Southwest captures Volleyfest championship

The Washburn Southwest volleyball team responded to its first loss of the season in splendid fashion.

The Trojans, who fell from the unbeaten ranks last Thursday night at Diamond, recovered to capture their 30th annual Volleyfest on Saturday.

Southwest rallied to beat Pea Ridge (Ark.) 17-25, 25-14, 25-21 for the championship of the 12-team event.

Southwest coach Steve Yoyak, who’s assisted by Tamara McNabb, indicated on Monday that taking the crown wasn’t easy.

“We (Southwest and Pea Ridge) were very, very even,” Yoyak said. “We just happened to get the last few points.”

Voyak said that Southwest needed to rally from an 18-16 deficit to catch up at 20 before pulling away in Set 3.

Voyak expected that kind of competitive match after opening the season on Sept. 9 against the visiting Blackhawks.

“We won in four sets (scheduled best-of-5),” Voyak said. “But the scores in the four sets were close.”

Tournament MVP Shannon Mitchell, a 6-foot junior, and all-tourney selection Montana Hendrix, a 5-8 senior, didn’t disappoint in the final, Voyak said.

Mitchell supplied 16 kills, 14 digs and five blocks. Fellow middle hitter Hendrix contributed 15 digs, eight kills and three serving aces.

Sophomore setter Jaime Shrum had four aces among 16-for-16 serving, 10 assists and 10 digs. Kayna McNabb, a junior, added 10 assists, nine digs and two aces among 9-for-9 serving.

Completing the Southwest starters, Voyak said, are seniors Britney Mitchell and Lauren Mitchell.

Class 2 Southwest took an overall record of 9-1-1 to Blue Eye on Monday night. The Trojans, Voyak said, visit Verona tonight in the Ozark 7 Conference with the junior varsity match set for 6.

“That’s a crucial match,” Voyak said. “We split with Verona (25-13, 11-25) in our Black Pool match on Saturday.”

Forsyth defeated Verona 25-20, 24-26, 25-17 for fifth place at Southwest.

Voyak is in his 11th season at Southwest and the 2005 and 2006 editions won Volleyfest.

Voyak was in media for 12 years (writing sports for nine and in radio for three) before turning to teaching and coaching. He’s a graduate of Pittsburgh North Catholic High School and has degrees from Marquette and Arkansas.

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