Class 2A Volleyball Preview

*Kansas high school volleyball coaches, your team not previewed? Kansas Pregame would like to add your team's preview to this feature. If you did not receive a questionnaire, please email us at kansaspregame@gmail.com and we'll send one your way. Good luck this season!

Garden Plain only dropped one set at state on its way to the 2A title last season. The Lady Owls are enjoying a streak of excellence right now winning consecutive basketball titles and a track and field championship to go along with the volleyball crown. The Owls also co-op with Andale in softball where the team was state runner-up to Augusta.

At the start of this season, Garden Plain finds itself ranked fourth in the Kansas Volleyball Association Preseason Rankings. 

Wabaunsee, who fell to Garden Plain in straight sets during the championship, is ranked first to start the season. Smith Center, who fell to Garden Plain in three sets in the semifinals, is the second-ranked team in 2A.

Sedgwick, who lost to Garden Plain in the sub-state championship last year, returns a load of experience and enters the season ranked third. St. Mary’s Colgan opens the season at No. 5, while Valley Heights, Jefferson County North, Ellinwood, Maranatha Christian Academy, and Trego Community round out the top 10.

Kansas Pregame reached out to the Kansas high school volleyball coaches to ask for a brief preview of their team. Find their responses below:
 
Cherokee-Southeast Lancers
 
Head coach: Maya White
Season as head coach at this school: 9th
Record as head coach at this school: 186-129
 
2018 record: 23-16
State tournament qualifier? No
State tournament placer? No
 
Returning starters: Katie Bitner, Setter/Outside Hitter, Sr.; Railey Robertson Middle Blocker/Middle Back, Jr.

Comments about your team: I am excited for this season. We have a good group of girls that are willing to put the work in. We have a lot of work to do to get to where we need to be. But we have confidence it will happen. We had a lot of seniors last year that were great contributors and so we are excited to see who is going to step up and fill those roles.
 
Some of our goals for the season as coaches is for the team to mesh and have great chemistry. We are hoping to be able to create that this year. We are looking to improve our ball control and defense. We will be working on that a lot. We are also looking to have great leadership from our seniors and returners. And just like everyone else in Kansas our end goal is making it to State!

Ellinwood Eagles
 
Head coach: Greg Maxwell
Season as head coach at this school: 2nd
Record as head coach at this school: 27-14
 
2018 record: 27-14
State tournament qualifier? Yes, first time in 21 years
State tournament placer? No
 
Returning starters: Mya Maxwell - Junior Setter/OH 5'7" First Team League (CPL) and 2A All-State Honorable Mention; Anahi Mendez - Junior Libero 5'4"; Hailey Gross - Junior Opp 5'7"; Jozlyn Brown - Junior DS 5'2”; Brooke McReynolds - Sophomore Middle 5'8”; Allison McReynolds - Sophomore OH 5'8"
 
Comments about your team: We expect to be very competitive this year and our goals are to compete for a League and Sub-State Championship. We focused tremendously last year on creating an identity on defense and we had a great summer refining that aspect while enhancing our offensive attacking system. We need Mya to continue to build her leadership mentality and impact with the team and for some of our younger girls to step into influential roles and statistical production. 
 
Garden Plain Owls
 
Head coach: Gina Clark
Season as head coach at this school: 12th
Record as head coach at this school: 369-91
 
2018 record: 35-10
State tournament qualifier? Yes
State tournament placer? Yes, State Champions
 
Returning starters: Sydnee Becker, Sr., 5-10; Claire Clark, Sr., 5-8; Natasha Dooley, Sr., 5-10; Christia Rose Gorges, Jr., 5-7; Kennedy Horacek, Sr., 5-4; Alli Puetz, Jr., 5-8

Comments about your team: "Get better every match, play a tough schedule in order to prepare for sub-state play," coach Clark said of her team's goals and schedule.
 
Hillsboro Trojans
 
Head coach: Sandy Arnold
Season as head coach at this school: 16th
Record as head coach at this school: 426-168
 
2018 record: 12-22
State tournament qualifier? No
State tournament placer? No
 
Returning starters: Addie Berens – SR. 5’8 MH; Jessica Saunders – JR. 5’10 MH – HM CKL All-league; Dani Klein – JR. 5’6 DS; Teegan Werth – JR. 5’7 OH – 2 nd team CKL All-league; Kinsey Kleiner – JR. 5’7 S; Tuesday Weisbeck – JR. 5’10 JR. Opp; Sammie Saunders – SO. 5’8 OH - HM CKL All-league
 
Comments about your team: This year’s team will return a large number of girls with varsity experience. They have always had a passion for the game, but hopefully now their experience and game knowledge, in addition to their athleticism, will help them reach a new level. Once our serving and our passing game is consistent, the possibilities for a strong run at the end of the season could open up. These two things have to be strong and at a higher level in order for the rest of the game to fall into place.
 
Jackson Heights Cobras
 
Head coach: Denise Visocsky
Season as head coach at this school: 4th
Record as head coach at this school: 260-285
 
2018 record: 20-17
State tournament qualifier? No
State tournament placer? No
 
Returning starters: Kylie Dohl,  OH, Sr.; Sarah Marshall , MH, Sr.; MaKenzie Kennedy, S, Sr.; Abby Brey OH, Sr.; McKenzie McMahon, MH, So.
 
Comments about your team: Along with five returning starters we have two more returning players, so we are hoping for a great season and a push to State.
 
Jefferson County North Chargers
 
Head coach: David Schuler
Season as head coach at this school: 6th year
Record as head coach at this school: 145-52

2018 record: 30-9
State tournament qualifier? No
State tournament placer? No
 
Returning starters: Josie Weishaar, SR, MH, 1st Team All-League, Northeast Kansas League (385 kills, 47 blocks, 54 aces); Kynnedi Knudson, SR, MH, 1st Team All-League, NEKL (316 kills, 43 blocks, 54 aces); Kassidy Robertson, JR, L, Honorable Mention, NEKL (428 digs, 48 aces)

Comments about your team: We return six starters, including the Libero, from a 30-9 season, a NEKL League title and a Sub-State Runner-up. We expect to compete for another League title and a Sub-State Championship.
 
Meade Buffaloes
 
Head coach: Leann Krier
Season as head coach at this school: 3rd
Record as head coach at this school: 67-17
 
2018 record: 34-7
State tournament qualifier? Yes
State tournament placer? No
 
Returning starters: Corbyn Carr, Middle, 5-10, Sr.; Lauren Christensen, Middle/OH, 5-11, Jr.; Kiana Unruh, 5-9, Setter, So.
 
Comments about your team: This year I have three girls coming back who played integral roles on last year's team.  Corbyn Carr has been a three year starter in the middle. She'll be a six rotation player this year which is new for her. Lauren Christensen ran right side and some middle for us last year.  She's back for her junior year. Kiana Unruh stepped in to our setting position at the end of the season last year as a freshman and did a phenomenal job. She's back this year as well. I have a lot of newcomers to the varsity level who will have to be impactful right from the start. But I have confidence in their ability. They were successful at the JV level, and we have some really great talent. I'm excited to watch them develop over the season and see how they make this team their own.

I expect the girls to be in the conversation for league, but there are a couple teams who will provide strong challenges. Where they finish will depend on how quickly we can figure each other and our new roles out. This will be the last year we are a member of the Hi-Plains League, so we're hoping to go out on a good note. Playoff time is a little bit of a mystery for us this year. It is likely we will end up as a 1A school this year instead of 2A. So that introduces a completely different set of teams that we don't know very much about. Pair that with the 1A state playoffs, and we will be taking it as it comes! I do expect them to be competitive everywhere they go however.

Ness City Eagles

Head coach: Stephanie Rebel
Season as head coach at this school: 3rd
Record as head coach at this school: 36-35

2018 record: 16-19
State tournament qualifier? No

Returning starters: Summer Pfannenstiel, OH/DS, 5'5", Sr.; Zoe Seib, OH/DS, 5'6", So.; Kennedy Liggett, L, 5'1", So.

Comments about your team: We are a very young team which is super exciting. These girls know how to work and are quick! As of now we'll be starting four sophomores and two seniors. They put in a ton of work over the summer and are looking to be very competitive this year.

Zoe Seib has got to be one of the best all around players in the CPL. She is extremely smart in the back row and up front has an impressive vertical and a powerful swing. Kennedy Liggett is a fierce libero and getting better at tracking the ball everyday. Summer is our leader. She knows this game inside and out and reads the court so well.  

We also have Alexa Reinhardt (MB) and one of our setters, Taylor Starr, both sophomores who are a very dynamic duo. When talking about our team you cannot forget about Mackenzie Flax (RH, Sr.). She can set, she can hit, and she will display every emotion she feels on that court. Her heart is fully committed to winning!

Sedgwick Cardinals

Head coach: Karen Stucky 
Season as head coach at this school: 17th year
Career record: 403-197

2018 record: 34-4 last season 
State tournament qualifier? No

Returning starters: Grace Thompson, Sr.; Hadyn Anderson, Sr.; Patsy Zerger, Sr.; Kami Matson, Jr.; Taylinn Lacey, Jr.; Madi Matson, Jr.; Alexa Scarlett, So.

Comments about your team: All of my starters are back from last season. We are experienced and athletic so look to compete with anybody.

Smith Center Lady Red
 
Head coach: Nick Linn
Season as head coach at this school: 31st
Record as head coach at this school: 852-321
 
2018 record: 39-6
State tournament qualifier? Yes 
State tournament placer? Yes, 3rd place
 
Returning starters: Bree Frieling 5'9" Sr.; Tallon Rentschler 6'0" So.; Lizzy Pfortmiller 5'11" Sr.; Kendra Maydew 5'5" Sr.
 
Comments about your team: We have a pretty good nucleus back from a year ago. Our frontline players' hitting and blocking should be our strength. Our biggest questionable areas of concern are our back row in serve receive and our inexperience at setting. Our back row will dictate the type of success we have this season.

Uniontown Eagles

Head coach: Jackie Hall
Season as head coach at this school: 38th 
Record as head coach at this school: 741-422

2018 record: 16-22
State tournament qualifier? No, last time at state was 2012, never placed

Returning starters: Bri Stokes, Setter, Jr.; Lauren Shinn, OH/MH, Sr.; Sivanah McAnulty, OH/MH, Sr.; Karleigh Schoenberger, OH, Jr.

Comments about your team: We are really looking started to the upcoming season. Hoping to improve on our 16-22 record and finish in the top five of our Three Rivers League, finished ninth in 2018.

Wabaunsee Chargers

Head coach: Tracy Capoun

2018 record: 32-12
State tournament qualifier? Yes
State tournament placer? Yes, State Runner-up

Returning starters: Laurel Barber, 5’5", Outside Hitter, Sr.; Alexis Hafenstine, 5’4", Libero, Sr.; Megan Strait, 5’9", Outside Hitter, Sr.; Macy Falk, 5’5", Setter, Sr.; Jordan Magette, 5’6", Right Side Hitter, Jr.; Madisyn Wertzberger, 5’9", Middle Hitter, Jr.

Wabaunsee showed why they are ranked atop 2A entering the season opening the year on Saturday by winning their own Amy Schutter Invitational. They went 5-0, beating Mission Valley, Oskaloosa, Osage City and Centralia, twice. Wabaunsee beat the Panthers, one of the state's top volleyball programs, who went 47-0 last season and won their third straight 1A state title, 25-13, 25-15 in their first match and 26-24, 25-19 in the tournament championship match.

Look for more volleyball coverage in the days to come. Features were organized based on last year's classifications. Feel free to send any questions to kansaspregame@gmail.com.

*Kansas high school volleyball coaches, Kansas Pregame would like to add your team's preview to this feature. If you did not receive a questionnaire, please email us at kansaspregame@gmail.com and we'll send one your way. Good luck this season!