By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline volleyball team will kick off Sub-State play on Saturday when they travel to Halstead to take on the Council Grove Braves.
SES put together a solid finish to their 2021 regular season, winning five of their last six regular-season matches to wrap things up at 15-15.
“I think the biggest plus for us came in the way we finished strong,” Trojan head coach Ashley Gilpin said. “There were a couple of matches that we’d like to have back but for the most part we ended strong and we’re continuing to build our program here.”
Southeast will have a tall task in the opening round, entering sub-state as the six-seed and matching up against a Council Grove team that comes in at 27-6.
“It does feel like a tough draw but we’ve taken a look at Council Grove and I’m 100% confident that if we play well we can get after them,” Gilpin said. “We have a tough schedule and those games have prepared us for a match like this.”
The Trojans will once again rely on a deep rotation of players led by senior Karsyn Schlesener and freshman Macy Bunch.
After graduating a laundry list of seniors a year ago, this year’s squad is finally coming together after a long regular season.
“We’re peaking here at the end of the year because we’re finally starting to gel,” she said. “We had a couple of seniors, a couple of juniors, a couple of sophomores, and a few freshmen and when you throw all of those ladies together it takes time to get to know one another.”
The Braves are led by middle blocker Lily Zeigler, who plays all six spots on the rotation, and has had a massive impact as one of the better hitters this season for Council Grove.
Zeigler gets a boost from senior setter Paisli Butler who runs the offense and contributes points in critical moments as well.
For Southeast, this battle will be as much a mental battle as it is a physical one, but with the team playing their best volleyball lately, confidence is no longer in short supply.
“We have to be mentally prepared and we have to believe that we can pull this win out,” Gilpin said. “If they buy in and we show up mechanically I believe we can make this a two-setter.”
The Trojans and Braves will begin their match around 3pm on Saturday, with the winner advancing to face the victor between Wichita Trinity and Halstead.
For continued coverage of the Trojan volleyball team throughout the postseason stay tuned to the Salina Post.