By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
Salina South punched its ticket to the Kansas state volleyball tournament by handing fifth-year head coach Mary Pat Weese her 700th career win following the Hutchinson sub-state championship match against Great Bend.
Now the Cougars are hoping to ride the momentum of that 25-21, 26-24 victory during their quest of a 5A state title.
“We didn’t tell the girls about the 700 wins because we didn’t want it to be a big deal, and we wanted this to be about them and not me,” Weese told the Salina Journal. “It just means I’m old, but it’s a milestone, and it sure was sweet to have my 700th win be the championship game at sub-state.
“We had so many players come up huge today, and it’s so nice to have people step up so we don’t have to rely on Taylor (Goodness) all the time. We worked a lot on having people do different things and still capitalize on their strengths, and this team has done a good job of winning the close games and matches the last two weeks.”
Weese, who took over the Cougar program in 2004, won a pair of state championships at Salina Sacred Heart and another at Bennington before her arrival with the Cougar program. Salina South is making its first appearance at the state tournament since 1996.
The Cougars will have their hands full when they begin pool play against top-ranked Bishop Miege at Friday’s 3:30 p.m. match on court ‘B.’ Weese will also guide her team against third-ranked Topeka Seaman and unranked Liberal during Friday’s pool play action.
Should Salina South finish in the top two following pool play, the Cougars would move on to the championship round.
Below is a look at how the field for all six classes should play out.
Backes’ Kansas State Volleyball Predictions
Class 6A
No. 1 Seed – Goddard (38-1)
No. 2 Seed – Wichita Heights (40-2)
No. 3 Seed – Washburn Rural (34-4)
No. 4 Seed – Blue Valley West (28-8)
No. 5 Seed – Dodge City (24-12)
No. 6 Seed – Blue Valley North (23-12)
No. 7 Seed – Shawnee Mission Northwest (20-17)
No. 8 Seed – Lawrence (9-26)
Pool 1
Goddard over Lawrence
Blue Valley West over Dodge City
Goddard over Dodge City
Blue Valley West over Lawrence
Goddard over Blue Valley West
Lawrence over Dodge City
Pool 2
Wichita Heights over Shawnee Mission Northwest
Washburn Rural over Blue Valley North
Wichita Heights over Blue Valley North
Washburn Rural over Shawnee Mission Northwest
Washburn Rural over Wichita Heights
Blue Valley North over Shawnee Mission Northwest
Semifinals *
Goddard over Wichita Heights
Washburn Rural over Blue Valley West
Championship
Washburn Rural over Goddard
Class 5A
No. 1 Seed – Lansing (35-5)
No. 2 Seed – Bishop Miege (33-5)
No. 3 Seed – Topeka Seaman (34-6)
No. 4 Seed – St. Thomas Aquinas (29-7)
No. 5 Seed – Valley Center (29-9)
No. 6 Seed – Liberal (29-9)
No. 7 Seed – Salina South (26-12)
No. 8 Seed – Bishop Carroll (22-11)
Pool 1
Lansing over Bishop Carroll
St. Thomas Aquinas over Valley Center
Lansing over Valley Center
St. Thomas Aquinas over Bishop Carroll
St. Thomas Aquinas over Lansing
Valley Center over Bishop Carroll
Pool 2
Bishop Miege over Salina South
Topeka Seaman over Liberal
Bishop Miege over Liberal
Topeka Seaman over Salina South
Bishop Miege over Topeka Seaman
Salina South over Liberal
Semifinals *
St. Thomas Aquinas over Topeka Seaman
Bishop Miege over Lansing
Championship
Bishop Miege over St. Thomas Aquinas
Class 4A
No. 1 Seed – St. James Academy (40-1)
No. 2 Seed – Clearwater (36-5)
No. 3 Seed – Cheney (33-5)
No. 4 Seed – Topeka Hayden (36-6)
No. 5 Seed – Concordia (35-6)
No. 6 Seed – Girard (31-6)
No. 7 Seed – Augusta (23-13)
No. 8 Seed – Bishop Ward (24-16)
Pool 1
St. James Academy over Bishop Ward
Topeka Hayden over Concordia
St. James Academy over Concordia
Topeka Hayden over Bishop Ward
St. James Academy over Topeka Hayden
Concordia over Bishop Ward
Pool 2
Clearwater over Augusta
Girard over Cheney
Clearwater over Girard
Cheney over Augusta
Clearwater over Cheney
Girard over Augusta
Semifinals *
St. James Academy over Girard
Clearwater over Topeka Hayden
Championship
St. James Academy over Clearwater
Class 3A
No. 1 Seed - Phillipsburg
No. 2 Seed – Garden Plain
No. 3 Seed – Rock Creek
No. 4 Seed – Osage City
No. 5 Seed – Jefferson County North
No. 6 Seed - Frontenac
No. 7 Seed - Hillsboro
No. 8 Seed - Hoisington
Pool 1
Phillipsburg over Hoisington
Osage City over Jefferson County North
Phillipsburg over Jefferson County North
Osage City over Hoisington
Phillipsburg over Osage City
Jefferson County North over Hoisington
Pool 2
Garden Plain over Hillsboro
Rock Creek over Frontenac
Garden Plain over Frontenac
Rock Creek over Hillsboro
Garden Plain over Rock Creek
Frontenac over Hillsboro
Semifinals *
Phillipsburg over Rock Creek
Garden Plain over Osage City
Championship
Phillipsburg over Garden Plain
Class 2A
No. 1 Seed – Valley Heights (40-1)
No. 2 Seed – Moundridge (36-3)
No. 3 Seed – St. Mary’s (37-5)
No. 4 Seed – Sublette (33-8)
No. 5 Seed – Pittsburg-Colgan (32-8)
No. 6 Seed – Decatur Community (29-8)
No. 7 Seed – Nemaha Valley (27-13)
No. 8 Seed – Berean Academy (18-17)
Pool 1
Valley Heights over Berean Academy
Pittsburg-Colgan over Sublette
Valley Heights over Pittsburg-Colgan
Sublette over Berean Academy
Valley Heights over Sublette
Pittsburg-Colgan over Berean Academy
Pool 2
Moundridge over Nemaha Valley
St. Mary’s over Decatur Community
Moundridge over Decatur Community
St. Mary’s over Nemaha Valley
Moundridge over St. Mary’s
Decatur Community over Nemaha Valley
Semifinals *
Valley Heights over St. Mary’s
Moundridge over Pittsburg-Colgan
Championship
Valley Heights over Moundridge
Class 1A
No. 1 Seed – Weskan (43-0)
No. 2 Seed – St. John-Hudson (38-2)
No. 3 Seed – Pratt-Skyline (39-3)
No. 4 Seed – Hutchinson Central Christian (38-3)
No. 5 Seed – Centralia (37-6)
No. 6 Seed – Goessel (30-9)
No. 7 Seed – Frankfort (30-11)
No. 8 Seed – Hoxie (27-10)
Pool 1
Weskan over Hoxie
Hutchinson Central Christian over Centralia
Weskan over Centralia
Hutchinson Central Christian over Hoxie
Weskan over Hutchinson Central Christian
Centralia over Hoxie
Pool 2
St. John-Hudson over Frankfort
Pratt-Skyline over Goessel
St. John-Hudson over Goessel
Pratt-Skyline over Frankfort
Pratt-Skyline over St. John-Hudson
Goessel over Frankfort
Semifinals *
Weskan over St. John-Hudson
Hutchinson Central Christian over Pratt-Skyline
Championship
Weskan over Hutchinson Central Christian
* Winner of Pool 1 Plays Runner-up of Pool 2, Winner of Pool 2 Plays Runner-up of Pool 1 in Semifinals – Winners Play in Championship, Losers Play in Consolation Match
