The Bishop Miege Stags are Kansas Class 4A volleyball state champions again.
The upshot: Bishop Miege beat previously unbeaten Andale over the weekend to bring home the program’s 27th state volleyball title.
- Miege took on Andale at the Hutchinson Sports Arena on Saturday, Oct. 29, sweeping the championship match in two sets, 25-22 and 32-30, according to the Bishop Miege volleyball webpage.
- The win marked the first state championship under the leadership of head coach Lindsay Zych Franco, a Bishop Miege alum who previously coached Lansing in Class 5A last season and played college volleyball at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
What they’re saying: Zych Franco told the Post via email that leadership from captains Ali Olson and Ava Martin led the team to winning the championship.
- The players began working toward this goal back in June with summer conditioning and skill work, Zych Franco said.
- Despite a brand new coaching staff, each player bought into the regimen, Zych Franco said.
- A 2012 alumna herself, Zych Franco said success is a tradition for Bishop Miege volleyball.
Key quote: “Winning state titles does not put pressure on athletes and programs, in fact it helps them face pressure and prepare for their adult life,” Zych Franco said. “The precedent at Bishop Miege volleyball is not just to make it to state, or make it to day two of state, it is to win state.”
Bigger picture: Bishop Miege’s volleyball program is one of the most successful in the area, with 27 total state titles dating back to the first in 1977.
- That trophy began a remarkable string of nine state titles over the next decade.
- The Stags also won four consecutive state titles twice, from 1991-1994 and again from 2008-2011.
What’s next for Bishop Miege volleyball
Now that the Stags are the champions once again, Zych Franco said, Bishop Miege volley is headed back to work.
- Zych Franco said the program is already preparing for a competitive Eastern Kansas League next season.
