Lady Bluebirds Win Home Tournament!
2024 Bluebird Invitational Champions
Goessel Girls Volleyball – @ Goessel – September 14, 2024
Goessel’s Bluebirds had a perfect day, sweeping every match played to take their first Bluebird
Invitational Championship since 2017. Pool play began at 8:30 am with the Blue downing Central
Christian 25-14, 25-14, then taking down South Haven 25-10, 25-13. In the “main event” matchup of the
tournament, Goessel took on Sedgwick and battled to a huge 25-20, 25-22 win. As pool winners, the
Bluebirds next took on 2 nd place Pool B winner Southeast High School and defeated the Golden
Buffaloes 25-10, 25-15 to move to the championship with a rematch against Sedgwick. This writer has
seen very few volleyball matches played as well as set one of the championship match, with each team
executing at a very high level. Goessel earned 22 of its 25 points and the Cardinals earned 13 of their 20
points. Goessel came away with the hard earned win 25-21, 25-17. Moundridge finished in 3 rd place.
Central Christian
This year’s theme is “Iron Sharpens Iron -Stronger Together” and Goessel is led by four incredible
Seniors. Abbigail Funk, Aimee Funk, Logan Bryant, and Brooklyn Wuest appear poised to lead this team
to great success this season. Against the Cougars, Wuest found paydirt from every angle possible and
even some impossible. Setter Aimee Funk will set Bluebird records this year for assists with precise
and effervescent setting to hitters, Wuest, Bryant, Freshman Delaney Duerksen, and Sophomore Isabelle
Alderfer. Highlights included a 7-0 serving run from Duerksen, back row swats from Wuest, and six
serving aces in the 2 nd set. Goessel earned 19 in the first set and 16 in the 2 nd while making very few
errors and holding the Cougars at bay, finishing 25-14 and 25-14 to start the day.
South Haven
Goessel jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 1 st and 6-0 in the 2 nd . Frescoes from Duerksen, Alderfer, Bryant
and Wuest kept the home fans cheering. The Blue were never behind in the either set and finished the
first with a 7-0 run with Abbigail at the line. The Bluebirds toasted four aces in the first and two in the
2 nd set. This match saw Wuest pound several so hard the new Bluebird at center court was seen to
visibly pout. The Bluebird cheering section pom poms exploded in a cascade of blue and silver confetti
at one point when a particularly potent shot caromed into the bleachers on the east side and was last
seen being held with a very big smile by Cade Claassen. Goessel committed 6 errors in the first set and
9 in the 2 nd to allow the Cardinals to close in to 25-10 and 25-13.
Sedgwick
Sedgwick began the year (Kansas Volleyball Association Rankings Week 1) at #3 in 2A. With veteran
twin coach Karen Stucky leading the Cardinals it is always a great matchup in the Bluebird house with
Goessel Head Coach Crysta Guhr. Players and fans alike can close their eyes and have no idea which
team the respective coach is talking to. Today’s pool matchup was an incredible contest, with back and
forth throughout. The first set started with six ties and three lead changes before the Bluebirds were
able to find a niche and maintain a spread of 3-4 points for the rest of the set. There were three points
on the board before any volleys occurred. With the Funks serving Goessel went on a 5-2 run to go to 12-
8, got a huge block on outstanding Junior hitter Kalyn Sampson, and notched several near perfect
finishes off touches on the left and middle. Up 15-13, the Blue smothered the Cardinals with a cross-
court shot from Bryant, an outstanding left side roll from Duerksen, another #17 shot that nearly made
it all the way to the mystery Buick on the middle of the GHS football field, and a BOOM from #13 that
left a flaming trail all the way to Osborne, KS. Goessel’s defensive efforts from everyone will be key for
this team to fulfill all their wishes this year. Excellent defensive digs and passing were in evidence from
the Funks, Wuest, Duerksen, and Junior Hailey Rosfeld today. Each team experienced some jitters with
only 14 earned points both ways in the first set.
In the 2 nd set, Sedgwick came to play going up 9-17, finding openings in the Bluebird defense and block.
Coach Guhr attributed their success to a lineup/rotation change and took a timeout to adjust. Before
the timeout, the Cardinals had earned 12 of their 17 points. With the changes made to adapt to the
Cardinal rotation, Goessel held the Cardinals to just 5 points and went on a head spinning 16-5 run to
absolutely send the gathered Blue faithful into a cheering frenzy. Especially scintillating was a run
begun by a Wuest middle shot, followed by two kills left side to go to 17-20. Timeout Sedgwick. With
Abbigail Funk serving, Goessel went to 19-20, then Funk put a sensational set into Wuest’s wheelhouse
and she crushed it so hard the Junior High concession stand’s electricity was momentarily knocked out.
Goessel had come back to knot the set at 21-21 and after a joust at the net knotted again 22-22 on an
excellent Wuest middle drop. Duerksen finished a lovely arc just in left side deep to go up 23-23 and
Wuest flummoxed two unplayable serves in deep to close out the 2 nd set 25-22. This would be first win
against the Cardinals since the Bluebirds played in 2A in 2017.
Goessel went 3-0 in pool play, sweeping all three matches in two sets.
Southeast
In a slow start against the 6A Golden Buffaloes, Goessel had two ties and two lead changes before
romping to a 25-10 win. The Bluebirds played solidly earning 19 while only making 4 errors. Duerksen
and Wuest led the way in this one with 11 put-aways/kills/tips. Bryant added one right side finish. In
the 2 nd set the Buffaloes jumped out 0-3 before Alderfer found paydirt left side and the Bluebirds rolled
on finishes from Alderfer and Wuest and a sensational Wuest/Alderfer block. Southeast kept it tight
10-9 and Coach Guhr called time. Back in rhythm, Bryant swatted one so hard it brought her mom and
her mom’s sister out of gymnastics retirement for a few celebratory flips and vaults. Duerksen
pummeled a retrieve into the far opposite corner for a winner. Goessel closed this one out 25-15 on
flourishes from Wuest, Alderfer, and Bryant off a particularly marvelous back set from Funk. Freshman
Claire Claassen surprised herself with one of the best blocks of the day to go to 24-15 and Bryant
notched the win with a great middle finish. Goessel would proceed to the championship to face the
winner of the Sedgwick – Moundridge (#8 2A - Week 1 KVA rankings) game in the JH gym.
Championship – Sedgwick Cardinals
Fans would be hard pressed to see a better match played than this one. The first set saw 9 ties but only
two lead changes. Salvos from each side of the net left fans’ jaws strewn on the newly varnished
hardwood. Duerksen led off for Goessel with three stunning kills, then Wuest had two slam dunks, and
Duerksen and Bryant blasted left and middle with such ferocity counselor Janna D. was called for anger
management. Fans continuously implored the Bluebirds for “side out.” At 12-12, Duerksen put a kill
down the middle right side and shortly afterward a Cardinal player was literally knocked to the floor
with a jab so pungent the reverb fluttered every banner on the north wall. Goessel put a spectacular
run together to tie at 16-16 and with Aimee Funk serving put together a knockout punch going to 21-16.
The crowd roared in approval with a particularly soft never-touched marshmallow drop service. Trading
salvos to close, the teams went to 24-21 before Wuest hit from the back row middle to close 25-21.
This writer has hardly ever seen a team earn 22 points in a set, evidence that both teams were playing at
an extraordinary level. Sophomore Jenna Flaming serves for the Bluebirds in rotation and had success
today. Also on the Bluebird roster is Sophomore Jayley Schmidt. Goessel only made 8 errors including
4 service errors.
Despite two ties, Goessel was never behind in the 2 nd set. Wuest found the range left side then went up
on the right and poked one seemingly straight down from a perch that seemed Simone Biles’ 12 foot
high. Precision guided drone strikes from Bryant and Duerksen took it to 10-6, then Alderfer showed
amazing hang time against the block and floated a finish over the top 11-8. Alderfer got a roller ace,
then the teams put together a multi-faceted rally that lasted nearly 40 seconds but won by the
Cardinals. Wuest pounded one cross court and the ball was last seen heading “over the rainbow” of
the brand new scoreboards (Thank you to the Citizens State Bank and to the Bradbury Company). Bryant
scrubbed one right side, Duerksen jammed one down on the left and the defense put together great
hustle digging and getting the Sedgwick hitters’ best efforts. Finishes from Wuest and Duerksen
highlighted a very satisfying match as Goessel closed this one out 25-17.
This would be the first Bluebird Invitational championship for Goessel since 2017. Congratulations
Ladies! Goessel is coached by Crysta Guhr with assistance from Olivia Duerksen. Statistician is
Adrianna Duerksen.
-Karl Brubaker
