Platte County’s Emerson Walter had 19 digs and 47 assists against Park Hill.
Before the fall season began, the Platte County volleyball team set a conference championship as its first goal.
The Pirates not only completed that goal, but they also didn’t lose a single match against a conference opponent in the regular season. Platte County was coming off its best season in program history when it finished in third place in 2020, but the Pirates were unable to make as deep a run in 2021.
The Pirates reached the Class 5 District 16 Championship and took on Park Hill (12-16-1), who Platte County had swept twice this fall. However, the third matchup against the Trojans turned out to be the Pirates’ last match of the season as Park Hill narrowly defeated them in five sets.
Three of the five sets were decided by three points or less with the Pirates taking the first two. Platte County won set one in extras, 27-25, before taking a 2-0 match lead when they bested Park Hill by a score of 25-20 in the second set.
The Trojans bounced back and won the next two sets, tying up the match, and giving Park Hill its first set over Platte County since Sept. 1, 2020. The Trojans won by scores of 25-14 and 25-22 and the district opponents headed into the win-or-go-home fifth set.
It was tightly contested before the Trojans were able to pull out a two-point lead in extras. Park Hill defeated Platte County, 18-16, to eliminate the Pirates as the Trojans headed to sectionals.
Platte County ended the year with 24 victories and the Pirates stepped up in the back half of their season, having a 10-match win streak at one point and entering the postseason tournament with 17 wins in their last 20 matches. Platte County had four seniors this fall: Kate Brown, Emerson Walter, Morgan Cox and Mary Grace Hunter.
In the district championship Brown finished with 15 kills, Walter had 19 digs and 47 assists, while Cox ended with 17 digs. Hunter added 16 kills and 19 digs, and Tatianna Murray had a team-high six blocks.
For Park Hill, Devin Hoover had 14 kills and 18 digs, in addition to Shayne Koski ending with 23 kills and 23 digs. Emily Pella was dishing the ball well as the junior had 36 assists and Reganne Reed added 13 assists.