Fall Sports • Game Report
Lady Bulldogs Win Three at Tourney
October 3, 2026
by Judy Rogers
The Golden Plains Lady Bulldogs volleyball team competed in the Decatur Community Tournament in Oberlin on October 3. The Bulldogs won three of their five matches to place fifth.
Their first match of pool play was against the Brewster Bulldogs. The Golden Plains’ girls took control early in the first set winning easily 25-2 with steady serves by Katie Carter, Kaylee Kier, and Kadalen Unrein. The Brewster girls fought back in the second set taking the lead in the early part of the game. The Bulldogs pulled ahead with a string of serves from Ellie Romero. The Brewster girls stayed strong but Golden Plains won the set and the match 25-22.
The second game of pool play was against the Hoxie Lady Indians. The Indians captured an early lead and held their momentum for the win 25-9. The Bulldogs gave it their all in the second set and led 8-2 to start off. The Indians worked their way back into the set and pulled ahead for the win 25-19.
The Bulldogs faced the Dundy County Tigers out of Beckelman, Nebraska, for the third set. The Tigers quickly took control of the first set with a series of powerful kills. The Bulldogs worked hard but fell to the Tigers 8-25. The Bulldogs came back in the second set staying within a few points of the Tigers and tying it up at 20. Both teams covered the net well, but the Tigers’ killer slams gave them the win 23-25.
The Bulldogs advanced to bracket play to face the St. Francis Lady Indians. The teams played three close, exciting sets with the Bulldogs claiming the first set win 25-22. The Indians kept the second set tied up throughout pulling ahead at the end for the 25-23 win. In the third and final set, the Bulldogs pulled ahead to a 12-4 lead. The Indians worked their way back in to tie the game up at 14. The Bulldogs again gained a lead only the have the Indians match them at 22. With Brenlynn Rath behind the serve line, the Bulldogs held on for the win 25-23.
The final match of the day was against the Rawlins County Lady Buffaloes for fifth place. The girls played two more intense sets. They stayed neck and neck in the first set, and the game was tied at 21. Lakin Wark served four in a row to give the Bulldogs the 25-21 win. The second set was another close game with the girls tying it up several times. The Bulldogs finally pulled ahead to a 19-9 lead. The Buffaloes fought back to close the gap, but the Bulldogs claimed the match 25-20 to win out on the consolation side of the bracket placing them fifth in the tournament.
“We definitely fought to the finish,” said junior Lakin Wark. “We had to have grit to finish strong and win.” “It was a fun tournament,” added Brenlynn Rath. “It took us a while to settle down. Everyone was nervous, but we stuck together well.”
The girls finished the tournament with 30 ACE serves including Katie Carter 9, Lakin Wark 6, Kaylee Kier 5, Kadalen Unrein 3, Ellie Romero 3, Brenlynn Rath 2, Makynslee Vargas 1, and Molly Ritter 1. They had 70 Kills from Wark 24, Rath 22, Jade Dible 15, Unrein 12, Estella Vargas 4, and Carter 2.
Seventy-two assists were given by Unrein 28, Wark 22, E. Vargas 12, Carter 9, and Rath 1. Wark and Dible each had 2 solo blocks and Unrein 1. The girls dug up 192 digs from Rath 34, Unrein 31, E. Vargas 28, Wark 25, Romero 23, Carter 21, Dible 16, Kaylee Kier 12, and Emma Ier 2.
The Dogs hold a 15-10 record for the season. They will play in Winona on October 6 before traveling to Goodland for the WKLL league tournament on October 10. “The season is going fast,” added Wark. “We’re trying to make sure we have a good record for seeding for regionals and sub-state.”