Eight teams from all over Kansas gathered at the Topeka Expocentre early Friday morning for a chance few teams get. After grueling practices and seemingly endless practices, all that time is for the chance to compete and potentially claim the title of State Champions.

After winning their bracket at sub-state, the Lady Indians volleyball made their way to the state competitions yet again. By the end of the tournament they had secured fourth place and earned recognition for sophomore Brooklyn Cink and senior Jaylie Thornton on the Kansas Volleyball Association’s 6A All-State Tournament Team.

The Lady Indians’ first match of the tournament was against Garden City on Friday morning. Manhattan won the first set 25-14 and the second set 25-19.

“We came out really prepared,” junior defensive specialist Raegan Wilcoxson said. “We talked as a team before the game and we just had a mindset that we had to work together the whole entire game and that’s what we did. [Our thoughts on the remaining games are] the same as this one, the mindset that we are making it tomorrow.”

Wilcoxson averaged 15 successful digs throughout the day.

The team was then faced against the highest ranking team on their side of the bracket. Manhattan lost to Olathe Northwest with a first set of 21-25 and second set of 9-25.

“The first set, we should’ve totally had that one.” junior setter Kenzie Smith said. “That would have changed the second set’s outcome. That was probably one of our worst games, our second set, that we’ve played all season. We don’t like to be beat that much, by that many points.”

Their final match for Friday was against Wichita Northwest.

“I think we’re ready for this team,” Smith said, “I think we’re really ready. We want [the state title] so bad. We’re one of the biggest teams in here that want it.”

Smith left the night with 57 sets and 20 digs.

They won their third match of the day against Wichita Northwest in two sets, 25-18 and 25-10.

“[The match] was really exciting,” sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn Cink said, “we came here to compete and we did. I’m really proud of us…this time we really came together as a team. We talked and our energy was up.”

By the end of the day, Cink made 32 successful kills with only 10 errors.

“If you ask anybody, you never know what is going to happen in the semi-finals,” Cink said. “Everybody who is there is meant to be there so we’re all wanting to compete.”

The Lady Indians first match in the semi-finals Saturday was Blue Valley West. The girls lost the match 10-25 and 23-25.

For the match for third place, they went up against Shawnee Mission East. Manhattan once again lost in two sets, 16-25 and 17-25, leaving them in fourth place.  

Though the team lost both Saturday matches, Cink said it was a great time and learning experience.

“It was exciting, but the competition was at a much higher level,” Cink said. “It’s a great feeling having the opportunity to compete with the best. We learned as a team at times, we can hang with the very best. Today we just couldn’t tie enough of those runs together.”