WELLSVILLE — The Humboldt Lady Cubs got 2026 off to a strong start with a third-place finish at the Wellsville High School Volleyball Tournament Saturday.
The returning regional champion Lady Cubs bested 3A Baldwin for third after taking the first set 25-18, dropping the second 25-11 and regaining their form in the third to wrap up the tournament with a 25-14 victory.
“I was pleased with my girls and how they adapted,” Humboldt coach Terry Meadows said. “There were a lot of new girls out there in a new rotation for this year. For the first day of actual play, I was pleased with how well they stayed together.”
The win seemed a dramatic turnaround for the Lady Cubs who started the tournament with a 25-9, 25-18 loss to eventual tournament champion Wellsville. They rebounded with a sweep of Waverly, taking the first match 25-10 and narrowly defeating the Lady Bulldogs by 25-23 in set two.
The Iola Mustangs were the Lady Cubs final obstacle to break into the tournament semifinals. After taking the first set 25-19, Iola rallied from an early 8-2 deficit to take the second set 25-17. Humboldt won the rubber match 25-18 after an errant shot and a line violation ultimately decided the contest.
In the semifinals, the Lady Cubs suffered a 25-13, 25-15 loss to 1A regional champion Rossville, slating them for the third-place match against slating them for the third-place match against the Baldwin Lady Bulldogs, who were 2-1 with wins over Burlington and Prairie View.
“We have five seniors on the team with two new to varsity,” said Meadows. “But it’s a small school, and they’ve known each other all through high school. We get along well, and it’s good to see them playing well together.”
Kinsey Jelinek, Iola senior middle hitter, goes up for a block during the Mustangs’ season opener against Waverly.
Iola takes sixth
The Iola Mustangs had their hands full with Pioneer League runner-up Wellsville, Humboldt and Waverly in the same pool. They opened with a three-set victory over Waverly. The Mustangs took a bit to find their footing as they fell in the opening set 25-20 but rebounded to take their next two sets 25-21 and 25-18.
“Overall, I felt good and there are definitely some things we can improve on,” Iola coach Lauren Moots said. “One of the things about these early tournaments is it gives us a chance to see where we leave some balls on the floor and some errors we can control on the court. It’s reassuring. It wasn’t about what teams are doing on the other side; it’s things we can control.”
Their win over Waverly was Iola’s only victory of the day. After falling to Wellsville, the Mustangs also lost to Humboldt, which slated them for their first taste of the Pioneer League against Burlington, the 2025 league champion.
The Mustangs fell in a closely contested opener 25-21 and then took the Wildcats to the limit in the second, but ultimately fell 29-27. Despite her team exiting the tournament with a 1-3 record, Moots said she is proud of how they performed.
“It’s good for them to get some adversity early on,” Moots said. “We look good in practice, and we feel good, but when we face good teams, we need to play to their level. It’s good to see the competition and learn where we need to elevate our game.”
What’s next?
The Humboldt Lady Cubs will not have long to rest. They return to the hardwood Tuesday on the road against Three Rivers League champion Jayhawk-Linn at 5 p.m. Iola will return to action when they host a tournament Saturday, Sept. 12.
Saturday’s leaders
