After a 1-1 start to Wahoo's tournament, the Blair High School volleyball team was set to play for third place against Ord on Saturday.
“We need to have high communication and we all just need to play with love,” sophomore Madeline Chikos said. “Love for each other and love for the game.”
The Bears ended things with a result their supporters had to love — a win. Coach Jess Lansman's squad topped the Chanticleers with back-to-back 25-18 sets, improving to 7-3 overall this season.
Senior Taylor Mostek led the way for BHS, finishing with 11 kills and five ace serves. She had 30 kills across six sets Saturday.
Libero Olivia Wolff, meanwhile, led the Bears with 10 digs against Ord. Hailey Roewert had 16 assists, too.
Coach Lansman's squad claimed its spot in the third-place match with a 2-0 sweep of Crete earlier in the day. The Bears won the first set comfortably, 25-15, before pulling out the 25-22 second for their second win against the Cardinals in three days.
“My teammates are amazing,” Chikos said after notching the first set point and match point during the victory. “They're so encouraging and I couldn't do it without them.”
Mostek attacks resulted in the Bears' 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th points of the first before her sophomore teammate won the ball at the net to give their team a 1-0 advantage.
Then, during the second, Emma Ammon, Nicki Wendt and Mostek notched kills down the stretch before Chikos again produced the match-winner.
“It's just fun when you get to end the set like that,” she said.
Mostek had eight kills during Blair's Wahoo tourney opener against Class C1 No. 10 Omaha Concordia as well, but the Bears fell short. They lost the first and second sets by identical 25-18 scores — the same totals as their Ord match, but in reverse.
The loss to the Mustangs was BHS' only defeat of the 3-1 week.
Bears win at home
Before the trip to Wahoo, the Blair Bears made their 2024 home debut Thursday and won.
Playing on its new floor for the first time, Coach Lansman's squad beat Crete 25-20, 22-25, 25-22 and 25-21. It closed out the match when Wolff's serve went unreturned at the very end of the fourth set.
Mostek led the Bears in victory with 11 kills, while Wendt had 10. Chikos and Ammon notched five apiece, too.
While Wolff — who also totaled a team-best 18 digs — had two ace serves, Wendt had a team-best five against the Cardinals. Ammon and Roewert had three each as well.
Roewert, BHS' setter, also had 23 assists.
BHS VOLLEYBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
Blair 2, Ord 0
BHS (7-3) 25 25 — 2
ORD 18 18 — 0
Blair 2, Crete 0
BHS (6-3) 25 25 — 2
CHS 15 22 — 0
No. 10 Omaha Concordia 2, Blair 0
BHS (5-3) 18 18 — 0
OC 25 25 — 2
Thursday
Blair 3, Crete 1
CHS (1-2) 20 25 22 21 — 1
BHS (5-2) 25 22 25 25 — 3
