The Wayne High volleyball wasted little time in punching their ticket to volleyball’s “Sweet 16” on Monday night.
The Blue Devils dismissed Wakefield/Allen and O’Neill in straight sets to claim the C1-7 subdistrict title at Norfolk High School, putting them in Saturday’s 16-team Sub-State field with a shot at qualifying for next week’s State Volleyball Championships in Lincoln.
Wayne took care of Wakefield/Allen in the opening round, winning 25-18, 25-10, 25-13. Lauren Pick and Emily Armstrong led a balanced net attack with nine kills apiece, while Katelyn Grone had six, Frankie Klausen added five and Ashton Boyer had four. Kiara Krusemark and Allyson Avery had 13 and 12 assists, respectively.
Grone had three ace serves and Pick had two blocks. Boyer led the defense with 16 digs, Pick added nine and Armstrong, Grone, Klausen and Hailey Backer each had six.
Wayne made quick work of O’Neill in the finals, winning 25-16, 25-14, 25-21, with Pick’s 17 kills and Boyer’s 10 leading the way. Grone added seven kills, Armstrong had five and Avery had three. Krusemark and Avery each had 15 assists.
Armstrong served up two aces and Grone and Avery each had two blocks. Boyer’s 19 digs led the defense, followed by Armstrong with 17, Klausen and Pick with 12 each, Backer with eight and Krusemark with seven.
The 24-9 Blue Devils will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Saturday in the Sub-State round. The opponent, location and game time will be announced by the Nebraska School Activities Association on Wednesday.
