photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State hitter Anniston Clark goes for a kill in Free State's win over Olathe South in a volleyball tournament at Olathe South in Olathe on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

Olathe — Free State volleyball went 2-3 in a tournament against Blue Valley North, Blue Valley Northwest, Lee’s Summit, Mill Valley and Olathe South.

Free State coach Jayme Savage said that tournaments are for the team working through issues, and that duals are for solidifying lineups. In Saturday’s tournament, Savage said she saw “glimpses of greatness,” and that the team is “further ahead than where I thought they’d be.”

“Anytime you have a round-robin and it’s back-to-back-to-back, a little bit of rest, then back-to-back is a lot of volleyball,” Savage said. “We have to finish games. We kind of just ran out of gas.”

Overall, the Firebirds played 14 sets on Saturday. This gave the team an opportunity to learn and fix things while finding areas to continue to grow.

Free State started with Blue Valley Northwest and lost in three sets. After winning the first set 25-21, the Firebirds lost 25-17 in the second set and 26-24 in the third set.

The Firebirds followed up the loss with a big, three-set win over Mill Valley. They won 25-18 in the first set and lost 25-12 in the second set. The Firebirds finished strong with a close 25-23 win in the third set.

Free State got its second win in the next match against Olathe South. For the third-straight game, the Firebirds started with a win in the first set, beating the Falcons 25-19. The Falcons dominated the middle set, winning 25-6, but the Firebirds responded and won 25-21 in the final set.

Free State ended the day with two losses, first to Blue Valley North in two sets (25-20, 25-22) and finally to Lee’s Summit in three sets. The Firebirds won the first set against the Tigers 25-15 but lost 25-20 and 25-15 in the second and third sets, respectively.

After the tournament, Savage said the team needs more consistency. The Firebirds started strong in every match and won four of their five opening sets. Inconsistent play later in matches led to the opposing teams being able to win the second set or the following two sets.

“We really have to work on serving and passing and limiting unforced errors, especially in chaos,” Savage said. “When we do those things, then we’re tough to beat. We just have to find ways to do those things more consistently.”

The Firebirds are entering the meat of their schedule, with conference duals on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the middle of October. Nine of their next 10 competitions are duals, with only an October tournament in De Soto remaining on the schedule. Overall, Savage said she’s liked what she’s seen from her team and that the Firebirds are improving each game.

“Every time we step on the floor, it’s a learning experience, and we learn a little more about each other,” Savage said. “We’re learning our strengths and our weaknesses, and we’ve just got to tighten up those areas and ensure we are continuing on an upward trend going forward.”

Free State hosts Shawnee Mission North on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., with a road game against Shawnee Mission East scheduled on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State celebrates after a point against Olathe South in a volleyball tournament at Olathe South in Olathe on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State libero Ava Corbin sets the ball to a teammate in a win over Olathe South in a volleyball tournament at Olathe South in Olathe on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State middle Tessa Nover-Estes sets the ball in a win over Mill Valley in a volleyball tournament at Olathe South in Olathe on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.