ShawneeDispatch.com

The St. James Academy volleyball team went to the Nike Challenge in Chicago hoping to represent Kansas volleyball well, and the Thunder accomplished that goal.

More than just win a few matches, they posted a 4-1 record and finished second overall among a field of nationally ranked programs.

“I’m very proud of them because there was a lot of pressure on them,” St. James coach Nancy Dorsey said. “There were a lot of people saying ‘why are they going to Chicago? Why not just play teams in Kansas City?’ A lot of people were questioning it and knew it was a prestigious national tournament, and if they’d gone and failed they felt like it would’ve been a poor representation of Kansas volleyball. They were going not just for themselves, but to defend the state of Kansas. The kids felt that. I didn’t put that on them. It was very interesting to me that they were mature enough to come to that conclusion that they were representing more than themselves or their school, but their state as well. I’m very proud of them for that.”

The Thunder won their pool play matches on Friday, defeating Wahlert (Iowa) High, 25-14, 25-18, and then disposing of Sandburg (Ill.) High, 25-21, 25-23. That allowed the Thunder to advance to Saturday's final eight.

In the quarterfinals on Saturday morning, St. James thrashed Downers Grove (Ill.) South, 24-13, 25-21. The Thunder then won a hard-fought battle with the host school, Mother McAuley, 21-25, 25-16, 25-23, in front of a large home crowd at the alma mater of Dorsey and her sister, St. James assistant coach Jennifer Bell.

In the finals the Thunder lost to Assumption High, the four-time defending Kentucky state champion, 25-14, 25-12.

For a full recap of the tournament, pick up Wednesday's issue of The Dispatch.