Contributing writer
The Wheat State League volleyball season began Sept. 4 and Goessel High School posted two wins to get the league season started.
The Bluebirds traveled to Centre where they faced Elyria. The Bluebirds fell behind 5-1 and eventually tied the game at 11. With a combination of Bluebird attacks and Eagle errors, Goessel scored 14 consecutive points to win the first game, 25-11. Game two was in the bag early, as Goessel jumped ahead 7-1 and went on to win 25-11.
Against the home team Centre, Goessel jumped to an 8-2 lead only to have the Cougars tie at 11. Again Goessel built a 22-17 lead, but Centre persisted, getting as close as 23-22 before the Bluebirds would ended the game with two points and a 25-22 win. In the second game, Goessel cruised to a 12-4 lead . Centre would get as close as 18-12 before the Bluebirds ended the match with a 25-13 win.
On Saturday, the Bluebirds hosted the Goessel Invitational Tournament and met Canton-Galva in the first match. Goessel moved and served well and then let the hitting set a standard for the game. Goessel got ahead 7-2 but three aces from the Eagles kept the game close for awhile. Erin Brubaker got a kill, Alex Hiebert, middle hitter tipped the ball to right front corner and Tia Goertzen hit winners from the left side to lift Goessel to a 25-13 win in game one. Great hustle was witnessed several times as the Bluebirds brought balls back into play that seemed to be heading for the back wall. Jo Hoffman and Brubaker each served two aces as Goessel jumped out to a 19-9 lead and winning on a back row spike from Alex Hiebert to end the game, 25-16.
Against South Haven, the Bluebirds were hampered with errors as the Cardinals led 5-4. Tia Goertzen got the offense going with several kills from the left side and Page Hiebert continued the attack from the left as the Bluebirds coasted to a 25-13 win. In game two, Goessel gained a 15-7 lead and went on to win 25-14.
Against Wichita Independent, the Bluebirds rolled to a 25-8 win and then stumbled a bit as the Panthers stayed close, finishing with a Bluebird win of 25-22.
The Bluebirds advanced into bracket play, facing the Dragons from Halstead. The two evenly matched teams played to a 25-20 Goessel win. In the second game, Halstead nipped the Bluebirds 25-23. The Bluebirds jumped out to a 10-2 lead in game three, as the Dragons made too many errors and Goessel won, 25-15, and advanced to the championship game against Sedgwick.
Goessel eased out to a 4-2 lead behind the hitting of Page Hiebert. With a Goertzen and Brubaker kill the Bluebirds regained the lead 10-9, but then Sedgwick hit their stride behind the arms of strong hitters to outscore the Bluebirds 8-1. Goessel could only match the Cardinals point for point and lost the game, 25-17.
In the evenly matched second game, Goessel trailed 13-14. Again, Sedgwick was able to scratch out four consecutive points for a five-point lead. Goertzen hit a winner from the left, Sedgwick had an error on serve, P. Hiebert hit a winner from the left side, Brubaker served an ace to get Goessel as close as 20-22. Alex Hiebert served an ace to get the Bluebirds within one 23-24 forcing a Cardinal timeout. Sedgwick was able to win the next point for the championship with a 25-23 win. Goessel finished second to Sedgwick.