Ark Valley News - Get out the broom: Hornets sweep

Senior Kristin Coon blocks against Augusta at the El Dorado tournament Oct. 6.

Get out the broom: Hornets sweep
By Randy Fisher
Last Updated: October 11, 2018

This is the right time of the season to peak. At the end. Before postseason.

With substate nine days away, peaking is just what the Valley Center High School volleyball team appears to be doing, Winners of their last seven matches, the Hornets won the El Dorado tournament for the third straight year and swept Senior Night for the first time since 2014.

Valley improved to 21-14 overall and 4-5 in Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II.

"I think our team really has been clicking lately," said senior Emily Kemp. "I think a lot of us came to the realization that our team is based off energy. If we're all excited to play and ready to be here, I think we're going to play well."

It's a goal of everyone, especially seniors, to win on Senior Night. Happily for Valley Center's two seniors, the Hornets did just that Oct. 9. They defeated Ark City 25-19, 25-15 and Eisenhower 25-23, 25-15.

"It means a lot," senior Kristin Coon said of sweeping Senior Night. "It means we all play really good together and it's going to bring really good things. It just means a lot to me to win both games on our home court tonight."

Valley wasted no time jumping on Ark City in the first set, bolting out to a 6-1 lead. Chaeli Keenan had two kills, while Ellie Shank and Coon each added one.

Down 12-6, the Bulldogs began to chip away, getting to within 15-14. Then Shank kicked off another Valley run with a kill. Kait McDonald scored on a block as did Emma Anderson. Throw in a couple of Ark City errors, and the Hornets suddenly led 20-14.

It was smooth sailing the rest of the set as Valley won 25-19.

The second set was all Hornets. After going up 11-3, they never looked back in winning 25-15.

The first set against Eisenhower was close. The largest lead by either team was four points, 8-4, by Valley Center. The Tigers fought back and took a 13-10 lead, their largest of the set.

McDonald tied the game at 17. Keenan followed with a pair of kills, as the Hornets grabbed the lead for good. The Tigers tied the game at 23. Kills by Keenan and Kemp, from the back row, closed out the set for Valley, 25-22.

In the second set, Valley again jumped to an early lead, this time 9-3. Eisenhower crept to within three at 9-6 before the Hornets pulled away for good.

A kill and an ace from Shank, a block by McDonald, a kill from Kylee Dawson and an Eisenhower error gave Valley a 14-6 lead. The Hornets went on to win 25-15.

Shank seemed to be all over the court, especially in the second set against Eisenhower when she scored five of Valley's last six points.

"She's doing a lot of nice things," said coach Melissa Segovia. "Being able to play defense. Get our offense rolling and also used as part of that offense in finding open shots really nicely."

In her first year at Valley Center, Segovia appreciated the contributions of her two seniors, Coon and Kemp, who were all about inclusion.

"That was a really big, major goal that they had," Segovia said. "To make sure every single person was part of the team and everybody felt welcome. Those two did such a nice job of doing that.

"They still continue to do that every day in practice and at matches. Their leadership … they have stepped up so much. It's been really nice to see that. On the court, off the court, helping wherever they can. I'm very proud of them."

It was obviously an emotional — but upbeat — night for the seniors.

"Oh, gosh, it's my last home game," Coon said. "It's so emotional getting up there and seeing all your friends and family up there, the last time on your home court. It's really fun. And I love my team this year."

"I feel amazing," Kemp said. "We won Senior Night, which hasn't happened for a while in Valley Center. I feel very accomplished to be a senior who won her entire night."

At El Dorado, the Hornets went 5-0 to win it all. It was their third straight Wildcat Invitational championship and seventh in the past 15 years.

Valley Center defeated Chanute 25-16, 25-20; Buhler 25-14, 15-25, 25-22; Augusta 25-20, 25-22; El Dorado 25-6, 25-13; and Wichita Collegiate 25-6, 25-14.

"I feel like we definitely came out, we played together, we played with confidence," Carlie Claussen said. "We made a lot of plays we haven't done in awhile."

The Hornets did it with energized play throughout the tournament.

"I was impressed with the energy we did have and being ready to run plays and executing those plays," Segovia said. "I was very pleased with that."

They opened with Chanute, ranked fourth in Class 4A. Leading 5-3 in the first set, Valley Center reeled off seven straight points to take control. A pair of aces from Kemp, along with kills from Dawson and McDonald, powered the Hornets to a 12-3 lead. They rolled from there, 25-16.

The second set was tied eight times. Chanute was on top 18-14 when Valley scored 10 in a row for a 24-18 lead. Keenan had a pair of kills during this run, as the Hornets eased to a 25-20 win.

In the first set against Buhler, the Hornets expanded a 17-15 lead to 24-16 thanks to several Crusader errors. Keenan's kill accounted for the final point in a 25-17 win.

The second set was much different. Buhler did a better job of blocking, and Valley couldn't adjust. The Crusaders broke a 4-all deadlock and were never headed, winning 25-16.

Claussen thought the energy wasn't there in the second set.

"We were definitely a team that's fueled off of energy," she said. "So whenever our energy goes down, it's not so hot. Whenever we get our energy up, our confidence comes up and we're able to kill the ball."

The Hornets maintained a small lead in the third set until Buhler tied it at 15. They broke a 20-20 score on a Buhler error and a kill by Shank. The Crusaders twice pulled to within one before the Hornets slipped away to win 25-22.

"We got ourselves in too much of a whole that second set and we weren't able to come back," Segovia said. "It was nice to see them come back and cut down on the unforced errors and get refocused."

Augusta proved to be more of a match than many people may have expected. After Valley grabbed a 15-5 lead, the Orioles got to within five, 16-11, but no closer. The two teams traded points the rest of the way, as the Hornets won by five, 25-20.

Valley grabbed a 5-0 lead in the second set, but the Orioles fought back to go up 16-14. Shank scored twice to give put the Hornets up 17-16.

Tied at 18, Dawson scored twice during a five-point run that gave Valley the lead for good. Dawson also scored the last point of the match as the Hornets posted a 25-22 victory.

El Dorado was no match for Valley Center, as the Hornets rolled 25-6 and 25-14.

The same could be said for Wichita Collegiate, playing the Hornets for the second time in 10 days. Valley took both sets with ease, 25-6 and 25-14.

Shank was Valley's lone representative on the all-tournament team.

"This was nice for today to show us what we are capable of doing and to continue to keep improving," Segovia said.

After losing its first match to Valley Center, Chanute rallied with four straight wins to finish second at 4-1. El Dorado was 3-2, Augusta 2-3, Buhler 1-4 and Collegiate 0-5.

JV third in tourney — Valley Center split its Oct. 9 triangular. The Hornets beat Ark City 25-16, 25-9 but lost to Eisenhower 25-20, 12-215, 12-15. Kambry Kirk had nine kills on the night and Kelsey Brunton had seven. Tanza Holmes recorded 21 assists and served up five aces.

The Hornets were 3-2 and finished third at El Dorado. They defeated El Dorado 25-15, 25-19 and Augusta 25-3, 25-18; lost to Circle 20-25, 12-25 and Buhler 20-25, 24-26; but bounced back to win its last match 23-25, 26-24, 15-8 over Chanute.

Kirk and Heidi Meyer each recorded 17 kills on the day. Holmes had 49 assists.

Kirk, Holmes and Halle Brittain were named to the all-tournament team.

Circle won the JV portion of the tournament with a 5-0 record. Then came Buhler 4-1, Valley Center 3-2, Augusta and Chanute 2-3, and El Dorado was winless.