(Editor’s note: Inclement weather has forced school officials to postpone the Marmaton Valley-Central Christian volleyball match to Wednesday.)
MORAN — Terra Kegler carries mixed feelings about the format for the 2020 state volleyball tournament.
In years past, all of the state qualifiers would compete at one location, first in a round robin tournament, with the top four earning spots in the medal rounds.
This year’s format, enacted because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, shifts the quarterfinals to individual school sites.
So while Marmaton Valley’s coach admits the enthusiasm of qualifying for state is dampened slightly because the Wildcats are still playing at home tonight, there’s an obvious benefit: “We’re still playing at home.”
Marmaton Valley is competing at the state tournament for the first time since 1979.
The Wildcats (20-11) will host Hutchinson’s Central Christian (18-8) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the MVHS gymnasium in a best-of-five format. All spectators must wear masks and submit to a temperature check before entering.
The winner will advance to Emporia’s White Auditorium on Saturday, guaranteed a top-four finish in Class 1A-II, with a shot at a state championship. The four teams will play each other throughout the morning, with the team with the best record slotted against the fourth-best in one semifinal, and second and third place squads facing off in the other.
The championship and third -place matches will begin at 4:15 p.m.
