Drew Aggus
Special to the Citizen
The Bluejays eliminated the St. Joseph Christian Lions, 2-1, in a Class 1 District 15 semifinal, which was played on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph.
In a rematch of last year’s district championship — a game that the Bluejays won — the Bluejays came out firing, dominating the first set by a score of 25-14. But in the second set, the Lions stormed back, winning by just two points, 26-24. In the final set, the Bluejays rebounded from the loss and came out on top 25-21.
Lexie Smither and Sam Rotterman led the offense for the Bluejays. Smither finished the game with 11 kills, while Rotterman finished with six.
Faith Stevens led the team in both assists and aces with 23 and three, respectively.
Defensively, it was Gracie Raney who led the team, earning 16 digs in the win, along with Smither, who recorded 13, as well. Katy Tharp was strong at the net, recording a pair of blocks.
Bishop LeBlond 2, North Platte 0
The Panthers went down in straight sets to the tournament-hosting Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles in a Class 1 District 15 semifinal played on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
The Golden Eagles, last year’s Class 2 District 16 runners-up, took the first set by just two points, winning 25-23. The Panthers fought in the second set, but it wasn’t enough, as the top-seeded Golden Eagles took the win 25-14.
McKenzie Brockhoff led the team in kills, earning nine, while Trinity Whitford and Frankie Davis each recorded nine assists, as well.
Defensively, it was Brockhoff and with Emily Westwood who had 12 digs each. Alyssa Zion and Brianna Bridger both had solid games, as well, putting up two blocks apiece.
The Panthers end their season in the same spot that they did last year: the semifinals of the Class 1 District 15 tournament.
The team finishes with a 15-11-1 record in what will be coach Scott McInnis’ final battle as a coach, as he has chosen to retire. As the team bids farewell to four seniors — Brockhoff, Davis, Maddy Cheadle and Haylie Hensley — who McInnis said will be hard to replace. They will also bid farewell to their longtime coach who has served the North Platte School District for more than 30 years.
“[The players] worked hard and dedicated themselves to playing this great game and provided our fans with lots of excitement throughout the season,” McInnis said. “As their coach, I want to thank them for their contributions to our team and wish all of them good luck in their futures. I would like to thank all of the players, parents and fans that I have worked with over the past many years for their support and contributions to making North Platte volleyball the success that it has been.”
Bishop LeBlond 2, West Platte 1
The Bluejays were defeated by the Golden Eagles of tournament host Bishop LeBlond in the Class 1 District 15 championship on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
In the first set, the Bluejays used the momentum from their win over St. Joseph Christian, which had just happened earlier in the evening, to take a 25-21 victory over the top-seeded Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles, who were last year’s Class 2 District 16 runners up, battled back in the second set, taking it by a score of 25-23. And in the third set, they held on for the 25-20 victory over the Bluejays.
Sam Rotterman was dominant in this game, recording a team-high 19 kills. Faith Stevens, who was named to the All-District first team, also put up 29 assists.
Defensively, Lexie Smither, who was also named to the All-District first team, had 28 digs, while Gracie Raney had 26, as they tried to stop an aggressive Golden Eagle offense. Libby Vandel and Stevens also put up two blocks apiece.
Rotterman, along with Tori Norman, who had a solid all-around game, were both named to the All-District second team.
Following a year in which the Bluejays earned third place in the state, it seems like a difficult feat to top.
Nonetheless, the Bluejays finish the season strong at 29-4-2. They were also crowned champions of the KCI Conference, the Midway Tournament and the Sherwood Invitational. Coach Amber Guthrie was impressed with her team’s performance this season and in the postseason.
“The girls played their hearts out on Tuesday night – some of the best volleyball that I have seen them play all year,” Guthrie said. “The outcome wasn’t quite what we had hoped for, but this group has so much to be proud of. This group of girls is a tough and resilient bunch that has been a joy to coach all season; we will miss the seniors next year, as they have left a mark on this program, but the future is bright for the ones returning.”