Seward aims for state berth
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By RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star
SEWARD — The primary goal of Seward’s Miranda Wisehart and Zoie Smetter is to become the second family member to play in the state volleyball tournament.
Both of their mothers were on Seward’s first state qualifying team, in 1978. The daughters would like to make some history of their own in early November by helping the Bluejays reach the Class B state tournament for the first time since 1993.
Tenth-ranked Seward has laid the foundation for such a run by starting the season 9-2.
(Records through Saturday)
Class A
School (record) Pvs.
1. Papillion-La Vista (19-0) 1
2. Grand Island (14-1) 2
3. Omaha Marian (14-2) 3
4. Lincoln Southwest (13-3) 4
5. Millard North (12-4) 5
6. Bellevue East (5-5) 6
7. Lincoln Southeast (8-6) 8
8. Lincoln East (10-8) 7
9. Omaha Bryan (12-3) -
10. Papillion-La Vista So. (8-6) 10
Contenders: Bellevue West, Millard West, North Platte, Kearney, Omaha Burke.
Comments: Millard North had an up-and-down week, going 1-1 against both Millard West and Papillion-La Vista South. The Mustangs avoid dropping since they have wins against No. 6 Bellevue East and No. 8 Lincoln East earlier this month. Southeast switches spots with Lincoln East after sweeping the Spartans. Omaha Bryan pops in after beating Papillion-La Vista South in five sets. Papillion-La Vista South holds onto No. 10 after beating Millard West in the Allison Weston Invitational.
Key matches: Tonight—Southwest at Grand Island. Thursday—Bellevue East and Fremont at Papillion-La Vista, Southwest at Lincoln East. Friday-Saturday—Northeast Invitational (Omaha Marian, Pius X, Southeast, Papillion-La Vista South). Saturday—Omaha Mercy Invitational (Omaha Bryan, South Sioux City, Omaha Mercy).
Class B
School (record) Pvs.
1. Lincoln Pius X (17-1) 1
2. Northwest (15-2) 2
3. Omaha Gross (10-5) 3
4. Ogallala (11-0) 5
5. Aurora (13-4) 4
6. Omaha Skutt (12-5) 6
7. South Sioux City (8-1) -
8. Omaha Mercy (7-6) 7
9. Hastings (12-6) 9
10. Seward (9-2) 10
Contenders: Nebraska City, Norris, Waverly, Omaha Duchesne, Platteview, Alliance.
Comments: Aurora is slightly punished for a loss to Columbus Lakeview in the Aurora Invitational. Nebraska City exits after losing to Waverly, and Omaha Mercy takes a hit for a loss to Beatrice. South Sioux City benefits from a win earlier this season against Beatrice. Hastings is not penalized for losses to Class C-1 No. 2 Columbus Scotus, Class C-1 No. 3 St. Paul and Class B No. 6 Omaha Skutt.
Key matches: Tonight—Omaha Mercy at Council Bluffs (Iowa) St. Albert, Seward at Aurora, Omaha Gross and South Sioux City at Omaha Duchesne. Thursday—Aurora at Pius X. Friday-Saturday—Nike Challenge at Chicago (Bellevue West, Omaha Gross), Omaha Skutt Invitational, Twin Cities Invitational at Scottsbluff and Gering (Northwest, Ogallala, Waverly). Saturday—Columbus Invitational (Hastings), Seward ‘Wurst’ Invitational (Seward, Columbus Scotus, Kearney Catholic).
Class C-1
School (record) Pvs.
1. GI Central Catholic (14-1) 1
2. Columbus Scotus (9-2) 2
3. St. Paul (15-2) 3
4. Kearney Catholic (9-2) 4
5. Johnson Co. Central (13-0) 5
6. Syracuse (14-1) 6
7. Minden (13-5) 7
8. West Point-Beemer (7-0) 8
9. Centennial (11-5) 9
10. Wood River (10-2) 10
Contenders: Hastings St. Cecilia, Bennington, Norfolk Catholic, Central City, Battle Creek, Pierce, Boone Central, Wisner-Pilger, Ord, Crofton, Wahoo.
Comments: Grand Island Central Catholic survived a five-set test at Kearney Catholic, but the Crusaders were knocked off by Class C-2 No. 1 Ravenna in the Holdrege Invitational for their first loss of the season. GICC gets another shot at Ravenna on Thursday. Scotus is not penalized for its loss to Class B No. 2 Northwest in the finals of the Northwest Invitational, nor is Minden for losses to GICC and St. Paul at Holdrege. Centennial stays in despite losing to Superior in the Adams Central Invitational.
Key matches: Tonight—Aquinas at Grand Island Central Catholic, Columbus Lakeview at Columbus Scotus, Central City at St. Paul. Tonight-Thursday—Hastings St. Cecilia Invitational (Wood River, Superior, Silver Lake). Thursday —Ravenna at Grand Island Central Catholic, Kearney Catholic and Ord at Doniphan-Trumbull, Norfolk Catholic at West Point-Beemer, Tri County at Centennial. Saturday—Johnson County Central Invitational (Thayer Central). Monday—Syracuse Invitational.
Class C-2
School (record) Pvs.
1. Ravenna (11-4) 1
2. Tri County (8-2) 8
3. Sutton (13-2) 3
4. Superior (12-2) 2
5. Aquinas (8-3) 4
6. Thayer Central (9-1) 7
7. North Platte St. Pat’s (9-2) 6
8. Dundy Co.-Stratton (12-2) 10
9. Southwest (13-3) 5
10. Archbishop Bergan (10-4) -
Contenders: Wilber-Clatonia, Johnson-Brock, Cross County, Lutheran High Northeast, West Holt.
Comments: Ravenna solidified the top spot with wins against Class C-1 No. 1 GICC and No. 3 St. Paul on its way to the Holdrege Invitational title. Tri County is rewarded for its five-game conquest of Sutton. The Fillies bounced back to win the Adams Central Invitational on Saturday, avenging an earlier loss this season to Superior. Southwest slips after falling to North Platte St. Pat’s and Dundy County-Stratton in the Sutherland Invitational. Wilber-Clatonia drops to contender status after losing to Centennial. Archbishop Bergan has won seven straight.
Key matches: Saturday—Sutton Invitational, Dundy County-Stratton Invitational.
Class D-1
School (record) Pvs.
1. Elkhorn Valley (8-2) 1
2. Giltner (15-0) 3
3. Freeman (11-2) 4
4. Humphrey St. Francis (9-4) 2
5. Alma (9-4) -
6. Bertrand (11-2) 5
7. Silver Lake (10-1) 6
8. Bancroft-Rosalie (11-4) 7
9. Meridian (8-2) 9
10. Pawnee City (10-3) 10
Contenders: Sandhills/Thedford, Mead, Exeter-Milligan, Leyton, Deshler, West Boyd, Winside, Hitchcock County.
Comments: Humphrey St. Francis takes a slight demotion for losses to Class C-1 contenders Pierce and Wisner-Pilger in the Wisner-Pilger Invitational. Alma soars back into the top 10 for a win against Bertrand. Sandhills/Thedford drops out for its setback to Burwell in the Burwell Invitational.
Key matches: Tonight—Pawnee City at Freeman, Dodge at Humphrey St. Francis. Thursday—Giltner and Shickley at Clay Center. Saturday—Elkhorn Valley Invitational.
Class D-2
Schools (record) Pvs.
1. Ewing (16-0) 1
2. Paxton (12-0) 2
3. Chambers (16-1) 3
4. Clay Center (11-0) 5
5. Dodge (12-1) 4
6. Pleasanton (11-2) 7
7. Lawrence-Nelson (7-2) 10
8. Elba (10-2) 9
9. Wynot (8-1) -
10. Falls City Sacred Heart (7-5) 6
Contenders: Pope John, Greeley-Wolbach, Wallace, Mullen, Hay Springs, Parkview Christian, Banner County, McPherson County, Hampton.
Comments: Dodge drops a spot for losing to Class C-1 unranked Arlington at the Scribner-Snyder Invitational. Lawrence-Nelson gets a promotion for a win against Class D-1 No. 7 Silver Lake. Sacred Heart slides after falling to Class C-2 unranked Lourdes Central Catholic.
Key matches: Thursday—Elba and Heartland at Nebraska Christian. Friday—Wallace at Paxton.
“We’ve never made it past the first round of districts, so getting to state would be big for us,’’ says Wisehart, a junior standout who’s in her third season as Seward’s starting setter. “We have the team to do it this year.’’
This year’s team doesn’t have any seniors, but there’s a bevy of experienced juniors for coach Tom Pallas to build around. Two other returning starters — Smetter, an outside hitter, and middle blocker Sydney DeBoer — have played club volleyball together with Wisehart since fifth grade.
“Our players have been playing year-round together for a long time,” said Pallas, whose team went 15-13 a year ago. “They know each other’s tendencies and strengths and that’s why they work so well together on the court.’’
Together, they’re also working on making volleyball a prominent sport at Seward, where softball has been the headline fall activity for girls. The Bluejay softball team, a state tournament qualifier three of the past four years, entered this week with a 15-1 record.
Smetter still plays softball in the summer, “and I thought about playing in high school,” she said.
“But the softball summer season is long enough,’’ she added. “I’d rather do volleyball in the fall. We have the potential to do as well as we have in softball.”
With an experienced setter and numerous attack options, Pallas knew the offense would be both balanced and potent. That was evident in Seward’s 25-18, 23-25, 28-26, 25-13 victory at Class C-2 No. 5 Aquinas last week. Smetter slammed 14 kills, while her younger sister, sophomore Grace Smetter, added 11 as a replacement for the injured DeBoer.
Another junior outside, Laural Wagner, had nine kills. The basketball star tandem of 6-foot-2 sophomore middle Emily Cady and 6-4 junior right side Alyssa Kamphaus combined for 11 kills and 13 ace blocks.
Wisehart had 37 assists to go with four ace blocks.
Seward has four players with between 55 and 93 kills this season. Zoie Smetter leads with 93, and Wagner is second with 80.
“If I get a nice set out to them, it’s going down,” Wisehart said. “My job’s been easier this year because our passing has gotten a lot better. That’s allowed me to use every option.’’
DeBoer missed the Aquinas match because of a shoulder injury. She was sidelined for almost five months earlier this year following surgery to repair a dislocated knee cap.
Grace Smetter filled in last week at middle after playing some libero and outside hitter earlier in the season. She’s second on the team in digs (105) behind her older sister, who has 148.
DeBoer plans to be back tonight for a match at No. 5 Aurora, the toughest team in Seward’s district.
But that’s just the start of a difficult week for the Bluejays. Seward hosts the Wurst Invitational on Saturday which features Class C-1 No. 2 Columbus Scotus and No. 4 Kearney Catholic.
Seward’s two losses were to Kearney Catholic (in the finals of the Kearney Catholic Invitational) and to Class C-1 No. 6 Syracuse (in the finals of the Fairbury Invitational).
“We‘re looking forward to all our matches this week because they’ll tell us where we are as a team,” DeBoer said.
Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.
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