Tigers second seed in Sub-State

Fort Scott High School will be the No. 2 seed in its own Class 4A-Division I Sub-State Volleyball Tournament, which will be held at the FSHS gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

Louisburg (34-2), ranked No. 5 in Class 4A-Division I by the Kansas Volleyball Association, will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament. They will face fourth-seeded Ottawa (17-20), the only team in the Sub-State with a losing record, in the first match of the day at 2 p.m.

The Tigers (22-14) are the No. 2 seed and will face Paola (23-15) at 3 p.m. The winners will face off in the championship match at 4 p.m. The Sub-State champion advances to the Class 4A-Division I State Tournament at Salina Nov. 1 and 2.

There are only four teams in each Sub-State as a result of the split of Class 4A into two divisions. With just 32 teams in each division and eight Sub-States, the field in each is cut in half. Tiger fans who remember when the school was in Class 5A might remember that this is the way Sub-State Tournaments worked in the higher classification.

Fort Scott has faced Louisburg and Paola twice each this season but lost each meeting, although both matches with Paola went to three sets. Fort Scott did not play Ottawa this season.

Chanute (36-1), ranked No. 4 in 4A-I by the KVA, is also hosting a Sub-State Tournament. They will face fourth seeded Coffeyville (2-25) in the first match of the day. Then second-seeded Independence (22-8) will take on Labette County (17-19) in the second semifinal.

Pittsburg will be playing in a Class 5A Sub-State at Kansas City-Turner. The Purple Dragons (18-17) are the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 6 Kansas City-Schlagle (10-23) at 3 p.m. in the second match of the Sub-State. The first match has No. 2 seed St. Thomas Aquinas (31-7) taking on No. 7 Turner (7-29). The winners will meet at 4 p.m. for the right to advance to State (Class 5A has a pool system where eight schools in a region are split into two Sub-States at the same site).

Parsons, the only Southeast Kansas League school in Class 4A-Division II, will be the No. 4 seed at a Sub-State at Anderson County. The Vikings (8-22) will take on top-seeded Burlington (34-2) at 2 p.m. That will be followed by a match between second-seeded Anderson County (16-18) and Iola (14-20). The winners meet at 4 p.m. Class 4A-Division II State will also be at Salina.

Results and statistics are in from Fort Scott's matches at the Anderson County Tournament last Saturday. The Tigers' first match was against Labette County, which they won, 25-18, 25-12. Ericah Shoemaker and Ashley Cook each had 6 kills while Brianne Lawrence had 5. Cook also handed out 12 assists, picked up 11 digs and served 5 aces. Shoemaker was also credited with 11 digs.

Fort Scott next swept Prairie View, 25-10, 25-7. Shoemaker had 5 kills and 9 digs for the Tigers. Cook had 18 assists and 6 kills. Maddi Allen served 4 aces. Jillian Lattimer was credited with 6 blocks. And Shoemaker also had 9 digs.

The third match was against Burlington, which is ranked second in 4A-II by the KVA. Burlington won 25-19, 25-19. Lawrence had 7 kills, Cook 13 assists and 10 digs, Elisha Hasenplaugh 6 blocks, Allen 12 digs and Shoemaker 11 digs.

The Tigers lost to Wellsville, ranked No 10 in Class 3A, in the semifinals, 25-17, 15-25, 25-15. Lawrence had 7 kills, Cook picked up 18 assists and 15 digs, and Shoemaker came up with 9 digs.

Fort Scott faced Anderson County in the third-place match, 28-26, 27-25. Lawrence had 7 kills, Cook picked up 6 kills, 13 digs and 24 assists, Katie Gorman had 16 digs and Shoemaker led with 22 digs.