The Nemaha Central eighth grade volleyball team participated in the Big East League Tournament on Saturday, October 12, 2024, in Hiawatha. There were a dozen teams competing for the league title and the NC team came into the tournament seeded seventh. They were hoping to make it to the tournament bracket.
The tournament consisted of four pools, each containing three teams. Only the top team in each pool would move on to the tournament. NC was in a pool with St. Marys, the number 10 seed, and Rossville, the number 2 seed.
For the first pool play match, NC played against St. Marys. In the first set, NC started well with a win with a score of 25-16. The second set was a little rough, Nemaha Central lost in a close set, 19-25. The NC team worked together in the final set to get the victory, 15-6.
Next, Nemaha Central played Rossville. The first set was tough, and Rossville won 5-25. The Thunder team did a little better in the second set, but still lost 11-25. With this loss, NC did not advance past pool play. The final results were: Jefferson West claiming the Big East League title, Rossville placing second, and Silver Lake in third place.
Coach Nikki Honeyman stated, “I was so proud of this eighth grade group. I pushed and challenged them, and every day they came back ready for more. They made a lot of progress this year and I’m excited to watch them in high school.”
Overall, Nemaha Central’s eighth grade team had a great season against tough competition but definitely improved. They ended the season with an overall record of 7-10.
Article by: Anna Jost and Eveyln Ba Coc
Click this link to see more photos from the tournament: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0SSfKxTtmpEyuVSxKhUHo82MKNrtz2AW488GmFRJ272U6sZ8PEQhpfcXB73nxRVGtl&id=100064073251979&__cft__[0]=AZX9Fe5Y3z0H0kAr4O5U9tvE8eiB1JpidVt0Fy6DzDdxoIOO9V6X4L06p5qCOOIJ9SUmub64vaxvzaxu6d6_LxqTAag_Ym5CgFCqySfnVSoCFVIYTIgnAcfePRcHDw85_s8i4sSMeR9VfULe_G_VQCEi88xat3_9hStWG3OS9HTcmw&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R