Why this metro volleyball team is the one to beat in 2A after scorching start

Before the Owls’ match against Cheney, a state runner-up last year, they honored a former Garden Plain team with a banner.

The 2008 Owls won the Class 3A state championship. It was the school’s second title, finishing the season at 40-4. To commemorate the team, the current Garden Plain team huddled and held the banner that celebrated their state championship.

So far this season — 10 years later — the Owls looks like they have potential to do it again.

The Owls entered Thursday’s triangular against Cheney and Rose Hill at 9-0. Many media outlets ranked them No. 1 in Class 2A, even above last year’s champion, Olathe-Heritage Christian.

That streak ended with a straight-set loss to Rose Hill. The Rockets are coming off back-to-back 4A titles and look poised to compete for a third.

Coach Gina Clark said if there was a team to lose to in the Wichita area, she was glad it was Rose Hill. But this Garden Plain team has potential, she said.

“We have this motto, ‘Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn,’” Clark said. “You never start a season expecting to go undefeated, but their level of commitment is outstanding.”

The Owls have talented hitters across the court. It starts with junior Natasha Dooley. She has 81 kills in 23 sets this season and has Garden Plain at 10-1 with wins over Sedgwick and Cheney twice. Dooley has range and power few other players in 2A can match.

But she isn’t alone.

Juniors Claire Clark and Abby Gordon have a combined 104 kills and 44 blocks. They work in complement to Dooley. Senior Kara Heimerman is the Owls’ top server with 17 aces. And junior Kennedy Horacek leads the way with 187 digs.

“We just work really well as a team together, and we have really good players at every spot,” Clark said. “Everybody knows their role and does it well.”

But Garden Plain is out to prove it even belongs in the 2018 state picture.

The Owls failed to make the Class 3A tournament last season, falling victim to a brutal sub-state tournament that included Belle Plaine, Kingman and Cheney.

They topped Belle Plaine in the opening round and even got past No. 1 Kingman, a team that entered sub-state at 32-1. But they ran out of gas and lost to Cheney in the sub-state final.

The Cardinals didn’t lose a set again until the state semifinals and eventually fell to Hays-TMP in the final.

“Volleyball wouldn’t be fun without the competition, so I wouldn’t want sub-state any other way,” Dooley said. “If you win that sub-state, you really earn it. You don’t just get it handed to you on a platter.”

This season, Garden Plain has history on its sideline.

The Owls won the 2015 state title as well, led by senior Kenzie Thimesch, who had 320 kills and 39 blocks. Thimesch is back as an assistant coach.

She said like her 2015 season, this year’s bunch is well-rounded.

“But most importantly, they’re all very close,” she said. “You can just tell in practice and at games how close they are. They have a lot of aspects that mimic what we had, so I’m excited to see what they can do.”

This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 4:32 PM.