Last week, Varsity Volleyball hosted two home games. Their first game was on Tuesday. They went 2-1. The team first played against Highland Park and won both sets at 25-5 and 25-11. They then played against Emporia. The team lost in a three-set game. The sets ended with 25-23 Emporia, 25-20 Manhattan and with the third set at 25-21 Emporia.

“I feel that if we just brought a little bit more energy onto the court that we could have dominated Emporia. We had a good fight with them,” defense specialist and libero Emily Wilson said.

“Well, you know we went 2-1 so that’s not bad but we wish that we could’ve taken that Emporia set too, hands off to Emporia,” coach Lisa Kinderknecht said.

In their last game of the night, the girls played against Washburn Rural. Going on into three sets.   

“I was really proud of our girls for coming back and taking the Rural match,” Kinderknecht said.

Then on Saturday, the team hosted a tournament in the North Gym. Starting rough, the girls lost their first game against Olathe East in a two-set match.

“We didn’t do as well as we could have. We didn’t play to our full potential,” senior outside hitter Maddie Mittie said. “I think the loss will motivate us.”

They went on to win a two set game against their next opponent, Gardner-Edgerton.

“We came out with a lot more energy, last game we started out kind of slow,” junior middle blocker Gigi McAtee said.

Next the team played against Blue Valley West. They lost both sets to Blue Valley.

“We played really hard and fought to the finish. We just came up a little short,” sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Pease said.

Their losses and wins were then tallied and the teams were put in brackets. Competing in the Silver bracket, the girls went up against Topeka High. The girls won 25-10 and 25-12.

“I think we play really good. We stayed focus the whole time and we didn’t get down and play at their level, we tended to do that,” senior defensive specialist and libero Tammie Melton said.

The last match of the day was played against Hays. The team won both sets 25-19 and 26-24.

“It was nice to win our last game home, for the seniors at least. It’s our last game ever at Manhattan,” Melton said.

The girls came in third within their bracket.