Season Preview: 1A DI Volleyball

Already home to an unrivaled dynasty, another powerhouse program has been quietly brewing in Claflin.

With the Central Plains girls basketball program still in the midst of a legendary run, the Oiler volleyball team is creating its own legacy, winning three state titles over the last six seasons including back-to-back championships at the Class 1A and 1A Division I level in 2019 and 2020.

"We have a longstanding tradition on the basketball court, and now the volleyball team is trying to get their own thing going," Central Plains volleyball coach Lisa Crites said.

Pat Stiles has guided the Oiler girls to seven straight basketball titles, not including 2020 when the end of the state tournament was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Central Plains enjoyed a state-record 138 consecutive wins from February of 2015 to December of 2020.

Most of the Oilers' volleyball returners also played basketball last year.

"Just the culture that (Stiles) set with the basketball program, there's a lot of carry over for the girls that are athletes in both sports," Crites said. "They understand what he calls the 'Oiler way.'

"We take our own little spin off of that, and the girls respond really well."

Crites took over the Central Plains volleyball program in 2016 when the Oilers were fresh off a Class 2A state championship under Kim Rolfs. The Oilers were runner-up in 2A in Crites' first season as head coach before missing the state tournament the next two years.

The Oilers made a surprise title run in Class 1A in 2019 after entering the postseason unranked in the Kansas Volleyball Association poll. They rallied for a thrilling three-set win over Rural Vista in the final.

The title defense in 2020 got off to a rocky start after the team was forced to enter a two-week quarantine just six practices into the season. The Oilers hit their stride down the stretch, winning their last 11 matches including a two-set win over Lebo in the Class 1A Division I final. Central Plains finished 32-11 on the season.

  The Oilers lost three senior starters – middle hitter Ryenne Cunningham, outside hitter Lexi Oeser and libero Callie Zink. But Central Plains returns a strong cast including reigning Class 1A Division I KVA player of the year Kassidy Nixon, also one of the Oilers top basketball players. The versatile senior plays all over the floor for Central Plains, averaging 4.8 kills per set last year.

"She can handle the pressure," Crites said. "She's very focused. She studies the game. And she doesn't ask anything out of her teammates that she wouldn't do herself."

Another senior leader will be setter/outside hitter Riley Thompson, who was named to last year's Class 1A Division I all-tournament team.

"She is the setter who sets Kassidy Nixon," Crites said. "There's a huge boost from the connection those two come into the gym with. She is a quiet leader, and she is the one in the back row who is trying to find the holes in the defense and letting her hitters know the best place to go with the ball."

Senior Shaylah Kempke and sophomore Kashlin Beck are both returning starters and powerful hitters, Crites said. Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Donecker will step into a starting position while sophomore Addyson Ogle will be a defensive specialist.

The Oilers also added two transfers from Cunningham, sisters Madison McGuire and Reese McGuire. Madison is a senior middle hitter/defensive specialist while Reese is a junior setter/defensive specialist.

Crites said that the Oilers are taking a page from "Sesame Street," noting this season will brought by the letter 'C.'

"Communicate and control are the two main purposes that we have coming in to the start of the season – communication on and off the court, and then controlling the ball," Crites said. "If we can't control the ball, we're not going to be able to win like we have in the past."

Crites said Central Plains will look forward to be tested against bigger schools in September tournaments.

"You find those weaknesses and spend the time in practice to work on them and get stronger," Crites said.

Two of the biggest threats to Central Plains' reign in 1A Division I could come within their own league with St. John-Hudson and Victoria.

St. John, which fell to Central Plains in last year's 1A D I semifinal, returns two KVA All-state selections in Darby Smith and Payton Meyer. Smith was first-team all-state last year while Meyer was second team.

Victoria also returns a strong core led by first-team KVA selection Kassi Weber. Weber helped lead the Knights to a 26-6 record last year. Victoria went 2-2 against Central Plains last year, falling to the Oilers in the state quarterfinal match in Claflin.

The Knights also return a pair of all-Central Prairie League selections in Melany Huser and Kaitlyn Windholz.

Lebo figures to be in the mix again, returning first-team KVA all-state picks Abby Peek and Brooklyn Jones from last year's runner-up team.

Pretty Prairie, led by senior Aubrey Young, is ranked No. 3 in the KVA Class 1A Division I preseason rankings behind Central Plains and Lebo. St. John and Little River round out the top five in the rankings. Little River's Lily Boughfman was an honorable mention KVA pick a year ago.