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St. John Tigers qualify for 1A state volleyball
Hoisington, Otis-Bison lose in title match
st john state vball
St. John volleyball coach Taci Axman joins Tigers Kalla Foote (10), Bree Mawhirter (20), Kendall Bonner (1), Jalyn Fisher (3),Allison Lopez (7), Lillian Brummer (2), Gentri Bright (9), Carlee Riegel (17), Hadley Bright (11), Lainey Peterson (12), Makenzie Kraushaar (23) and  Makinley Sanders.

No. 5 state-ranked 5A Great Bend, joins No. 1 2A Ellinwood and unranked St. John into the state volleyball tournaments Thursday.

3A state-ranked Hoisington, 1A Div. 1 Central Plains and 1A Div. 2 Otis-Bison lost in the substate championship matches.

1A ST. JOHN/CENTRAL PLAINS — St. John (31-12) upset Coldwater South Central 25-22, 25-18 to secure a 1A Division 1 state tournament berth at Salina.

St. John plays in a loaded pool with 4-time state champion Little River (33-6), No. 1 ranked Centralia (41-1) and Goessel (37-4) at Salina Thursday.

Central Plains (20-21) surprised Central Prairie rival Victoria 24-26, 25-14, 25-17 at the Montezuma substate, but lost a tight championship match 26-24, 25-21 to state qualifier South Gray (39-1).

3A HOISINGTON — Two-time state qualifier Hoisington (32-8) lost a heartbreaker to Lakin 28-26, 25-23 to prevent the Cardinals' senior class from three consecutive state tournament appearances.

Hoisington all-stater Sofia Simic ended her career as one of the greatest players in Cardinal volleyball history. The Cardinals qualified for the 3A state semifinals the past two years.

1A STAFFORD — Stafford (23-14) achieved school history with its first regional title in recent memory and pushed West Elk 17-25, 25-22, 25-19 to three sets in the Goessel substate semifinals.

1A OTIS-BISON — Central Prairie League Otis-Bison (19-21) downed McPherson Elyria 25-8, 25-15 to advance to the championship match before losing to powerhouse Hanover 25-6, 25-7.

1A MACKSVILLE—Central Prairie League Macksville (16-24) lost 25-20, 25-20 to substate runner-up Ashland at the Ingalls substate.

PAWNEE HEIGHTS—State qualifier Hodgeman County downed Pawnee Heights 25-10, 25-9 in the Jetmore semifinals. The Tigers finished with a 11-26 record.

3A STATE, HUTCHINSON, 10-29

3A POOL A—Lakin 39-1 vs Frontenac 33-10; Hesston 35-3 vs Galena 37-4; Lakin vs Galena; Hesston vs Frontenac; Lakin vs Hesston; Galena vs Frontenac

3A POOL B—Beloit 39-3 vs Holton 35-9; Cheney 37-3 vs Silver Lake 34-7; Beloit vs Silver Lake; Cheney vs Holton; Beloit vs Cheney; Silver Lake vs Holton

3A SUBSTATES

LAKIN—Lakin def. Colby, 25-16, 25-17; Hoisington def. Scott City 25-15, 25-13; Lakin def. Hoisington, 28-26, 25-23

BELOIT—Beloit def. Norton, 25-10, 25-11; Holcomb def. Goodland, 29-27, 25-17; Beloit def. Holcomb, 25-11, 25-12

CHENEY—Cheney def. SE Saline, 25-13, 25-18; Riley County def. Garden Plain, 25-12, 25-19; Cheney def. Riley County, 25-11, 22-25, 25-20

HESSTON—Hesston def. Marysville, 25-20, 25-10; Halstead def. Hillsboro, 25-23, 25-13; Hesston def. Halstead, 25-12, 25-18

GALENA—Galena def. Garnett, 25-19, 25-13; Baxter Springs def. Caney Valley, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21; Galena def. Baxter Springs, 25-16, 25-23

RIVERTON—Riverton def. Iola, 26-24, 25-17; Frontenac def. Neodesha, 25-16, 26-24; Frontenac def. Riverton, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20

SILVER LAKE—Silver Lake def. Jefferson West, 29-27, 22-25, 25-22; Perry def. Royal Valley, 25-18, 25-11; Silver Lake def. Perry, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20

HOLTON—Holton def. Pomona, 25-8, 25-9; Shawnee Maranatha def. Wellsville, 25-18, 25-12; Holton def. Maranatha, 25-23, 25-15

1A DIV. 1 STATE, SALINA 10-29

POOL A—Goessel 37-4 vs Little River 33-6, 10; Centralia 41-1 vs. St. John 31-12, 11; Goessel vs. St. John, 12; Centralia vs Little River, 1; Little River vs St. John, 2; Centralia vs Goessel, 3

POOL B —South Gray 39-1 vs Randolph Blue Valley 31-8, 11; Linn 36-2 vs Beloit St. John's 31-7, 10; Linn vs Blue Valley, 12; South Gray vs Beloit St. John's, 1; Blue Valley vs Beloit St. John's, 2; South Gray vs Linn, 3

1A DIV. 1 SUBSTATES

CENTRALIA—Centralia def. Burlingame, 25-7, 25-14; Rural Vista def. Northern Heights, 25-22, 25-12; Centralia def. Rural Vista, 25-7, 25-13

MONTEZUMA—South Gray def. Kiowa County, 25-14, 25-16; Central Plains def. Victoria, 24-26, 25-14, 25-17; South Gray def. Central Plains, 26-24, 25-21

LINN—Linn def. Rock Hills, 25-7, 25-12; Quinter def. Sylvan-Lucas, 25-18, 25-19; Linn def. Quinter, 25-18, 25-17

GOESSEL—Goessel def. Cunningham, 25-4, 25-6; West Elk def. Stafford, 17-25, 25-22, 25-19; Goessel def West Elk, 25-14, 25-9

LITTLE RIVER—Little River def. Flinthills, 25-17, 25-22; Pretty Prairie def. Burden, 13-25, 25-16, 25-20; Little River def. Pretty Prairie, 25-6, 25-17

BELOIT—Beloit St. John's def. Lincoln, 25-13, 25-6; Oberlin-Decatur def. Osborne, 25-20, 25-20; Beloit St. John's def. Oberlin, 25-16, 25-20

RANDOLPH—Blue Valley def. Crest, 25-13, 25-7; Lawrence Seabury def. Troy, 25-22, 25-12; Blue Valley def Seabury, 25-14, 25-15

COLDWATER—South Central def. La Crosse, 23-25, 25-16, 25-17; St. John def. Meade, 25-18, 25-9; St. John def. South Central, 25-22, 25-18

1A DIV. 2 POOLS, EMPORIA 10-30

POOL A—Hanover 33-6 vs Hutchinson Central Christian 32-8, 10; Argonia 36-4 vs Tribune Greeley County 21-14, 11; Hanover vs Greeley County, 12; Argonia vs Central Christian, 1; Central Christian vs Greeley County, 2; Argonia vs Hanover, 3

POOL B—Marais Des Cygnes 34-6 vs Cheylin 28-10, 10; Ingalls 36-6 vs Hodgeman County 26-14, 11; Marais Des Cygnes vs Hodgeman County, 12; Ingalls vs Cheylin, 1; Cheylin vs Hodgeman County, 2; Ingalls vs Marais Des Cygnes, 3

1A DIV. 2 SUBSTATES

INGALLS—Ingalls def. Satanta, 25-10, 25-12; Ashland def. Macksville, 25-20, 25-20; Ingalls def. Ashland, 25-7, 25-22

ARGONIA—Argonia def. Centre, 25-14, 25-9; St. Paul def. Peabody, 25-23, 25-18; Argonia def. St. Paul, 25-14, 25-12

MELVERN—Marais Des Cygnes def. South Haven, 25-5, 25-11; Lebo def. Waverly, 25-18, 29-27; Marais Des Cygnes def. Lebo, 25-16, 25-22

HANOVER—Hanover def. Logan 25-5, 25-5; Otis-Bison def. McPherson Elyria, 25-8, 25-15; Hanover def. Otis-Bison, 25-6, 25-7

HUTCHINSON—Hutchinson Central Christian def. Pike Valley, 25-14, 25-13; Axtell def. Stockton, 25-17, 25-7; Central Christian def. Axtell, 26-24, 25-16

RANSOM—Greeley County def. Western Plains, 25-16, 22-25, 25-20; Wallace County def. Golden Plains, 25-18, 25-13; Greeley County def. Wallace County, 25-18, 25-13

GRAINFIELD—Wheatland def. Weskan, 25-14, 25-19; Cheylin def. Dighton, 25-20, 25-18; Cheylin def. Wheatland, 25-23, 25-21

JETMORE—Hodgeman County def. Pawnee Heights, 25-10, 25-9; South Barber def. Satanta, 25-20, 25-14; Hodgeman County def. South Barber, 25-12, 25-9

3A REGIONALS

HOISINGTON—Hoisington def. Norton, 25-12, 25-16; Hoisington def. Larned, 25-16, 25-19; Hoisington def. Ellsworth, 25-16, 25-6; Ellsworth def. Larned 21-25, 25-20, 25-13; Norton def. Ellsworth, 25-19, 25-18; Norton def. Larned, 25-15, 25-17

BELOIT—Beloit def. Nickerson, 25-8, 25-7; Beloit def. Syracuse, 25-6, 25-10; Beloit def. Colby, 25-7, 25-12; Colby def. Syracuse, 22-25, 25-20, 25-11; Colby def. Nickerson, 25-21, 21-25, 26-24; Nickerson def. Syracuse, 25-23, 25-18

HESSTON—Hesston def. Wichita Collegiate, 25-5, 25-15; Hesston def. Wichita Trinity, 25-9, 25-19; Hesston def. SE Saline, 25-13, 25-17; SE Saline def. Wichita Trinity, 25-22, 25-23; SE Saline def. Wichita Collegiate, 25-9, 25-14; Wichita Trinity def. Wichita Collegiate, 25-14, 25-7

CHENEY—Cheney def. Council Grove, 25-8, 25-7; Cheney def. Smoky Valley, 25-27, 25-9, 25-8; Hillsboro def. Council Grove, 25-9, 25-6; Hillsboro def. Smoky Valley, 25-19, 25-14; Cheney vs Hillsboro; Smoky Valley vs Council Grove

HALSTEAD—Halstead def. Kingman, 25-10, 25-10; Halstead def. Minneapolis, 25-9, 25-15; Halstead def. Garden Plain, 25-23, 25-; Garden Plain def. Minneapolis, 25-16, 10-25, 25-19; Garden Plain def. Kingman, 25-18, 25-14; Kingman vs Minneapolis, 25-16, 25-

1A-DIV. 1-DIV. 2 REGIONALS

DIV. 1 ST. JOHN—St. John def. Elkhart, 25-10, 25-10; St. John def. Central Plains, 25-16, 25-14; Central Plains def. Elkhart, 25-3, 25-6

DIV. 1 BURDEN—Burden Central def. Sedan, 24-26, 25-20, 25-19; Stafford def. Burden, 25-22, 21-25, 25-23; Stafford def. Sedan, 26-24, 25-13

1A DIV. 2 REGIONALS

INGALLS—Ingalls def. Fairfield, 25-20, 25-17; Ingalls def. Pawnee Heights, 25-11, 25-16; Pawnee Heights def. Fairfield, 25-19, 25-21

KIOWA—South Barber def. Attica, 25-14, 25-11; South Barber def. Macksville 25-20, 25-20; South Barber def. Bucklin, 25-17, 25-10; Macksville def. Attica, 25-6, 25-13; Macksville def. Bucklin, 25-17, 25-10; Attica def. Bucklin, 25-21, 25-17

RUSSELL—Otis-Bison def. Wakefield, 25-11, 25-10; Otis-Bison def. Stockton, 25-16, 25-18; Otis-Bison def. Chase, 25-6, 25-10; Stockton def. Wakefield, 25-25-11, 21-25, 25-12; Wakefield def. Chase, 25-16, 25-6; Stockton def. Chase, 25-7, 25-8

KYA "We're having so much fun. Our tough practices make the games easier. We're dangerous.

JAYA Our team is having so much fun being connected. I'm thankful we're playing at a high level.

COACH JOHNSON

"Kya and our seniors keep us balanced. They know when to 'dial in' and when to put the gas on. We love playing Hays because it's such a great rivalry.

"This team has the most 'skill' players I've coached that comes from their chemistry.