On Saturday, October 3, the eighth grade Nemaha Central Lady Thunder Volleyball team traveled for nearly two hours to Perry-Lecompton High School so they could participate in the Big 7 League Tournament. The Thunder team was the Big 7 Champions in volleyball as seventh graders and were hoping to repeat as champions in eighth grade.
The first team the Thunder faced in pool play was Jeff West. The Thunder teammates were joking around with Hallie Holthaus, telling her she had to serve 24 in a row like she did in the regular season match with Jeff West. The score wasn’t 25-0, but the Thunder team held them to single digits on their scores. It was a fun game with the Thunder team getting the win with scores of 25-9 and 25-3.
The NC players took a small break and grabbed a snack to get ready to face Perry. The NC players stepped on the court and started warming up. The loud buzzer went off and it was time to start the match. The Thunder team played hard and ended up defeating the Kaws 25-13 and 25-11.
After a successful game against Perry, the Thunder players were ready to face Hiawatha. The whole team was confident in themselves and their teammates. The Thunder starters stepped on the court and got in position. The first serve went over and every player was waiting in anticipation. The ball went over the net and a Thunder player made a pass right to the setter. The game continued and the Thunder team did well. The match ended in a Thunder win with scores of 25-12 and 25-10. The Thunder team had swept their pool and were moving on to the tournament bracket.
Royal Valley was the next opponent that the Thunder team faced. The Thunder players continued to play well to win the match. They again dominated with scores of 25-9 and 25-11. This win moved them on to the championship game against Holton. Holton was the only team the Thunder had lost during the Big 7 League play and the girls were hoping this time was their time for a win. Holton had a lot of confidence going into the match and they came out aggressive winning the first game 11-25. The Thunder team tried to bounce back from the loss, but Holton had the momentum and was victorious in the second game 10-25. The Thunder girls were a bit disappointed that they didn’t take the match to 3 games, however, second place in the league is something to be proud of.
“We played so good all morning, we didn’t give up more than 15 points to any team through semi-finals. The girls were focused and they wanted to play Holton in the finals. Holton is a very well-rounded and balanced team and we just couldn’t break them. I’m so proud of this team and so thankful we got to play a full season!“ said Coach Nikki Honeyman.
The Thunder team finished the season with a 13-5-1 overall record. Their only losses came to Holton 3 times, SPPS, and Silver Lake. The Thunder girls and fans look forward to some great volleyball in the next 4 years. Congratulations Lady Thunder on a great season!