Lady Bulldogs finish at State; set new standard for Haxtun's program

Overall 24-5 and a final-four finish at the 1A State Tournament, but really, it isn't about the numbers that stands out about this year's Haxtun Lady Bulldog volleyball team. It's the grit, determination and heart that each one played with throughout the season and into the State Tournament that most will remember. All the aforementioned characteristics were evident in the 17 sets played on the court at State last weekend, but it is bigger than that. It's the standard set for excellence at the highest level on the playing court.

In the final-four match up featuring the Haxtun Lady Bulldogs versus the Merino Lady Rams, a team Haxtun swept earlier this season, it all came down to the wire in a fifth set, do-or-die to make the championship game situation, and Haxtun fell short; but the example they set for underclassmen and the young eyes on them from the stands will remain long after the memory of stats and scores.

"After the game I told them how that loss will sting for a long time, but the memories of playing together and what they accomplished this season will last forever," Head Coach Paige Thompson said. "They were a big part of changing the expectations of what our program can do and they should be proud of that. One of Haxtun's goals should be to not just make the State tournament, but to be playing Saturday night at the tournament. All of the teams in the final four have been doing that for many years except for us and that makes a big difference. Now that younger players are getting the opportunity to be at State and experience it, hopefully that builds a passion to get there again."

Haxtun's action at State started with a Thursday evening contest against Stratton following a first-round bye for all top four teams in the bracket. The Lady Bulldogs clinched the number three seed following a championship win at the Region C tournament the week before.

Stratton's Lady Eagles came out hot, taking the first two sets of the contest but they didn't have something the Lady Bulldogs did, and that's grit. The Lady Bulldogs battled, point-for-point through the next three sets to claim a win and advance to play on Friday afternoon.

The win over Stratton set Haxtun up for a contest late Friday afternoon against the number two ranked Fleming Lady Wildcats, another team the Lady Bulldogs swept in the regular season.

Again the Lady Bulldogs found themselves down early in the contest, but this time, the team was determined to make the Wildcats work. Haxtun took set two by a five-point margin before falling in four to the neighboring Fleming Lady Wildcats. The loss sent Haxtun to the opposite side of the bracket to battle back for a chance in the semifinals. And that's just what the Lady Bulldogs did.

An early Saturday morning match with the Lady Bulldogs and Dove Creek brought out the heart of each player on the Haxtun team as they sailed to a 3-0 win over Dove Creek to make the final four.

With just three other teams remaining in the bracket, Haxtun took on the Rams from Merino in a back-and-fourth battle for one of two spots in the championship later that evening. Merino took sets one and two but the Lady Bulldogs weren't finished with their time on the court and took sets three and four, sending the contest into five. Merino went on to take the victory over Haxtun and later to claim the 1A State volleyball championship for the second consecutive year.

"This season was amazing. I think we all appreciated just getting to play the game more this season with all of our fans being able to come out and support us, no masks or having to worry about if we would get to play week to week," said Thompson. "This group of girls was special. Our freshman came in and gelled well with our team and everyone pushed each other to be better. We worked hard on our mental conditioning as well as our physical and I could definitely see an improvement in both areas from last season. I felt like our girls played solid, hard volleyball against Merino. The last set we just lost our groove and couldn't get it back. It was frustrating for everyone because we all know we can play better than that, but I am still incredibly proud of the girls and what they accomplished."

Of the 29 games played by the Lady Bulldogs, the team went 11-0 at home giving their home crowd a display of excellence since the start of the season. Haxtun's five losses come from just four teams including Sedgwick County, Fleming, Merino and Briggsdale. Of that list, Sedgwick County went on to claim the 2A title for the first time in school history and the remaining three held the other three spots in this year's final four at State.

"My highlight from this year is the game against Wiggins when the girls were behind in the first set by 10 points and came back to win that set and then the next two," Thompson said. "I think that was the moment our girls really started to believe what they were capable of. Also the game at State against Stratton was a great memory. I love the grit and determination these girls have."

This year's team includes four seniors who finished their high school volleyball careers at the highest level of play in the State Tournament at the Broadmoor World Arena this past week. Seniors Allie Thompson, Taylor Schram, K'lyn Bornhoft and Ella Coffin have played together since elementary school and will graduate later next spring. Undoubtedly, there will be some college commitments considered in the coming months.

"Coaching is hard. It is mentally, physically and emotionally challenging. In a small town it can be extra hard because you have known and loved most of the girls their entire lives," Thompson added. "But it is also incredibly rewarding and I feel blessed with all the time I have gotten to spend with amazing girls through the years. This group of seniors I have coached since second grade. I have seen each of them grow in the sport and in life. I love each of them like my own and I will be cheering them on in life no matter what they are doing, along with all of the other girls I have coached. I'm not even really a coach, I am just a mom whose girls loved volleyball and helped out. The girls are the ones who stepped up and worked hard and found a way to be amazing."