LADY VIKING TENNIS/VOLLEYBALL OPEN 2023 SEASON

SPIKERS AND NETTERS BOTH FINISH 4TH AT TOURNEYS

By Staff

LINDSBORG – Both the Smoky Valley girls tennis and volleyball team spent Saturday kicking off their 2023 seasons with tennis finishing fourth at the Hesston Invitational and the volleyball team tying for fourth at the Central Kansas League Pre-season Tournament.

For the Lady Viking tennis team, they went cumulative 4-8 on the day with the number two doubles team finishing third and both the number one doubles and number two singles each placing fourth. McPherson took the team championship at Hesston followed by Wichita Collegiate, Hesston and then Smoky Valley tied for fourth with Wichita Trinity.

The duo of Kelsee Adam and Madelyn Mauk scored an 8-0 win over Wichita Trinity before losing a close 6-8 battle with Wichita Collegiate and then bouncing back to defeat Hesston in finishing 2-1 on the day and placing third.

“It is always good to get that first tournament under your belt and see where you are at as a team,” noted Lady Viking head tennis coach Vince Warbinton. “A couple of players that stuck out to me were Kelsee Adam and Madlyn Mauk at number two doubles. I thought they played very well, especially against Hesston in the third-place match.”

Taking fourth was the tandem of Kayla Norberg and Lilly Heline in number one doubles as they started out strong with an 8-1 win over Wichita Trinity before losing back-to-back matches with Wichita Collegiate (0-8) and Hesston (0-8).

Also finishing fourth was Jill Hett at number two singles as she lost 4-8 to Wichita Trinity, managed to bounce back to score an 8-4 win over Wichita Collegiate before dropping a 1-8 battle with Buhler.

Coach Warbinton concluded his brief post-tournament reflections by adding, “I thought they all played very well. Jill Hett at number two singles also played well as she battled all day.”

KJ Leis played at number one singles for the Lady Vikings and lost all three of her matches, 308 to Wichita Trinity, 0-8 to Wichita Collegiate and 1-8 to Buhler.

Next up for the Lady Viking tennis team will come on Tuesday, August 29 when they travel to Ellsworth.

For the Smoky Valley volleyball team, they opened their 2023 season going 4-2 in six matches while finishing fourth at the Central Kansas League Pre-season Tournament.

In pool play, the Lady Vikings went unbeaten by defeating Nickerson (25-16, 25-15), Hesston (26-24, 25-20), Halstead in three sets (25-20, 23-25, 25-15), and Larned (25-7, 25-17).

It went three sets (21-25, 25-12, 22-25) in the semifinals with Hoisington before Smoky Valley lost. Battling for third place, the Lady Vikings went three sets again before losing, this time to Hillsboro (20-25, 25-22, 23-25).

The Lady Viking spikers are scheduled to be on the road on Thursday, August 31 to tangle with Abilene.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)