The Hay Springs volleyball team drew first blood against defending D2 state champion Falls City Saturday in the D2 District 6 finals by winning the first set, but the top-ranked Irish dominated the rest of the way for a 4 set victory
     The 14-25, 25-7, 25-15, 25-20 victory moves Sacred Heart to 25-8 on the season and into next week’s state tournament.
Hay Springs, which had won 10 in a row and 21 of its last 22, ends the season 25-6.
     Two Panhandle teams did qualify for state on Saturday. #5 Sidney made it in Class B with a sweep of Omaha Duchesne Academy and C2 #5 Bayard eked out a 5-set win over Freeman.Â
3 others lost in the district finals, all by sweeps – Scottsbluff by Seward in Class B and in D2 Oshkosh Garden County by Humphrey St Francis and Leyton by Overton