OHS Journalism
by Ava Baxter
Postseason play has started across the state for high school volleyball. Saturday, October 19th, the Onaga Buffaloes traveled to Blue Valley to play in the TVL tournament. The first match, they played the Washington Tigers and were unfortunately defeated. Senior Annie Force said, “It was a tough loss but they played well and we know what to improve next time.” Then, they played against Blue Valley and Frankfort and won both games.
Regionals were held on Tuesday, October 22nd. The Buffaloes traveled to Clifton-Clyde, where they met up with the Wakefield Bombers and Clifton-Clyde Eagles. First, the ladies had to encounter the Bombers. They came out on top after taking them to three sets; 23-25, 25-22, and 25-15. With the regional title on the line, the Lady Buffs had to face the Eagles next. Senior Jaeden Abitz said “The games were very intense! We used that intensity and pressure to motivate us throughout sets.” After a very exciting first set that ended with the Buffaloes winning 32-30, Onaga swept the match, beating the Eagles 25-20 in the last set. The crowd and the bench provided a great deal of support throughout the night. “When our crowd is pumped, we’re pumped! We were smart and played together as a team while not letting little mistakes affect the way we played. It was very fun!” said Sophomore Willow Hochstedler.
Winning regionals qualified Onaga to play in the sub-state tournament held in Centralia on Saturday October 26. Mr. Sixbury had confidence in the team’s ability to come out victorious. He said “The number one thing they need to do is believe they can.” The first match was against Rural Vista Heat. The Lady Buffaloes took both sets easily, 25-12 and 25-15. This win placed Onaga in the substate championship against Centralia. The first set against the Panthers was rough as the Buffaloes just could not get in a rhythm and lost the set 9-25. The ladies rallied in the second set, but despite a late-game rally, the Buffaloes fell to the Panthers 18-25, ending their 2024 season. “I’m very proud of this team and this season! After winning our regionals and the level of play these girls were showing, I knew we could do great things. Although sub-state didn’t end in our favor, I am extremely proud of how these girls finished their season: never giving up and leaving it all on the court.” said Head Coach Jordan Boswell. The Lady Buffaloes are happy with their success throughout the season, but are inevitably hungry for more.