BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
HUTCHINSON — Hoisington's crowd was roaring with the Cardinals two points away from a showdown against Halstead for the 3A state volleyball championship.
The Nemaha Central Thunder spoiled the Cardinals' afternoon by a narrow margin.
Nemaha Central escaped with a 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 semifinal victory by scoring the final three points. The Cardinals (41-5) earned third-place medals with a 25-19, 25-13 win over Neodesha. Central Kansas League member Halstead downed Nemaha Central 25-23, 25-22 for the 3A state championship.
"It hurts. It was bittersweet in the end," said Hoisington coach Mykela Riedl. "They wanted to be fighting for that championship match. It's hard when you see how badly the girls wanted this. You could see it in the girls' faces. They deserved to be playing in the championship as much as the other two teams."
Cardinal all-stater Sofia Simic was spectacular, delivering 32 point-ending winners, 13 serves received, 13 serves and 9 digs in the 3-set semifinal marathon. Kelsi Maier backed up Simic with five winners that matched the Thunder's intensity. Setter Ellie Crawford fine tuned the offense with 37 pin-point assists. Gabby Reif provided 28 serves received and 14 digs. Other stats were Kinley Wilkens, 6 winners; Ellie Crawford 13 serves; and Miya Nachtigal, 13 serves.
The Thunder countered with a powerhouse trio of Cali Honeyman (16 winners), Zoey Sudbeck (11 winners)and Reagan Gerety (10 winners) that blocked the Cardinals at the net and delivered winning spikes.
After a first-set loss, Maier kicked up her game to give the Cardinals a second offensive option. Simic provided the final three winners for a 25-22 second set win.
The third set momentum swung back-and-forth with each team gaining an edge. Again, Simic led the attack with Meier, Wilkens and Crawford chipping in. Simic's winners and a block by Maier and Presley Brungardt provided a 23-22 lead.
Riedl said the Cardinals bounced back for a third-place victory. Riedl played when the Cardinals lost to Hillsboro 25-17, 25-19 for the 2011 state volleyball title.
"I reminded the girls what they'd accomplished," she said. "To see their improvement from the start to now is amazing. We couldn't be upset because we had another match. We got out heads together and ended on a high note. They got the job done."
Hoisington earned a 3A semifinal spot with 2-set wins over Girard 25-23, 25-16 and Frontenac 25-14, 25-21. The Cardinals battled Neodesha 25-18, 25-21 for a pool victory.
The Cardinals' hard-hitting Simic dominated the net during a trio of matches. But when it mattered, her teammates stepped up. Down several points in the second set against Neodesha, Wilkens delivered a winner for a 22-21 lead. Maier doubled her fun with back-to-back winners for a 24-21 lead. The Blue Streaks missed a shot to give the Cardinals the match point.
3A STATE HUTCHINSON
1ST—Halstead (43-2) def. Nemaha Central (42-7), 25-23, 25-22; 3RD—Hoisington (41-5) def. Neodesha (40-6), 25-19, 25-13, SEMIFINALS—Halstead def. Neodesha, 25-19, 25-15; Nemaha Central def. Hoisington, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23
POOL 1—Nemaha Central def. Beloit, 27-25, 25-17; Halstead def. Royal Valley, 25-15, 25-12; Beloit def. Royal Valley, 25-22, 25-23; Halstead def. Nemaha Central, 25-21, 25-23; Nemaha Central def. Royal Valley 25-21, 25-22; Halstead def. Beloit, 18-25, 25-19, 25-21
POOL 2—Hoisington def. Girard, 25-23, 25-16; Neodesha def. Frontenac, 25-23, 25-22; Hoisington def. Frontenac, 25-14, 25-21; Neodesha def. Girard, 25-22, 25-23; Girard def. Frontenac, 25-16, 25-19; Hoisington def. Neodesha 25-18, 25-21
