The Superior Express -

It was a roller coaster ride of a state Class C-2 volleyball tournament for the Superior High School team.

The Wildcats entered the tournament as the number four seed. They opened tournament play Thursday at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln against the Amherst Broncos, the number five seeded team. The two evenly matched teams slugged it out over five sets with Superior emerging as the match winner, 25-21, 21-25,25-16,11-25 and 15-7. Superior's reward for the win was to advance to the Friday semi-finals and a match with the number one seeded Oakland-Craig Knights, making their first state tournament visit in 29 years. The teams squared off at the Pinnacle Bank Arena with the Oakland-Craig team showing why they were the number one seed. Though Superior tried to figure out the Knights game plan, it was too late when did. Oakland-Craig handed Superior a four set, 13-25, 19-25, 25-22 and 23-25 loss.

The defeat relegated Superior to the Lincoln Northeast High School gym for Saturday's consolation round match with the number two seed Wisner-Pilger Gators. The Gators put a three-set chomping, 17-25, 15-25 and 23-25, to leave the Wildcats with the fourth place plaque for the 2021 state volleyball tournament.

Shayla Meyer posted an astonishing 36 kills against Amherst as she dominated the net for Superior. Madison Heusinkvelt nailed nine kills. Cailyn Barry and Teegan Duncan tallied six kills apiece. Ella Gardner added three kills. Atlee Kobza had a kill. Gardner and Heusinkvelt each scored with an ace. Meyer had three blocked shots. Gardner lobbed up 25 digs. Duncan, Koibza and Meyer provided 22 digs apiece. Sadie Rempel contributed seven digs. Barry added four digs.

Madison Heusinkvelt (22) returns the ball for Superior during their opening round state volleyball Class C-2 tournament match against Amherst at Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena Thursday.

Meyer was the top Wildcat killer against Oakland-Craig with 21. Barry accounted for six kills. Duncan came through with five kills. Heusinkvelt added four kills. Gardner notched two kills. Duncan. Gardner and Heusinkvelt each threaded an ace through for a score. Meyer accounted for 16 digs. Gardner landed 12 digs for the match. Kobza and Rempel contributed 10 digs each. Barry and Heusinkvelt had a dig apiece.

Meyer led the Wildcat killers against Wisner-Pilger with 19. Duncan put up five kills. Barry added four kills. Kobza listed two kills. Gardner and Brooklynn Grabast had a kill each. Duncan scored with two aces while Kobza scored an ace. Barry produced three blocked shots. Duncan and Gardner each made a block. Kobza collected 10 digs. Meyer came through with nine digs. Duncan recorded eight digs. Gardner and Rempel were credited with seven digs each. Sadie Cornell contributed three digs. Heusinkvlt had a dig.

Superior concluded the season with a 24-10 record under first-year coach Randall Loch.

For Barry, Meyer and Morgan Payton, the state tournament marked the end of their Wildcat volleyball careers. They participated in the state tournament for four consecutive years. Their leadership will be missed.