Platte County reclaimed the Suburban Conference White Division title in style with a 25-17, 25-20, 25-22 sweep of Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse. This finished an unbeaten 12-0 run with the majority coming during the current 10-match winning streak.
Platte County junior Collins Cole (11) and senior Emma Brinkman (16) go up for a block against Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Now, starts a daunting task for Platte County to earn the second district title in program history when playing in the state’s largest classification.
Platte County claimed the first White Division title since 2023 in the in over Belton behind another incredibly balanced offensive showing. The combination of seniors Kate Brunner and Emma Brinkman and juniors Miah Omoike, Charlotte Schlake and Collins Cole all totaled at least four kills.
Brunner posted a team-high eight with Omoike next at six followed with Brinkman and Schlake at five each and Cole’s four. Cole continued to play a bigger role with sophomore standout Kylie Hill missing a third straight match since suffering a concussion in a recent win over Grain Valley.
Platte County junior setter Ella Cruce even added three kills while also finishing with 24 assists. Belton trailed the majority of all three sets, and Brinkman accounted four half of Platte County’s eight service aces.
The key ended up a strong defense for Platte County with Schlake recording five block assists, while Omoike had two plus one solo. Platte County junior libero Mikah Buntz finished with a team-high 16 digs.
Platte County junior setter Ella Cruce hits a serve against Belton on Thursday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County won both matchups this season with Belton (20-9) after having lost the previous four in the series of conference matchups in 2024 and 2025.
Now comes a second straight try in the Class 5 District 8 tournament. Despite an early-season loss to Liberty North, Platte County earned the No. 2 seed and opens play Wednesday against No. 7 North Kansas City. The two teams have played twice this season but both were only two sets long.
The first resulted in a draw in pool play of the Winnetonka Invitational, while Platte County swept a best-of-three matchup in a rare triangular on October 5. The winner advances to Monday’s semifinals with the championship set for Tuesday, October 27.
The match with North Kansas City will be at Pirate Fieldhouse with the next two rounds both at Liberty North High School in Liberty.
Platte County already secured the ninth season in the past 10 years with at least 20 wins with the lone exception 2025’s campaign that ended with a Class 5 District 8 first round loss to Liberty North. The Pirates have reached the Class 4 playoffs five times in program history, including once in 2014 before the state expanded to five classifications starting with the 2020 season.
Platte County 3, Benton 1
The Pirates’ final nonconference matchup of the regular season resulted in a stern test from a strong Class 4 team Tuesday in St. Joseph.
Pushed to at least four sets for the first time since losing to Class 5 District 8 No. 1 seed Park Hill in five back on September 21, Platte County came back to hold on for a 25-21, 25-16, 17-25, 25-18 victory. The Pirates committed an uncharacteristic 36 total errors — half in attack, 10 in service and eight in serve-receive.
Brunner posted a career-high 17 kills — her third straight match in double figures in a streak that ended two nights later against Belton — while Omoike added 12, Brinkman eight, Cole six, Schlake five and Cruce four.
Cruce dished out 39 assists and posted a team-high 15 digs as one of four Platte County players to finish in double figures. Omoike posted 14, Cole 13 and Buntz 11 while junior Phoebe Pennington just missed with eight.
