The reigning Class 5 District 16 Tournament Champion Trojans have a chance to defend their title as the Park Hill volleyball team has returned to the district championship after sweeping St. Joseph’s Central on Oct. 23.
Park Hill Emily Pella’s spikes the ball at Oak Park High School against Central on Oct. 23.
The Trojans have made it an anomaly to make an appearance to a district title match as Park Hill will be playing in its fifth district championship since the 2016 season. The Trojans have won their last two district championship matches and will look to continue that streak when Park Hill takes on Platte County on Oct. 26.
Park Hill opened the tournament as the No. 2 seed at Oak Park High School and took down the Indians in three sets. In the first set, the Trojans picked it up after a slow start when they trailed 4-3 as Park Hill took a lead and extended it to as much as seven points.
After trailing 15-8, the Indians fought back and narrowed the deficit to 22-18. The Trojans closed out the set, 25-21, before never trailing in their next set and taking it, 25-11.
Central put up a fight in the third set, but Park Hill didn’t let the No. 3 seed force another set as the Trojans completed the sweep by a score of 25-17. Shayne Koski ended the district match with 19 kills and 7 digs.
Park Hill junior Aisha Aiono finished with 17 kills and 3 digs, while Devin Hoover ended with 11 digs. The Trojan duo of Reganne Reed and Emily Pella had 43 of the team’s 46 assists when Reed finished with 21 assists and Pella ended with 22 assists.