💚🏐💛 HAWK PRIDE RUNS DEEP… AND LEGACIES LAST FOREVER! 💛🏐💚

Our Hawks may not have walked away with the win today, but they gave us EVERY reason to hold our heads high after this season!

After falling behind, these girls refused to back down. They dug deep, battled for every point, and fought! Even when the final score didn’t go our way, their grit, determination, and HEART always made us proud!

For the first time since 2010, the Hay Springs Hawks took the court at the NSAA State Volleyball Tournament. They showed everyone what HAWK PRIDE looks like!

To our players and coaches, THANK YOU! Thank you for the countless hours, sacrifices, unforgettable moments, and for giving our little school out west something BIG to celebrate!

💚💛 AND TO OUR SENIORS… 💛💚

Some players leave behind statistics. Others leave behind memories. But the special ones leave behind a LEGACY.

Thank you for the years of dedication, the leadership, the early mornings, the late nights, and the example you’ve set for every little Hawk who dreams of someday wearing that same jersey.

You helped bring Hay Springs volleyball back to STATE after 16 years! That’s not just an accomplishment. That’s a piece of HAWK HISTORY that will forever have your names attached to it!

To ALL of our Hawks, you reminded us that success isn’t always measured by the final score. Sometimes, it’s measured by how hard you fight, how you respond when you’re down, and how you stand together when the odds are against you.

You made history. You made memories. And you made an entire community PROUD!

Hold those heads high, ladies! You earned your place among Nebraska’s best, and nobody can take that away from you!

The season may be over, but the LEGACY lives on!

ONCE A HAWK, ALWAYS A HAWK!

💚🏐💛 THE HAWKS ARE HEADED TO STATE! 💛🏐💚

HISTORY IN THE MAKING. HAWK PRIDE IN FULL FORCE!

For the first time since 2010, the Hay Springs Lady Hawks are headed to the NSAA State Volleyball Tournament! 🎉

And this trip to State comes with a pretty special full-circle moment!

In 2010, our current assistant coach was on the court as a Lady Hawk competing at State. Now, 16 years later, she’s headed back to the State Tournament, this time coaching alongside her mom, Lisa Merritt, who also coached that 2010 State Tournament team!

From player to coach, from mother and daughter to coaching side by side, some Hawk traditions are simply too special not to celebrate!

And make no mistake… these girls aren’t traveling all the way from Western Nebraska just to say they made it to State! 🤠🏐

They’re headed east to MAKE SOME NOISE IN LINCOLN, turn some heads, and set the record straight on just who those HAY SPRINGS HAWKS are! 💚💛

We may come from a small town out west, but these girls are bringing BIG dreams, BIG determination, and a whole lot of HAWK PRIDE!

🏐 STATE VOLLEYBALL — FIRST ROUND

📅 Thursday, November 5, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM (Central Time)
📍 Pinnacle Bank Arena — Lincoln, Nebraska
🆚 Hay Springs Hawks vs. Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers

📣 ATTENTION HAWK FANS HEADING TO LINCOLN!
The Hawks will play on the SOUTH COURT at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Remember, the arena has a clear bag policy, and tickets must be purchased online.

LET’S FILL THOSE STANDS WITH GREEN AND GOLD! 💚💛

📺 CAN’T MAKE IT TO LINCOLN? WATCH FROM HOME!
Catch the Hawks in action on the NFHS Network(subscription required)!
🏐 NFHS Network — Live Streaming: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/nsaa

Find official brackets, schedules, ticket information, venue details, and tournament updates!
🏆 NSAA STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL: https://nsaahome.org/nsaa-volleyball-championships-central/

Whether you’re making the trip to Lincoln or cheering from home, let’s show these girls just how proud we are!

16 YEARS IN THE MAKING. ONE INCREDIBLE HAWK FAMILY.

CLASS D-2: Defending Champion Wynot, Top-Seed St. Mary’s Have Title Hopes

State-tournament mainstays St. Mary’s and Wynot will be joined by a heavy Western Nebraska flavor in the Class D-2 bracket. Three teams in this year’s field are from the Mountain Time Zone.

Defending state champion Wynot is making the program’s 14th trip to state, including its fourth straight appearance. The fourth-seeded Blue Devils (21-10), who open against Crawford/Sioux County (24-8) possess one of the most dominant players in the field in Calley Stewart (373 kills and 103 blocks).

Last season, the Blue Devils won their first state title in a five-set match over Cambridge and have turned the tide after starting the season 6-6. Since then, they have lost three matches to Class C-1 and C-2 teams and a fourth match in the Lewis and Clark final to Class D-1 qualifier Bloomfield (29-0).

After missing the tournament in 2024 and 2025, St. Mary’s (29-4) is back as the top seed and will take on Sandhills/Thedford (22-9) in the first round. The Cardinals — riding a 16-game winning streak — are seeking the school’s first state title since capturing back-to-back crowns in 2013 and 2014, while the Knights went on the road to Elba to earn their first trip to Lincoln since 2015.

On the other side of the bracket, Mullen (30-2) is the No. 2 seed and will meet Wilcox-Hildreth (21-11). The Broncos, which lost to Cambridge in the opening round last year, is the only team other than Wynot that returns to the D-2 field this year. Third-seeded Hay Springs (23-7), featuring the heavy hitting Devyn Young with 409 kills, faces off with Bancroft-Rosalie (20-12) in the other match.

Crawford/Sioux County is in the field for the first time as a co-op. Crawford last qualified in 2014, while Sioux County has never made it to Lincoln. Wilcox-Hildreth is also in for the first time as a consolidation. Hildreth last qualified in 2000 and Wilcox in 1996.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Callie Kai (Bancroft-Rosalie), 679 assists, 68 ace serves, 279 digs; Peyton Osmotherly (Crawford/Sioux County) 280 kills, 70 ace serves, 265 digs; Devyn Young (Hay Springs), 409 kills, 57 ace serves, 62 total blocks, 243 digs; Jenna Donohoe (Mullen), 321 kills, 69 total blocks, 233 digs; Pyper Ickes (St. Mary’s), 331 kills, 443 digs; Grace Johnston (Sandhills/Thedford), 668 assists, 54 ace serves; Camryn Bunger (Wilcox-Hildreth), 276 kills, 35 total blocks, 343 digs; Calley Stewart (Wynot), 373 kills, 54 ace serves, 103 total blocks, 313 digs..

FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS (THURSDAY). At Pinnacle Bank Arena (North Court) | St. Mary’s (29-4) vs. Sandhills/Thedford (22-9), 9 a.m.; Wynot (21-10) vs. Crawford/Sioux County (24-8), 11 a.m. At Pinnacle Bank Arena (South Court) | Mullen (30-2) vs. Wilcox-Hildreth (21-11), 9 a.m.; Hay Springs (23-7) vs. Bancroft-Rosalie (20-12), 11 a.m.

Below you will find a link to buy tickets, the schedule of the games, order state shirts, facility information, etc.  Please note, all venues DO have a clear bag policy!

https://nsaahome.org/nsaa-volleyball-championships-central/