Advance girls volleyball preparing for Class 1 State Semifinals

ADVANCE, Mo. (KFVS) - For the fourth time in five years the Advance girls volleyball team will compete in the Class 1 State Semifinals.

The Hornets took down Clarkton 3-1 in the Quarterfinals after beating St. Vincent 3-0 in Sectionals.

“It was just one of the most fun games I’ve played,” said junior defensive specialist Meg Garner. “Stressful being so close the whole time, but when we got the ball back and got a run it was like OK we got this.”

Focusing on their team mentality has been the key for Advance’s run through the tournament.

“I push team time and time and time again,” said head coach Erin Hoffman. “With this group, once they caught on to the fact that it’s about the group and not themselves, that’s when we really started to take off and play well.”

The Hornets players say being a close-knit group their entire lives has been a major factor.

“We’ve all grown together, especially our junior class,” junior outside hitter Kaylee Cline said. “It’s made us to where we can go back to where we wanted to be.”

Even with the program’s success in recent years, there was no shortage of doubt about how far this Advance team could go.

“We’re not really nervous because nobody thought we really could make it there,” junior middle hitter Lexi Hoffman said. “It’ll just be even better if we do do good.”

“Nobody thought we’d be (in the Semifinals), including myself,” Erin Hoffman said. “I always say I love it when my players prove me wrong because they definitely did that this year.”

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