Kansas 5A Final Thoughts

Coverage of the MOKAN Tournament In Topeka

Vernon Birmingham November 10, 2021 @ 10:00 AM

We went with Lansing and St. James emerging from one pool. We then had St. Thomas Aquinas, being joined by Spring Hill in the other. We were 3 for 4 here, with Topeka Seaman joining the quartet. We predicted Aquinas and Lansing to battle it out for the championship and couldn’t even pick a winner, choosing Aquinas in 7.

In semi-final number one, Lansing stayed hot taking down Seaman in straight sets, -14, -18. We like to remind readers, the Lions haven’t dropped a match since their first match of the year back in August. In this match, Olivia Mae Van Der Werff Olivia Mae Van Der Werff 6'0" | OH Lansing | 2022 State KS struggled offensively to get going and the team got a big lift from junior Skylar Weaver Skylar Weaver 5'8" | OH Lansing | 2023 State KS . She dropped 7 kills on 15 swings in the contest. Senior Kamryn Farris Kamryn Farris 5'10" | DS/L Lansing | 2022 State KS paced the defense with 20 digs.

The second semi-final was going to be a good match-up on paper. St. Thomas and St. James have faced off once this year in one of the more competitive matches of the year, a five-set Saints victory back in early September. Many of these girls are either club teams or opponents, so we expected the intensity to be at another level and the match didn’t disappoint. Aquinas takes set 1, -23. The Thunder take set 2, -23. The first two sets would set the stage for what was sure to be a thrilling third set. How about 26-24? In what many would deem an upset, St. James got it done to advance to the championship. St. James was led offensively by Sophomores Ava Spachek Ava Spachek 5'11" | OH St. James Academy | 2024 State KS and Ella Goodwin’s 12 and 10 kills collectively. Another sophomore, Mya Bolton Mya Bolton 5'3" | DS/L St. James Academy | 2024 State #134 Nation KS delivered defensively with 18 digs. Reese Messer Reese Messer 5'11" | S St. James | 2025 State #8 Nation KS , the freshman setter dished out 30 assists. Aquinas was led by Ava Martin Ava Martin 5'10" | S Bishop Miege | 2024 State #77 Nation KS ’s 15 kills.

This would set the stage for the second Lansing-St. James face-off in a span of two weeks. The two played in tournament action on October 29th, a 2 set win for Lansing. The struggles Van Der Werff saw in the semi-final would be soon forgotten with her 13 kill performance to lead Lansing to a state championship -20, -22. Iyanna Jackson chipped in with 9 kills and Caitlin Bishop Caitlin Bishop 5'8" | S Lansing | 2022 State KS found her hitters for 29 assists.