BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

HAYS — Otis-Bison volleyball coach Janelle Maier admits she’s typically nervous. She knows the Cougars (28-9) will have to earn everything at the Class 1A-Division 2 volleyball tournament at Fort Hays State. The Cougars play Kiowa South Barber, Grainfield-Wheatland and Fowler in pool play Friday starting at 3:30 p.m.
“Every set starts off zero-zero. I’m nervous about every game,” said Otis-Bison coach Maier. “Last year’s experience helps us a little bit, but it’s a new volleyball team. We graduated four seniors and this team had to learn to work together. We played well at substate and it’s rewarding to qualify two years in a row. We also had moments where had to work hard for every point we got.”
The Cougars outscored Pawnee Heights 25-18, 25-21 and Hutchinson Central Christian 25-11, 25-16 to earn a state tournament berth.
“There was pressure to get back to the state tournament, more pressure than we realized,” she said. “Every game we’ve played has helped us to where we are. We’ve learned something and improved and developed from every match.”
Libero Lacey Mitchell, setters Kaleigh Maier and Molly Schneider start with middle hitter Maddie Wiltse and outside hitters Sidney Schneider and Madison Schneider. Hitter Cora Anderson, Hannah Tanger, Kailyn Loucks. Cristen Trapp are key reserves off the bench.
The 1A semifinals and finals will be aired on (http://openspacessports.com/wp/live-broadcasts/)

STATE VOLLEYBALL
1A, DIV. 2
At Gross Coliseum, Hays
FRIDAY POOL 1—3:30 p.m.—Otis-Bison (28-9) vs. Kiowa-South Barber (27-9); 4:30 p.m.—Grainfield-Wheatland (37-3) vs. Fowler (16-19); 5:30 p.m.—Otis-Bison vs. Fowler; 6:30 p.m.—Wheatland vs. South Barber; 7:30 p.m.—South Barber vs. Fowler; 8:30 p.m.—Wheatland vs. Otis-Bison
FRIDAY POOL 2—3:30 p.m.—Beloit-St. John’s (30-9) vs. Waverly (17-16); 4:30 p.m.—Northern Valley (28-8) vs. Axtell (18-19); 5:30 p.m.—Beloit-St. John’s vs. Axtell; 6:30 p.m.—Northern Valley vs. Waverly; 7:30 p.m.—Waverly vs. Axtell; 8:30 p.m.—Northern Valley vs. Beloit-St. John’s

1A-1
At Gross Coliseum, Hays
FRIDAY POOL 1—8:30 a.m.—Pretty Prairie (32-4) vs. Hanover (29-10); 9:30 a.m.—Centralia (38-1) vs. Lebo (21-13); 10:30 a.m.—Pretty Prairie vs. Lebo; 11:30 a.m.—Centralia vs. Hanover; 12:30 p.m.—Hanover vs. Lebo; 1:30 p.m.—Centralia vs. Pretty Prairie
FRIDAY POOL 2—8:30 a.m.—South Central (26-3) vs. Rawlins County (25-10); 9:30 a.m.—Sylvan-Lucas (36-2) vs. Southern Coffey County (26-12)
10:30 a.m.—South Central vs. Southern Coffey; 11:30 a.m.—Sylvan vs. Rawlins County; 12:30 p.m.—Rawlins vs. Southern Coffey; 1:30 p.m.—Sylvan vs. South Central

2A
At White Auditorium, Emporia
FRIDAY POOL 1—3:30 p.m.—Smith Center (33-8) vs. Meade (32-8); 4:30 p.m.—Goessel (39-0) vs. Bluestem (19-20); 5:30 p.m.—Smith Center vs. Bluestem; 6:30 p.m.—Goessel vs. Meade; 7:30 p.m.—Meade vs. Bluestem; 7:30 p.m.—Goessel vs. Smith Center
FRIDAY POOL 2—3:30 p.m.—Pittsburg Colgan (33-5) vs. Olathe Heritage Christian (31-9); 4:30 p.m.—Greensburg-Kiowa County (36-3) vs. Valley Heights (28-10); 5:30 p.m.—Colgan vs. Valley Heights; 6:30 p.m.—Kiowa County vs. Heritage; 7:30 p.m.—Heritage vs. Valley Heights; 8:30 a.m.—Kiowa County vs. Colgan, 8:30 p.m.

3A
At White Auditorium, Emporia
FRIDAY POOL 1—8:30 a.m.—Cheney (34-5) vs. Beloit (34-5); 9:30 a.m.—Thomas More Prep (38-2) vs. Wellsville (29-11); 10:30 a.m.—Cheney vs. Wellsville; 11:30 a.m.—TMP vs. Beloit; 12:30 p.m.—Beloit vs. Wellsville; 1:30 p.m.—TMP vs. Cheney
FRIDAY POOL 2—8:30 a.m..—Hesston (37-3) vs. Erie (33-6); 9:30 a.m.—Nemaha Central (40-3) vs. Silver Lake (32-6); 10:30 a.m.—Hesston vs. Silver Lake; 11:30 a.m.—Nemaha Central vs. Erie; 12:30 p.m.—Erie vs. Silver Lake; 1:30 p.m.—Nemaha Central vs. Hesston

4A-DIV. 2
FRIDAY’S POOL 1
At Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY POOL 1—3:30 p.m..—Holcomb (29-9) vs. Topeka Hayden (27-14); 4:30 p.m.—Wichita Trinity Academy (31-6) vs. Baldwin (9-29); 5:30 p.m.—Holcomb vs. Baldwin; 6:30 p.m.—Trinity vs. Hayden; 7:30 p.m.—Hayden vs. Baldwin; 8:30 p.m.—Trinity vs. Holcomb
FRIDAY POOL 2—3:30 p.m.—Burlington (31-8) vs. Holton (23-17); 4:30 p.m.—Nickerson (33-7) vs. Frontenac (21-19); 5:30 p.m.—Burlington vs. Frontenac; 6:30 p.m.—Nickerson vs. Holton; 7:30 p.m.—Holton vs. Frontenac; 8:30 p.m.; Nickerson vs. Burlingame

4A-DIV. 1
At Tony’s Pizza Events Center, Salina
FRIDAY POOL 1—8:30 a.m.—Louisburg (30-9) vs. Basehor-Linwood (24-14); 9:30 a.m.—Rose Hill (36-3) vs. SM Miege (10-26); 10:30 a.m.—Louisburg vs. SM Miege; 11:30 a.m.—Rose Hill vs. Basehor; 12:30 p.m.—Basehor vs. SM Miege; 1:30 p.m.—Rose Hill vs. Louisburg
FRIDAY POOL 2—8:30 a.m..—Ulysses (29-8) vs. Wellington (19-16); 9:30 a.m.—Independence (35-4) vs. El Dorado (20-19); 10:30 a.m.—Ulysses vs. El Dorado; 11:30 a.m.—Independence vs. Wellington; 12:30 p.m.—Wellington vs. El Dorado; 1:30 p.m.—Independence vs. Ulysses

5A
At Topeka Expocentre
FRIDAY POOL 1—8:30 a.m.—Lansing (33-6) vs. Andover (29-11); 9:30 a.m.—Goddard (36-5) vs. Leavenworth (14-24); 10:30 a.m.—Lansing vs. Leavenworth; 11:30 a.m.—Goddard vs. Andover; 12:30 p.m.—Andover vs. Leavenworth; 1:30 p.m.—Goddard vs. Lansing
FRIDAY POOL 2—8:30 a.m.—St. James Academy (34-6) vs. Wichita Carroll (29-12); 9:30 a.m.—Newton (36-6) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (25-13); 10:30 a.m.—St. James vs. Aquinas; 11:30 a.m.—Newton vs. Carroll; 12:30 p.m.—Carroll vs. Aquinas; 1:30 p.m.—Newton vs. St. James

6A
At Topeka Expocentre
FRIDAY POOL 1—3:30 p.m.—BV North (29-8) vs. Manhattan (31-9); 4:30 p.m.—Olathe Northwest (35-4) vs. Hutchinson (16-24); 5:30 p.m.—BV North vs. Hutchinson; 6:30 p.m.—Olathe Northwest vs. Manhattan; 7:30 p.m.—Manhattan vs. Hutchinson; 8:30 p.m.—Olathe Northwest vs. BV North
FRIDAY POOL 2—3:30 p.m.—BV West (33-5) vs. Garden City (27-8); 4:30 p.m.—Washburn Rural (35-5) vs. Lawrence (26-11); 5:30 p.m.—BV West vs. Lawrence; 6:30 p.m.—Washburn Rural vs. Garden City; 7:30 p.m.—Garden City vs. Lawrence; 8:30 p.m.—Washburn Rural vs. BV West