1A-D1 State Volleyball Pool Play Results

Three different area teams competed in pool play action in Salina on Friday afternoon at the 1A-D1 State Volleyball tournament. 

Centralia, the #1 seed and the top ranked volleyball team in the class all throughout the year dominated their competition. The Panthers went a perfect 3-0 in pool play, winnning all 6 sets. The Panthers started their day with a 25-19, 25-11 win over St. John-Hudson. Then the second match was the big one, against Little River. The Redskins are the 4-time defending champs, who has beaten Centralia in the title game each of the last two seasons. The Panthers won a back and forth first set, 25-23. In the second set, they flexed their muscles, beating them 25-15. 

In the final match of the day, Centralia overcame an early deficit in set one to defeat Goessel, 25-21. Similar to the Little River match, set two was domination from the Panthers, beating Goessel, 25-12. 

In the other pool, Linn the 3 seed and runner up in Class 1A-D2 last season went a perfect 3-0 on the day. The Bulldogs have only lost twice this season, both in three sets to Centralia. They are also Centralia's only loss of the season, which was a three set match as well. 

Today, the Bulldogs swept everyone in straight sets, St-John's-Tipton Catholic, 25-8, 25-12. Blue Valley-Randolph, 25-16, 25-16 and South Gray, the two seed, 25-15, 25-15. 

The shocking result of the day, was 7 seed Blue Valley-Randolph, finishing 2-1 in pool play and finishing runner up in the pool. The Rams started their day with an upset over 39-1 South Gray, 25-23, 25-23. After the loss to Linn, they beat St. John's-Tipton Catholic in three sets, 23-25, 25-21, 25-20. The Rams, who are back in the state tournament for the first time in 29 years, make it out of pool play for the first time in school history. 

Centralia and Blue Valley-Randolph will play each other in the semis on 92.1 KMZA. Linn will play Little River in their semifinal matchup. Both games start at 1 p.m.