Broncos and Trojans to Face Off in RPAC Championship Match Wednesday
On Monday, October 19th, the RPAC Volleyball Tournament resumed. #1 in the West, Wauneta-Palisade, hosted the West matches, and #1 in the East, Arapahoe, hosted the East matches. Let's dive into tonight's results.
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West: Wauneta-Palisade
In the first consolation match, #5 Maxwell faced #6 Sutherland. Sutherland took control in the first set and won 25-15. The second set was more competitive, and Maxwell fought until the end. The Sailors took set two 26-24, and the match 2-0.
In the next consolation match, #2 Dundy County Stratton faced #4 Paxton. DCS dominated set one, winning 25-10. Paxton made some adjustments and battled but came up short in the second set, 25-20. DCS won the match 2-0.
In the West Finals, #1 Wauneta-Palisade faced #3 Maywood-Hayes Center. The match showcased high-level volleyball from both teams. Wauneta-Palisade won 3-0, with set scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-23.
Head Coach for Wauneta-Palisade, Dakota West, said this after the match, "We always talk about pushing one point at a time, and no set is ever over until someone reaches 25 points. I’ve said all year this team just doesn’t give up, and I think tonight really proved that!"
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East: Arapahoe
In the first consolation match, #4 Southwest faced #7 Medicine Valley. In set one, it was the Roughriders who controlled the set and won 25-15. In set two, the Raiders played aggressively, and the set became much more competitive. Southwest held off a Medicine Valley surge to win the set 26-24 and the match, 2-0.
In the next consolation match, #3 Hi-Line faced #5, Alma. It was a competitive match that went back and forth, but the Bulls prevailed, winning 2-0 with set scores of 25-21 and 25-18.
In the East Finals, #1 Arapahoe battled #2 Cambridge. The Trojans took control early from the service line, forcing the Warriors to be out of system. Cambridge took set one 25-14. Arapahoe adjusted in the second set and forced the Trojans to adjust throughout. They fought until the end but fell short, 26-24, and Cambridge took a 2-0 lead. In set three, Arapahoe adjusted a little more and came out attacking, forcing Cambridge to be out of system. That pressure helped them steal the third set 25-19 and make the match 2-1. Set four was back-and-forth and very competitive. Cambridge came away with the set win 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Head Coach for Cambridge, Lauren Carpenter, said this after the match, "Our energy was high from the get go. Our serving pressure pushed them out of system, which resulted in a lot of free balls, which then allowed us to transition into our offense and execute quickly. That pressure really allowed our defense and attackers to play confidently and aggressively. I thought our serve receive was great; we were able to relax and pass, which allowed us to put our setters in a position to run our offense effectively. Defensively, we did a great job reading the ball and making plays, which again allowed our setters to get into position and deliver great sets to our attackers."
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Previewing Wednesday's Consolation and Championship Matches
Maywood-Hayes Center is familiar with the final day of the tournament, as this will be their 7th appearance this season. They have 3 RPAC Championships (2020, 2021, and 2022), two Runner-ups (2019 and 2024), and one 3rd Place (2017).
Arapahoe made school history with its first appearance on the RPAC Tournament Championship Day. No matter how they finish, they will leave a mark on the volleyball program.
Arapahoe (19-5) and Maywood-Hayes Center (20-7) will get a rematch from earlier this season. The Wolves hosted Arapahoe for a triangular back on September 8th and swept the Warriors, 2-0.
Both teams have grown since the third week of the volleyball season, and both are playing great volleyball right now. This will be a fun rematch to watch unfold. They will play at 5:30 PM CT on Wednesday, October 21st at the Graff Events Center on the MCC Campus in McCook.
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Wauneta-Palisade (23-4) is returning to the Championship Day of the RPAC Tournament since 2021, and this will be their 5th appearance. They were Champions in 2014 and have finished 4th three times (2019, 2020, and 2021). Coach West said, "I’m really excited for our girls! We have set small goals all year long, and they have worked hard and fought to accomplish those goals. It’s been 12 years since we’ve made a RPAC title match, and I’m really excited to see what Wednesday brings!"
Cambridge (21-6) is looking to defend their RPAC Championship Title. They are making their 9th RPAC Tournament Championship Day appearance. They have been RPAC Champions (2007 and 2025, Runner-up (2021), 3rd Place (2016, 2022, 2023, and 2024), and finished 4th (2015). Coach Carpenter said, "Our entire team is excited - this is such a big deal for us and has been a goal since the get-go...We were there last year; we need to keep our composure and play with confidence. I’m excited to see our upperclassmen lead the way and bring the rest of the team along for the ride."
These two teams haven't met yet this year, but we know we can expect high-level volleyball in this match. They will face off at 7:00 PM CT on Wednesday, October 21st, at the Graff Events Center on the MCC Campus in McCook.
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