Warriors bow out of state with 3-0 loss to Giltner

Despite another outstanding season the Leyton Warriors were eliminated from the Class D2 state volleyball tournament in straight sets by the Giltner Hornets on Thursday.

The second seeded Hornets topped the No. 7 Warriors at Grand Island Central Catholic by set scores of 25-15, 25-13 and 25-17. Undeterred by the travel distance between Dalton and Grand Island, a large group of supporters made the long journey to root on their hometown Warriors.

Giltner advances to play No. 6 Sterling on Friday after they upset third seeded Mead 3-1.

For the Warriors it was the third consecutive year they have advanced to the state tournament and the fifth time in the last six years. While Leyton has a solid group of younger players returning, they will have to go without five strong players in 2014.

The Warriors will graduate Kelsey Waite, Whitney Goeman, Kassandra Harris, Carly Rushman and Katy Ernest.

"Honestly I couldn't have asked for a better year," said Ernest. "I'm still very proud of what this team has done and I enjoyed every minute of it."

The Hornets put the pressure on Leyton right from the start as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. The Warriors finally broke the ice when Ernest set up Waite who dropped a clever tip shot over the net. But a service error by Leyton gave the ball right back to Giltner which advanced its lead to 8-2.

"This is my third time here so I wasn't really nervous when it began," said Harris. "I was anxious though. I was really keyed up and ready to go.

"I think some of the younger girls were pretty nervous though. My first year I was really nervous and my heart was pounding," concluded Harris.

The Warriors managed their first two-point run when Kelsey Waite passed to Ernest who set up Diedra Waite for the kill. Harris followed with a block ace to bring the set to 8-4.

The Hornets' Dani Most put an end to the mini run, however, with a sharp kill to open Warrior court.

Throughout the first set four points was the barrier Leyton was only once able to crash. Several times the Hornets seemed like they would start to pull away, but the Warriors reeled them back in. Only when Kaitlyn Berner's ace brought the score to 17-14 was Leyton able to get as close as three points. Giltner finished the set on an 8-1 run.

Set two again found the Warriors in a 4-0 hole. But with a 5-1 run Leyton was able to draw even at five. Kelsey Waite's block ace was surrounded by several Giltner errors to even the game.

Unfortunately, the tie at five was as close as the Warriors could get. Giltner broke the tie with a five-point run and a 10-5 lead. A Kelsey Waite block and an Ernest kill helped narrow the margin to 12-9, but it was short lived.

"We looked at film and studied (Giltner) but I don't think it showed how really good they are," Ernest said. "They were very strong in all areas, but we continued to battle them all the way."

After the Ernest kill, the Hornets all but put game two away with an 8-2 run. Giltner scored the final three points of the set for the 25-13 win.

The Warriors took their first leads of the match early in the third set. Harris set up Kelsey Waite for the 1-0 lead. Shaela Jenkins gave the Warriors their third lead with a solid kill for 4-3. A Giltner error followed the Jenkins shot to give Leyton the biggest lead it would have all morning at 5-3.

The set was soon tied at five and Giltner took the lead for good on the following point. The Hornets' Jaclyn Happold set up Kelbie Lyon for a 6-5 lead and they never again looked back.

Yet the Warrriors did not let Giltner get too far away. Berner drove home a kill from an Ernest set after a Jenkins dig. When a Giltner service error followed the Warriors snuck back to a 1-point deficit, at 8-7.

Slowly but surely though, the Hornets began to create some distance on the scoreboard. At game point the Warriors kept Giltner's victory party on hold with a three-point run highlighted by a Jenkins kill.

"I think we played about as well as we could," said Kelsey Waite. "The team unity was very strong and I'm very proud of our season."

Linescore

Leyton 15 13 17

Giltner 25 25 25