By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
SALINA -- A fourth-place state finish isn't necessarily bad. In fact, there are a lot of schools across the state that would love to finish that high.
But after finishing fourth in back-to-back Class 5A state tournaments, Seaman volleyball coach Tatiana Dowling isn't a fan.
Seaman sophomore Maegan Mills (left) is congratulated by her teammates during Saturday's Class 5A state volleyball tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I'm so sick of fourth place,'' Dowling said after the Vikings' 25-16, 25-18 loss to Hutchinson in Saturday's state event at the Tony's Pizza Events Center. "That's what we said in (the locker room). It was a goal to get here. We talk about that every year, how we want to get back to state, how we want to make it an expectation that we go to state every year and now our expectation needs to change and our mindset needs to change.
"We shouldn't just be happy to be here, we should want more and be hungry for more.''
Seaman, which went 32-11 on the season, went 2-1 in Friday's pool play to earn a semifinal berth against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Seaman pushed the Saints, who went on to capture the state title, to three sets, but after splitting the first two sets Aquinas routed the Vikings in the deciding third set, 25-9.
Seaman junior Taylin Stallbaumer (1) sets the ball during Saturday's Class 5A state volleyball tournament. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Vikings then came up short in the third-place match, with Seaman falling behind the Salthawks in both sets and unable to catch up.
Dowling said there were too many ups and downs to get the job again some of the state's premier teams.
"I think it's been a roller-coaster all year,'' Dowling said. "It's difficult to beat great teams when we're not sure which side of our team is going to show up and I think that's what happened. I think that we come out flat and if come out flat you can't beat great teams.''
Seaman only loses seniors Laynee Brown and Lindsey Smith off this year's team, but Dowling said that in the offseason the Vikings need to concentrate on what they need to do to get better next season.
"Our mentality needs to shift,'' Dowling said. "We need to have people step up, look at what we need to get better at and decide that we're going to do it and not wait for somebody else to make the play. I feel like there's two much waiting.''
Aquinas and St. James Academy, which beat Seaman in Friday's pool play, went to three sets in the championship match, with the Saints taking a 25-22, 22-25, 25-23 victory to finish 40-3 on the season.
MATCH RESULTS
Semifinals -- St. Thomas Aquinas def. Seaman, 25-15, 19-25. 25-9; St. James Academy def. Hutchinson, 24-26, 25-23, 25-19 .
Championship -- St. Thomas Aquinas def. St. James Academy, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23.
Third -- Hutchinson def. Seaman, 25-16, 25-18.
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