By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The juggernaut that is Washburn Rural volleyball continued to roll Tuesday night, with the Junior Blues improving to 30-0 on the season with three straight-set wins in Hayden's quadrangular.
But as good as the Junior Blues have been all season, veteran Rural coach Kevin Bordewick firmly believes that his team can still get better with postseason rapidly approaching.
"I think we're in a good spot, but man there's a lot of things that we can sure work on,'' Bordewick said. "You see film every day and you see something new that maybe we can get a little bit better at.''
Washburn Rural's volleyball team, celebrating a point, improved to 30-0 Tuesday night with a 3-0 night in the Hayden quadrangular. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
The Junior Blues opened Tuesday's quad with a 25-10, 25-10 romp past host Hayden before dispatching Lawrence, 25-10, 25-6, and ending their night with a 25-15, 25-12 win over Manhattan.
Rural got a solid performance from every player it put on the floor, including a dominating performance at the net from juniors Brooklyn DeLeye and Taylor Russell and sophomore Jada Ingram and a solid night from sophomore Zoe Canfield as the Junior Blues' setter.
Washburn Rural's Taylor Russell (1) and Jada Ingram (6) team up for a block Tuesday night against Hayden. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural's win streak has now reached 31 straight matches, dating back to the third-place match at state last fall, but Bordewick said he doesn't worry about his team feeling the pressure of the unbeaten streak.
"No, because we don't talk about it and we just approach it as the next thing is tomorrow's practice,'' Bordewick said. "We're going to get some stuff done and work and then we'll see what happens Thursday (triangular at Olathe West, with Topeka High).''
Lawrence went 2-1 on the night, taking a 25-15, 23-25, 25-7 win over Manhattan and ending the night with another three-set win over Hayden, 25-17, 20-25, 25-16.
Manhattan's lone win was a 25-19, 25-22 win over Hayden while the Wildcats went 0-3 against their three Class 6A opponents.
MATCH RESULTS
Washburn Rural def. Hayden, 25-10, 25-10; Lawrence def. Manhattan, 25-15, 23-25, 25-7; Washburn Rural def. Lawrence, 25-10, 25-6; Manhattan def. Hayden, 25-19, 25-22; Washburn Rural def. Manhattan, 25-15, 25-12; Lawrence def. Hayden, 25-17, 20-25, 25-16.
