Mallory Flagor is decidedly the leader of the Class 3A top-ranked Hoisington High School volleyball team.
Flagor, a senior, has broke the school’s record for kills three out of her four years playing for the varsity squad, which has qualified for the 3A state tournament at Salina’s Bicentennial Center on Friday and Saturday.
Last year, Flagor, who went to the state meet as a freshman, finished the season with 576 kills, and she sits at 599 this season.
“Mallory is definitely the leader of our team,” Hoisington head coach Tina Johnson said. “I think Mallory’s experience has gotten the other kids to expect to win, but I really have to give credit to all four of my seniors.”
Along Flagor, Savannah Rose, Breanna Burns and Belle Brickley are seniors for the Lady Cardinals.
“Savannah Rose has really come on in the last three weeks,” Johnson said. “Belle Brickley played her best match of her career at the sub-state tournament. Breanna Burns has been playing really well, too.”
Junior Mykela Riedl has broken the school record for digs with 317. At the beginning of the season, the record was 312 digs set by Chelsea Doonan in 1999.
Hoisington opens the state tournament’s pool play at 8:30 a.m. on Friday against Wellsville. They will also play Douglas at 10:30 and Hillsboro at 1:30 p.m.
Of the top five teams in the Kansas Volleyball Association poll, Hoisington (No. 1), Phillipsburg (No. 3) and Hilllsboro (No. 4) made it to the state meet.
Osage City, last year’s state champion, didn’t make it out of its sub-state tournament.