, said this year felt different from the get-go. 

“These girls believed that they were the best team in this tournament,”  Maxwell said. “They believed they were the best team in the state all year. There's a fine line of letting the girls be confident and not get overconfident and know that they're going to get pressured. I prepared them to handle that as best I could, and I was really proud of how they handled it themselves.”

The Eagles were led by dynamic senior hitters Widener and Kyndal Moore in the title match. Widener finished the match with 12 kills and Moore added six. Moore, Alyvia Batchman and Brynn Widener each had two blocks, while Mette Maxwell recorded 14 digs and 5 kills. Batchman dished out 14 assists while Maxwell added 11. 

“The chemistry is unreal,” Moore said. “I've never seen a team with better chemistry.”

“Everyone made a huge, crucial play for us, and that's how it's been all year,” Greg Maxwell said. “They are just so talented and they all believe in each other and trust each other so well.”

After Ellinwood controlled the first set, Valley Heights, led by senior hitter Ava Smith, jumped out to a 9-3 lead before Ellinwood reeled off a 7-0 run. The match was tied at 15 but the Eagles scored the next three points. Valley Heights closed within a point at 19-18 but back-to-back kills from Widener and Ayla Ritchie kept Ellinwood in front for good.

“It was just so hard to find holes with our swing,” said Valley Heights coach Susan Steinfort, who guided the Mustangs to a state runner-up finish for the second straight year. “What a great team we just lost to. They’re a super talented team. We're honored to be where we are right now.”

Smith finished with 10 kills in the title match and senior Mia Vermetten added seven for Valley Heights, which beat Hillsboro 25-21 and 25-18 in the semifinals while Ellinwood cruised to a 25-10, 25-14 win over Jefferson County North. 

Valley Heights finished 32-11 on the season. 

“All the girls played their hearts out,” Steinfort said. “They don't care who they're competing against, they have fight and fire and they never let that die. I'm so proud of them.” 

Hillsboro, state champions in 2022 and 2023, captured third-place with a 25-16, 25-14 over Jefferson County North. The Trojans finished 35-11, making their return to state after a one-year absence. 

Ellinwood lost just three sets all season long. They beat four-time reigning Class 1A Division I champion Little River in a pair of a three-set matches and also took down Class 3A fourth-place finisher Hoisington in a three-setter. 

Moore and Widener are the Eagles’ only two seniors. They’re both headed to MIAA schools with Moore committed to Emporia State and Widener headed to Fort Hays State. 

“It's very special to end this way,” Widener said. “We worked really hard for this, so it's really nice to see it pay off, especially your senior year.”

The Eagles will still be loaded with all-state caliber talent next year. Juniors Batchman and libero Bennett Jacobs will step into senior leadership roles next year. Ellinwood’s sophomore class thrived this year, led by Mette Maxwell, Brynn Widener, Ritchie and Reagan Wirtz. 

“We're not done,” Greg Maxwell said. “We have goals for multiple years of being in this situation and giving ourselves an opportunity to do it again.”
 

 

 

 

Class 2A 

At United Wireless Arena, Dodge City 

Semifinals 

Ellinwood def. Jefferson County North 25-10, 25-14; Valley Heights def. Hillsboro 25-21, 25-18

Championship

Ellinwood def. Valley Heights 25-16, 25-21 

Third place 

Hillsboro def. Jefferson County North 25-16, 25-14