Buffalo Stampede; Lady Buffs Get Bronze In Home Invitational
Last Saturday, the Lady Buffs competed in the annual Republic County Invitational volleyball tournament. The tournament sported 8 teams from around North Central Kansas, with a total of 20 matches being played over the day. Republic County entered the tournament as the 7th seed, just ahead of Clay Center JV who did not submit a record.
The Buffaloes started off pool play against 12-3 Beloit, where the outcome was as expected. They fell in 2 short sets, 5-25 and 11-25. After the rocky loss, the Lady Buffs refocused and turned to watching their next opponent, Smith Center Lady Red. The Lady Red were coming off of a 3rd-place finish at state last year, but that meant nothing to the Buffs. Coach Sarah Heeger led the team to a 25-20, 25-17 win over Smith Center, marking the Buffs’ first win over Smith Center since 2016. Quickly after the Buffaloes breezed past the Riverside Cyclones in 2 sets, with scores of 25-17 and 25-14. After the 3 pool play matches, the tournament advanced to bracket play. With a 2-1 record, the Lady Buffs were seeded #2 from the Red Pool.
As the #2 seed, the Buffs would then play #1 seed of the Blue Pool, the Hanover Wildcats. Hanover was 15-0 at the time, and they were also ranked #1 in class 1A D-II. The Lady Buffs competed but ultimately fell short to Hanover. This meant that they would go on to play Clifton-Clyde in the 3rd-place match.
Set 1 of the 3rd-place match went much longer than many expected. In total, 24 extra serves took place in set 1. The Lady Buffs outlasted Clifton-Clyde and beat them in set 1 with a score of 37-35. Both teams were tired and determined, but an ace by Sophomore Kymry Hoesli sealed the deal for the Buffs. Set 2 was no less exciting. The teams traded points back and forth until service pressure by the Buffs set up a 26-25 match point. Lone Senior Avery Stindt ended the day by slamming down an overpass, securing the Bronze for Republic County.
This historic day for Republic County marks the first time they have placed in their home tournament since 2016. Brand new head coach Sarah Heeger was interviewed on the significance of the wins. Coach Heeger cited mental toughness and team unity as the driving forces behind the team’s performance. Listen to the brief interview here:
Junior Tallyn Melton said “Saturday we really played together as a team and found the confidence that will keep us together in the future. We know what it’s like to win now and hopefully that fire will carry us through the rest of the season.”
The Lady Buffs travel to Wakefield on Saturday, where they will face familiar opponents like Clifton-Clyde once again. The Buffaloes have high hopes and are looking to battle for the gold.
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