EMPORIA, Kan. – The top-seeded Thomas More Prep-Marian Monarchs volleyball team saw their season come to an end at the 3A state tournament at White Auditorium Friday. The Monarchs (39-4) went 1-2 in pool play and failed to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. After a sweep of Humboldt (25-19, 25-17) in their first match, TMP-M lost to Hesston (24-26, 20-25) then Silver Lake (19-25, 15-25).

All four of the Monarchs losses were at the hands of state tournament teams. Abilene who was the top seed in 4A Division I and Central Plains who was the No. 2 seed in Class 2A in addition to the two teams at the Class 3A tournament.

La Crosse also went 1-2 in pool play and didn’t advance past pool play at the 1A Division I tournament at Gross Coliseum in Hays. The Leopards (33-7) dropped their first match to Hanover (19-25, 21-25), beat Pretty Prairie (25-20, 31-29) then lost to top-seeded Centralia (25-13, 25-20) after the Panthers had lost their first match of the season earlier in the night to Hanover.

Dighton was also 1-2 with losses to Goessel (25-12, 12-25, 15-25) and South Barber (21-25, 20-25) and a win over Lebo (25-17, 25-14).

Wheatland-Grinnell and Otis-Bison both advanced in Class 1A Division II. The top-seeded Thunderhawks (37-6) went 3-0 in pool play defeating Ingalls (25-21, 25-19), Otis-Bison (26-24, 25-21) and Fowler (25-8, 25-12). The Cougars (27-13) finished pool play 2-1. They defeated Fowler (25-19, 25-23), lost to Wheatland-Grinnell then defeated Ingalls (25-12, 25-14).

Wheatland-Grinnell will play No. 2 seed Waverly (28-9) and the fifth-seeded Cougars play No. 7 seed Axtell (25-15) in Saturday’s semifinals at 10 am. The third-place and championship matches follow at 11:30 am.