Seniors Shelby Workman, left, and Anna Church are looking to lead Bishop Miege to a fourth-straight Kansas state title.
Photo by Dean Backes
For more than three decades now, Gwenn Pike has been bringing her volleyball I.Q. and discipline to the court at
Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.).
Shelby Workman is committed to playcollege volleyball at Kentucky.
Photo by Dean Backes
Stag teams past, present, and most likely future, have been known to be intelligent yet overwhelming in the way they play the game. Pike needed just one word to describe her volleyball program.
"Intense," she said. "We are relentless in our pursuit of the ball offensively and defensively. When you step on the court here, you are here to play and work hard for your teammates. We don't want our players waiting for coach to tell them what to do. We expect them to think for themselves, to be prepared to play in practice and in games."
For Kentucky recruit
Shelby Workman, a three-time Kansas Volleyball Association first team All-State selection, playing for Pike and representing the Stags on the court is considered an honor.
"We know what is expected of us when we come into this program," Workman said. "We know we have to work hard in order to represent Miege volleyball. I've been here four years and it is a big accomplishment for me. I know the girls in the gym are working hard every day and we just love being together."
Following Tuesday's sweep of Blue Valley Northwest and Blue Valley Southwest, Bishop Miege ran its match win total to 1,056 in 31-plus seasons under Pike's watch. The Stags have also accumulated 17 state titles to go along with Pike's .841 winning percentage.
This year's 10-1 squad appears to be of that same state championship caliber despite falling to St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.) 29-27, 25-21 in the championship match of the Mo-Kan Volleyball Tournament held at Lee's Summit West (Mo.) last weekend.
"I think we have to work really hard on defense," Workman said. "We're a smaller team this year, so when we go up against a bigger team, defensively, I think that's going to win games for us. As will staying together and keeping up our intensity."
Although the Stags suffered their first loss of the season Saturday, Bishop Miege remained No. 1 in Tuesday's KVA Class 5A state volleyball rankings. The three-time defending state champions did drop eight spots to No. 12 in the latest
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings, just behind St. James, which moved up three spots to 11th.
In all, five 2010 starters return for Pike this fall. Workman, last season's Eastern Kansas League Most Valuable Player, was selected to the Class 5A State Volleyball Tournament All-Tournament Team a year ago and swatted her way onto the Kansas City Star's All-Metro squad.
The 6-foot senior pounded 337 kills and dropped in 25 service aces a year ago. Workman was credited with 45 stuff blocks and 269 digs as well as overwhelming Stag opponents with her .334 hitting percentage, second on the team to middle hitter
Jordan Tucker's .444 hitting efficiency.
The 6-1 Tucker, who joined Workman on the EKL's first-team squad, produced 262 kills, 112 stuff blocks and dug out 21 balls as a sophomore.
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