Platte County perseveres to push past Grain Valley in key conference matchup

Even at the lowest points of an offnight, Platte County kept digging and found a way.

Grain Valley won the second and third sets in potentially frustrating fashion then led for much of the fourth in a Suburban Conference White Division matchup Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse. However, Platte County came all the way back for a 25-22, 19-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 victory behind 16 kills from senior Kendall Johnson and six blocks from senior middle blocker Cierra Poldberg. The Pirates improved to 2-0 in league play and took the first meeting between last year’s top two in the final standings.

More importantly, Platte County avoided a letdown ahead of a tough tournament stocked with strong Kansas teams over the weekend.

After dropping the opening set, Grain Valley seemed to take control of the match over the next two. The Eagles used a long service run midway through the third set to turn a 14-13 deficit into a 21-14 on the way to taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

Platte County led 5-2 early in the fourth set but stumbled again and appeared out of answers fell behind early in the fourth and appeared out of answers. The Pirates called timeout down 18-14 and just seven points from losing the match. However, Poldberg immediately scored a point and created a sideout with one of her nine kills that started a quick exchange of points and then a match-changing run.

Trailing 20-16, Platte County took over serve and then grabbed momentum on a long rally with a kill from Johnson on the left. After a timeout and suddenly within two, the Pirates put the pressure on and didn’t let up. A pair of Grain Valley errors tied the score and led to a second timeout. The Eagles would lead once more at 22-20 to force a final response.

Platte County closed on a 5-1 run, starting with a well-placed and well-timed dink from Johnson on the left for a kill. Pirates sophomore Carissa Bacon added her only service ace — one of nine total for the team. They closed out Grain Valley on the second set point after the Eagles committed an attack error.

Using a diverse attack throughout the match, Platte County never trailed in the fifth and deciding set, played to 15. The Pirates were up 2-0 after a kill from junior Karlee Riggs, who totaled eight, and opened with three unanswered. Their lead eventually hit 8-4 and 12-7 before holding on from there.

Grain Valley came up with a 3-0 run late to stave off three set points before the Eagles’ final serve out of a timeout went into the net to end the match.

Platte County senior Tatianna Murray played a big part in the comeback with 12 kills, while seniors Avery Walter, Jenna Wheeler and Ava Filger all contributed two aces apiece. In addition to Poldgerg at the net, Jenna Wheeler led the Pirates with 22 digs, while Walter added 10 and Filger and senior setter Ava Filger nine apiece.

Ava Wheeler supplied 27 assists, while Bacon continued to receive increased looks at setter and finished with 13.

Lansing Invitational

Platte County ended up going 2-3 in Saturday’s tournament play with losses to the champion, third-place finisher and fifth-place team at Lansing High School in Lansing, Kansas.

In pool play, Platte County lost in straight sets to champion Olathe West and third-place finisher Topeka Seaman. However, the Pirates came back to defeat both DeSoto and Basehor-Linwood to finish third in the Black Pool. That led to a matchup with Red Pool third-place finisher Blue Valley Southwest, which prevailed 25-13, 25-18 in the finale.

Platte County and Smithville, which went 0-4, were the only Missouri Schools in the 10-team field.

In one of Olathe West’s toughest test of the day, Platte County managed just 19 kills and two service aces in a 25-19, 25-20 losses. Pirates sophomore ended up with a hand in all three of the Pirates’ blocks, while Jenna Wheeler had a team-high seven digs, and Filger added six.

Murray totaled seven kills and Johnson and Riggs added five apiece in Seaman’s 25-23, 25-23 victory. Jenna Wheeler collected 10 of Platte County’s 32 digs, while Ava Wheeler spread out 17 assists.

In a 25-23, 25-21 win over DeSoto, Murray again led Platte County’s attack with eight kills, while the Pirates totaled five aces. Johnson added five kills, and a team-high nine digs. The Pirates were dominant in a 25-13, 25-18 victory over Basehor-Linwood included nine more kills and Johnson five, while Filger led the defense with seven digs.

Ava Wheeler ended up with 17 assists.

In the fifth-place match, Platte County matched up with Blue Valley Southwest — one of three teams in the red pool to go 3-1 but losing out on the tiebreaker. The Pirates again leaned on Murray, who had nine kills in a 25-13, 25-18. Johnson added five kills, and Filger totaled seven digs.

Now at 8-5 overall on the season, Platte County returns to action Tuesday at William Chrisman before hosting Belton on Thursday. The Pirates will look to complete the first passthrough of White Division opponents at 4-0.