Champions Salute – Advance 35-3-3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class 1 state tournament should have been called the Advance Invitational. The Hornets dominated Class 1 having dropped only a single set all season to any other Class 1 teams. That team happened to be the team they would play for the championship South Iron. They would make quick work of the Panthers in the title match taking 25-13, 25-13, and 25-20. This is Advance's 5^th state title in six years. Before 2018 they had 14 district titles and now 20. The Hornets would place 2^nd in 1979 and then 3^rd in 1983.  From 2018 to 2023 they would win five state championships making them the Queens of Class 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Advance will graduate one of its best players in school history with [player_tooltip player_id='168900' first='Alexis' last='Hoffman'] moving on to the next level along with two other hitters. Advance will be in great shape to make another return to the final four next season having a plethora of young players returning. This could be another banner season at Advance as they return five contributors and from what I've been told two players moving up from middle school will be a part of the talented group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Returners:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Addison Carlton, [player_tooltip player_id='245319' first='Brogan' last='Wright-Hawkins'], [player_tooltip player_id='237006' first='Emma' last='Eilers'], [player_tooltip player_id='475335' first='Olivia' last='Kennedy'], and [player_tooltip player_id='230385' first='Kyndall' last='Hitt'] will be the leading players returning. They must replace a 6'1” middle/setter and a 5'9 opposite. They won't be tall but will be extremely talented defensively and have enough offense to be very dangerous. Plus, they have the best coach in Class 1 unless she retires to watch her daughter play college volleyball. Class 1 should be interesting next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->