COLORADO SPRINGS – After finishing as the runner-up last season, the Sedgwick County girls volleyball team entered the 2021 campaign with the clear-cut and uncompromising goal of winning a Class 2A state championship.
After two days of play at The Broadmoor World Arena, the Cougars are still on track to accomplish that goal. But in order to secure their spot in the championship semifinals, the top-seeded Cougars had to survive a 25-23, 22-25, 26-28, 25-12, 15-10 dogfight against a No. 5 Holyoke squad that rose to a different level on the big stage and gave the tournament favorites all they could handle.
“They sure did,” Sedgwick County head coach Alissa Renquist said. “We played them a couple weeks ago and we pounded them in three sets. They played well today and they played great defense. But our girls always had an answer for them for the most part. They have confidence, they’ve been put in these situations before and they’re prepared. And they believe they’re prepared and that they can win the state championship this year.”
Both teams that played in last season’s title match had to overcome tight matches in order to keep a potential rematch alive.
Joining Sedgwick County as the two unbeaten semifinalists, No. 6 seed and defending state champion Wiggins had to survive a five-set second round match of its own. The Tigers won 25-17, 24-26, 25-19, 22-25, 15-12 over No. 2 Meeker to secure their semifinals berth and remain in contention to defend their crown.
Sedgwick County will face the winner of the consolation semifinals match between Meeker and No. 10 Limon, which overcame No. 4 Soroco in the second consolation round on Friday. Wiggins awaits the winner of the consolation semifinal between Holyoke and No. 7 Rye, which won in five sets over No. 3 Fowler at the end of a match that didn’t end until 11 p.m.
In the first round of consolation matches on Friday, Rye swept No. 9 Hoehne, Fowler swept No. 12 Akron, Soroco swept No. 11 Ignacio and Limon defeated No. 8 Denver Christian in four games.
