Manhattan High volleyball gave its seniors a night to remember.
In front of a packed home crowd Thursday, the Indians capped their regular season with a 2-0 sweep of Salina South and a three-set statement win over 5A power Maize South, climbing to 25-8 heading into sub-state week.
The matchup against Maize South (33-4) was billed as one of the toughest tests of the season — and it lived up to the hype. The Mavericks entered as one of the state’s top programs, trailing only 35-1 Bishop Carroll in the 5A standings. They had previously swept Washburn Rural, which accounts for half of Manhattan’s losses this season.
Still, the Indians rose to the moment. After falling behind early in Set 1, Manhattan rallied to tie it late before dropping a narrow 25-20 decision. The second set followed a similar script — a 5-0 hole quickly erased by six straight points — and Manhattan pulled away late to win 25-21.
Feeding off a roaring home crowd, the Indians exploded in the decisive third, racing to a 12-5 lead and never looking back in a 25-17 clincher.
Head coach Nicole Jones said her team’s confidence and serving were key to breaking down the Mavericks’ size and rhythm.
“You look at their roster — they have a couple girls that are 6-foot-4,” Jones said. “But we’ve got heart, and we’re going to play really hard. We had a strategy going in — swing big, cover big — and they did. The biggest thing that helped us win was our serving. We just served aggressive, got them out of system. They couldn’t keep up.”
The win set the tone for the rest of the night. Against Salina South (20-16), Manhattan again trailed 5-0 in the opening set but stormed back for a 25-20 victory before closing it out 25-16.
The Indians finished the evening undefeated at home on senior night, honoring Talia Tindall, Janie Hilgers, and Kelbey Larchick, along with longtime managers Landyn Duncan and Dayson Santana.
Jones said the seniors’ impact goes far beyond the stat sheet.
“We have our two boy managers who’ve been with us for four years and just love volleyball,” she said. “And then my three girls — Janie, Kelbey and Talia — I’ve known them since they were 12. They really love to celebrate each other, and I just can’t even put into words how much they mean to our program and what they bring as leaders.”
For Hilgers, senior night felt like a celebration of everything the team has built.
“We’re having so much fun,” Hilgers said. “Practices are getting increasingly harder, just building up for sub-state and state. We’re really focusing on being with each other, and that’s helping us play better together.”
Now heading into the postseason, Hilgers said the team’s mindset mirrors their experiences from the last two years’ sub-state championships.
“It’s coming in knowing we need to win and still work super hard,” she said. “Don’t treat anyone as an underdog — everyone deserves that respect. Last year, we were the underdog, but we won by 12 points in the second set. Getting back to state a third time in a row would be great.”
Junior Bailey Busch echoed that sentiment and credited the seniors for fueling the team’s chemistry and drive.
“They mean so much. We really wouldn’t be here without them,” Busch said. “Their energy and how much they love the game of volleyball has really gotten us through the season.”
Busch added that the group’s confidence heading into sub-state is high.
“We have a lot of confidence, and mainly we just want to have fun,” she said. “We want to get to state again, but we’re taking it one step at a time, and we’re excited to compete.”
Jones said Thursday’s home crowd, which packed the MHS gym, showed just how much support the program has earned.
“So fun,” she said. “We love it. Football’s senior night is tomorrow, so it was fun that they all came tonight to support us. Having all our friends and family there — it was a good night all around.”
With sub-state assignments announced Monday, Manhattan currently sits in position to host as the No. 4 overall team in the 6A West standings.
“Hopefully we can host — I’ve been doing all the math,” Jones said with a smile. “We just have to play well, play hard, and not be afraid, no matter who we’re matched up against. They can beat anybody.”