Jayhawks hopes of deep run at regionals spoiled at home meet
- Roger Sims, Journal Staff
- Oct 22
- 3 min read
By Roger Sims
They were just points away from the next step in the Class 2A Division 2 regionals. But the Jayhawk-Linn volleyball team walked off the court making an effort to hide the tears of an emotional loss to Baxter Springs. It was not just the end of a season; for the seniors it was the end of a high school journey they began together four years ago.
By all accounts, that wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. Seniors Jude Wade, Pyper Grote, Brenlyn Bogan, Brea Dawson, Brilyn Bogan, Kiera McGrew and Eleanor Vaughn were set at least on a deep run in the regional playoffs and, maybe, a trip to state.
The Jayhawks swept opponents in their last outing and with a 21-11 record, the No. 4 seed was rewarded with home court advantage in the first round regional quad. To advance to the next round they needed to win two matches.
Iola (7-23) and Osawatomie (9-20), seeded 12th and 13th respectively, appeared to offer less of a challenge than No. 5 seed Baxter Springs (23-13).
In the first match against Iola, the Jayhawks won the first set easily with a 25-14 final score. The Mustangs put up more resistance in the second set, but lost the set and the match 23-25.
Energized by their first win, the Jayhawks were on a roll emotionally as they took on Osawatomie in the second match. The Trojans were no match for the Jayhawks as the home team handed Osawatomie a first set loss, 25-9.
But the Trojans played the role of the spoiler, seeming to come alive in the second set. Osawatomie’s win-loss record hid the fact that the over the last few games they had faced tough opponents to whom they lost in close sets. The Trojans built a 10-4 lead early in the set, and the Jayhawks were able to close the gap, 9-10.
But the Trojans pulled away 17-11 and kept that lead even though the Jayhawks pulled within a point before Osawatomie iced the set, 25-23.
While the Jayhawks made some unforced errors, their play also included moments that had cemented their reputation as a very good team. Incredible off-balance saves, kills that included hard drives to the mid-court floor and soft touches that dropped the ball just inside the out-of-bounds line, aces that left their opponents unbalanced, and diving digs that kept the ball in play all were the trademark of this Jayhawk team.
The final set opened with the teams battling it out, keeping within a point or two. But in the middle of the set, the Trojans opened up a six point lead, 18-12. The Jayhawks worked to close the gap, and with Osawatomie ahead 24-21, the ‘Hawks answered and tied the score 24-24 and eventually took the lead 27-26.
The Trojans responded with 3 points and won the set and match, 29-27. Osawatomie also beat both Iola and Baxter Springs to head into the next playoff with a 3-0 regional record.
Both the Jayhawks and Baxter Springs had to win the next match to advance, and as their records indicated, the teams were fairly well matched. But the downside of quad tournaments is the physical toll they take on the teams.
The first set saw the Jayhawks take the lead, 15-12, at the midpoint, but the Lions evened the score at 20-20. The Lions went on a 5-1 run to take the first match, 25-21.
The Jayhawks regained their momentum in the second set, building a 18-12 lead. The Lions clawed their way back with a 7-4 run, but the Jayhawks scored 3 consecutive points to take the set 25-19.
Down to the final set, once again the score stayed close. But late in the set the Lions built a 6 point lead, 20-14. The Jayhawks desperately worked to close the gap, but as the teams traded points, the Lions won the set and the match, 25-18, giving Baxter Springs a ticket to the next round of regional play.
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