Jeff Hajny

    On Oct. 29, the Centennial volleyball team headed to Crete to compete in subdistricts. In the opening round, they beat Wilber-Clatonia three games to none.
    CHS 3, Wilber-Clatonia 0
     In the opening round, the Broncos beat Wilber Clatonia 3-0 with scores of 25-17, 25-15 and 25-17.
     Beth Erks led the Broncos with 8 kills and 19 digs.
     Melanie Erks had four ace serves and 12 set assists.
     Brooke Pfeifer finished with two ace blocks.
     "We knew that if we played our game and stuck to fundamental volleyball, it would work out for us," Coach Craig Songster said.
     This past week saw the Centennial volleyball team travel to Sandy Creek for the Southern Nebraska Conference Tournament on Oct. 22 and 23 and to subdistricts in Crete. Their record moved to 25-4.
    Centennial 2, Superior 0
     The opening round saw the Broncos defeat Superior two games to none with scores of 27-25 and 25-18.
     The Broncos were led by Mackenzie Sullivan, who finished the game with eight kills, 17 digs and one ace serve.
     Beth Erks finished with eight kills and two ace blocks.
     Melanie Erks had 13 set assists and one ace serve.
     Autumn Dinkelman added 13 set assists for the Broncos.
     "We came out a little flat in the first set and weren't quite ready for an improved Superior team," Songster said. "But the girls picked up their level of play in the second set and forced Superior into some errors by serving aggressively."
    Centennial 2, Heartland 1
     The semifinals saw the Broncos beat Heartland two games to one.
     Heartland won the first game 25-22. Centennial answered back by winning the next two sets with scores of 25-15 and 25-23.
     Melanie Erks finished with 23 set assists and three ace serves for Centennial.
     Sullivan had 19 kills and 13 digs.
     Brooke Pfeifer finished the game with one ace block.
     "This was a great win for the girls," Songster said. "Heartland had beaten us in the finals the past two years so the girls were looking for a little revenge. We knew we had to keep two of Heartland's hitters in check and the girls did a really nice job of following our game plan and making adjustments as the game went on. It's always good to beat a team of Heartland's quality."
    Thayer Central 2, CHS 1
     In the finals, the Broncos fell to undefeated Thayer Central two games to one.
     Thayer Central won the first set 25-22. The Broncos answered back in the second, winning 30-28. Thayer Central won the third set 25-20.
     Sullivan led the way for the Broncos with 19 kills and one ace serve.
     Dinkelman had 24 set assists.
     Beth Erks ended up with 19 digs and Brooke Pfeifer had two ace blocks for the Broncos.
     "Even though the scoreboard didn't show a win, I was very happy with the way we played," Songster said. "Thayer Central is undefeated for a reason. They are a very disciplined and fundamental ball club. The girls never said die. We had two game points after tying the game at 24, but just couldn't close it out. If we can play at that level this week, I'm looking forward to our chances this week during subdistricts and districts."
    Centennial 3, Fairbury 2
    On Oct. 30, the Broncos defeated Fairbury three games to two. Fairbury won the first two games with scores of 25-19 and 25-18. Centennial came back, winning the next three with scores of 26-24, 25-22 and 15-13.
    Upcoming action
    On Friday, Nov. 2, the Broncos will travel to Lincoln Southeast to face Bishop Neumann in the district finals. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.