CPHS Volleyball: Gloria Mutiri signs with Kansas State University

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Charles Page High School senior standout Gloria Mutiri signed a letter of intent Wednesday morning to play collegiate volleyball for Kansas State University.

Mutiri was the leading-scorer for the Lady Sandites four years running, finishing her senior season with 524 kills, 79 blocks, 106 digs, 39 ages, and 15 assists. She averaged 4.9 kills per set this year and led her team to the Regional Finals, a 15-18 record, and the No. 12 ranking in Class 6A. The Lady Sandites went 65-76 during Mutiri's time with the program and she was recently named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State team. 

Kansas State is currently 9-15 overall and 2-9 in the Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats are in their seventeenth season under Head Coach Suzie Fritz, who has amassed a 317-186 record in her time leading the program. Last year the team went 21-10, tied for fourth in the Big 12, and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Their last conference title came in 2003. 

CPHS Volleyball: Final Season Statistics and Season Rewind

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Another year is in the history books for the Charles Page High School Sandite Volleyball team. The talented squad finished the season ranked twelfth in Class 6A with a 15-18 record in one of their toughest schedules in program history. After a 24-14 campaign in 2016, the Lady Sandites scheduled far tougher foes this season and despite the losing record, they were arguably one of the best teams in school history.

The Lady Sandites upset No. 5 Edmond Memorial 3-2 and swept No. 11 Owasso en route to a third-place finish at the tough Broken Arrow tournament. They swept 5A No. 7 Coweta, 5A No. 5 Victory Christian and their Highway 97 foes from Sapulpa before their season came to a close at No. 5 Stillwater in the Regional Championship finals. 

The season included thirteen sweeps and 52 set wins to 58 losses. Fourth-year Head Coach Janna Green's career record stands now at 123-113 (.521) overall and 65-76 (.460) in her time at Sand Springs. She took two of her three Owasso teams to the State Tournament but has yet to make the trip from Sand Springs.

Sixteen Lady Sandites saw action this season, and nine will graduate this spring. The varsity squad didn't contain a single junior. The six varsity sophomores will lead the team for the next two seasons.

The Sandites will graduate 76% of their scoring power, including team kill-leader and Kansas State University-commit Gloria Mutiri. She leaves a talented star to pick up where she left off in sophomore Devree Youngblood. Youngblood played only 47 sets this year due to injury but still managed 94 kills for the second-best performance on the team. Sophomore Madison Burris led the team with 595 assists and was the only player besides Mutiri to play every single set. 

Defensively the girls will lose 85% of their blocking and 77% of their digging power. Mutiri led the team in blocks with 79, while Madison Ward led in digs with 108 to Mutiri's 106. Ward saw the third-most action of the team with 106 sets played. Mutiri also led in aces with 39, while Makenzie Ward scored 28 and Madison Ward added 26. 

Sets Played

107 Burris
107 Mutiri
106 Madison Ward
102 Neely
102 Taylor
98 Makenzie Ward
95 Cypert
93 Campfield
78 Bradshaw
75 Wise
64 Johnson
47 Youngblood
38 Wyrick
25 Mong
18 Blaylock
2 Henry

Kills

524 Mutiri
94 Youngblood
63 Burris
72 Cypert
49 Bradshaw
49 Campfield
38 Neely
12 Johnson
11 Wyrick
6 Taylor
6 Madison Ward
4 Wise
1 Blaylock
1 Mong

Assists

595 Burris
99 Makenzie Ward
15 Mutiri
12 Bradshaw
11 Mong
8 Cypert
5 Johnson
3 Campfield
3 Neely
3 Taylor
3 Madison Ward
1 Youngblood

Blocks

79 Mutiri
27 Neely
11 Cypert
9 Burris
7 Bradshaw
7 Wyrick
4 Youngblood
3 Campfield
2 Johnson

Digs

108 Madison Ward
106 Mutiri
91 Taylor
60 Burris
33 Campfield
28 Makenzie Ward
12 Wise
6 Cypert
5 Mong
5 Youngblood
4 Bradshaw
3 Blaylock
2 Neely
1 Wyrick

Aces

39 Mutiri
28 Makenzie Ward
26 Madison Ward
24 Taylor
19 Campfield
14 Burris
13 Wise
9 Cypert
8 Youngblood
1 Blaylock
1 Neely
1 Wyrick

*Statistics do NOT include a 3-0 (25-12, 26-24, 25-18) win over the Stillwater Junior Varsity squad at the Stillwater Tournament due to equipment failure. 

Seniors

#4 Chelsea Neely
#6 Kylie Taylor
#8 Kallie Johnson
#14 Makenna Cypert
#17 Makenzie Ward
#18 Madison Ward
#21 Gloria Mutiri
#22 Kenzie Bradshaw
#28 Kendall Wise

Sophomores

#1 Cloe Campfield
#5 Madison Burris
#9 Devree Youngblood
#11 Vanessa Wyrick
#24 Raylynn Mong
#26 Cheyenne Henry

Freshmen

#15 Madison Blaylock

CPHS Volleyball: Sandites fall 3-0 to No. 5 Stillwater in Regional Championship

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SHS 3 CPHS 0
Set One: SHS 25-18
Set Two: SHS 25-22
Set Three: SHS 25-19

Kills: SHS 31, CPHS 22.
Blocks: SHS 4, CPHS 3.
Aces: SHS 7, CPHS 6.
Service Errors: SHS 8, CPHS 4.

Click here to view full photo gallery by Morgan Miller.

In the eleventh game of the season, the Sandites came back from an 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 against the No. 5 team in Class 6A. Unfortunately, that was a once-in-a-season type of comeback. The No. 12 ranked Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (16-17) saw their season come to an end with a valiant last stand at No. 5 Stillwater (26-7) in the Regional Championship finals. Kansas State-commit Gloria Mutiri led her team with 18 kills, Madison Burris had 18 assists, Madison Ward and Kylie Taylor had six digs apiece, and Makenzie Ward had three aces.

SEE RELATED: No. 12 Sandites sweep Ponca 3-0 in Regional Playoffs.

The Sandites kept up with their foes well throughout the beginning of set one, drawing first blood with a kill from Cloe Campfield. Sophomore standout McKenzie Vilade gave her team a 2-1 lead with an ace, Mutiri retaliated with back-to-back kills with assists from Burris, then Lauren Phillips and Neely Holt combined for a block. Mutiri scored a kill, Orianna Clements retaliated, Burris scored on a tip, Clements retaliated, then the Pioneers went on a six point run for an insurmountable 11-6 lead. The Sandites tried to rally with five-straight late in the game to make it 18-15, but the home team outpaced then from there to win 25-18.

The Sandites jumped out to big lead early in game two, winning five straight rallies with a pair of aces from Makenzie Ward to make it 7-2. They held their lead till the Pioneers won six straight to take the lead at 17-15. Mutiri scored a kill and a block for an 18-17 lead, the Pioneers briefly tied it again, then Mutiri scored two straight kills and Makenzie Ward served an ace to make it 21-18. Ward's next serve went OB and Vilade killed to make it 21-20, Mutiri notched another point, then the home team went on a five point run for the win.

Sand Springs got out to a quick lead in game three with a four-point run capped by an ace from Madison Blaylock. The Pioneers responded with a six point streak starring Lauren Phillips, who hit three aces, one kill, and one assist for a 9-7 lead. Sand Springs tied it up at 14-14 with an ace fromTaylor but never managed to take the lead. They cut it to 19-22 before the Pioneers went on a three point run for the win. 

Sand Springs Individual Statistics

Kills: Mutiri 18, Campfield 2, Burris 1, Cypert 1.
Assists: Burris 18, Mutiri 1, Blaylock 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 1, Cypert 1, Burris 1, Neely 1.
Digs: Madison Ward 6, Taylor 6, Makenzie Ward 4, Campfield 1, Burris 1, Mutiri 1. 
Aces: Makenzie Ward 3, Taylor 2, Mutiri 1.

Stillwater Individual Statistics

Kills: Kloos 7, Vilade 7, Clements 6, Holt 5, Riley 4, Phillips 2.
Assists: Phillips 12, Vilade 6.
Blocks: Phillips 2, Holt 2, Clements 1, Riley 1, Kloos 1.
Aces: Phillips 3, Vilade 3, Riley 1, Lynch 1.

CPHS Volleyball: No. 14 Sandites fall 3-0 to No. 9 Broken Arrow

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The No. 14 ranked Charles Page High School volleyball team (10-18) has hit a rough patch lately, going 2-4 at the Stillwater Tournament this past weekend and suffering a 3-0 sweep at No. 9 Broken Arrow (16-12) Tuesday evening.

BAHS 3 CPHS 0
Set One: 25-15 BAHS
Set Two: 25-10 BAHS
Set Three: 25-21 BAHS

Kills: BAHS 31, CPHS 14.
Blocks: BAHS 5, CPHS 3.
Aces: BAHS 7, CPHS 1.
Service Errors: BAHS 8, CPHS 6.

(CPHS Only)
Kills: Mutiri 9, Burris 2, Campfield 1, Neely 1, Cypert 1.
Assists: Burris 10.
Aces: Madison Ward 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 3.
Digs: Mutiri 3, Burris 2.

The Sandites fell in straight sets to No. 8 Union (19-10), No. 12 Westmoore (15-12) and No. 5 Stillwater (23-7). They lost 3-1 to No. 17 Southmoore (10-17) who they had previously defeated in straight sets at the Broken Arrow Tournament. On Saturday they prevailed 3-0 against Bartlesville (4-22) and the Stillwater Junior Varsity.

Tuesday was another tough match against Broken Arrow, and though the first two sets were blowouts, the Sandites finished on a high night with a close loss in game three. 

After Madison Ward served an ace to start off the night, the home team won the next eight rallies before turning the ball over on a service error. Kansas State University-commit Gloria Mutiri scored a block and a kill, and the Sandites battled back to a 9-7 deficit. The home team slowly began to creep further and further ahead, however, and wrapped things up at 25-15. 

The second set was even more of a blowout as the Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Sand Springs tried to hang tight early on with a kill from Makenna Cypert and a block from Mutiri to make it 8-5, but after turning the ball over on a service error, the Sandites lost seven straight rallies for a double-digit deficit. Eventually the home team prevailed 25-10.

The third set was far more competitive as the Sandites found their rhythm and hung tight with their foes throughout. The set tied nine times and the Sandites led for 23 rallies by as much as three points before the home team won four straight to flip the script from 20-18 to 22-20 in their favor. Mutiri cut it back to a one-point deficit but Broken Arrow won three straight to close out 25-21 and complete the sweep.

The Lady Sandites will travel to 5A No. 10 Claremore (15-12) on Thursday in their last match before the final rankings come out Monday. They will host No. 18 Muskogee (18-14) on Monday, Sapulpa (4-13) on Tuesday, and Ponca City (11-11) on Thursday. The Regional pairings will be released Wednesday. 

CPHS Volleyball: Gloria Mutiri commits to Kansas State University

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Charles Page High School volleyball standout Gloria Mutiri has announced her decision to play collegiate ball for Kansas State University in Manhattan. The 6'2" senior previously committed to Ohio State University in September of last year before decommitting this August to look for a school closer to home. 

Mutiri has been the leading scorer for the Sandites for the past four years, and is also a star on the Lady Sandite State Semifinalist Basketball team that won the Frontier Valley Conference last year. She is currently averaging 4.5 kills per set this season, not including the Stillwater tournament played this past weekend. Her season stats currently stand at 309 kills, 58 blocks, 64 digs, and 22 aces. 

Kansas State is currently 8-7 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats are in their seventeenth season under Head Coach Suzie Fritz, who has amassed a 316-178 record in her time with the program. Last year the team went 21-10, tied for fourth in the Big 12, and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Their last conference title came in 2003. 

The Big 12 is a highly competitive volleyball conference with three of their nine teams ranked at present time. Texas is currently fifth, Kansas is eleventh, Iowa State is eighteenth. Baylor also received votes and currently holds a 12-3 record. Kansas State is in a bit of a rebuilding year after graduating five starters, but the Wildcats have only one senior in their current starting lineup, setting them up for an experienced unit in the coming year. 

CPHS Volleyball: Mutiri scores 15 kills in 3-0 upset loss to No. 20 Bixby

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The No. 20 ranked Bixby Spartans (8-13) hosted No. 12 Sand Springs (8-12) Tuesday evening at the Whitey Ford Sports Complex and sent the Sandites home with a 3-0 loss. The Sandites slipped to 2-5 in Frontier Valley Conference standings while Bixby improved to 4-3 with the upset sweep.

Bixby 3 CPHS 0
Set One: 25-21 Bixby
Set Two: 25-22 Bixby
Set Three: 25-22 Bixby

Kills: Bixby 40, CPHS 25.
Blocks: CPHS 4, Bixby 3.
Aces: Bixby 9, CPHS 3.
Service Errors: Bixby 4, CPHS 2.

(CPHS Individual Stats)
Kills: Mutiri 15, Cypert 3, Neely 3, Wyrick 2, Madison Ward 1, Burris 1.
Assists: Burris 20, Mong 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 4.
Digs: Mutiri 6, Madison Ward 4, Wise 1, Blaylock 1, Cypert 1, Makenzie Ward 1, Wyrick 1.

(Bixby Individual Stats)
Kills: Little 11, Justus 10, Childs 8, Hayles 7, Clark 2, Roth 2.
Assists: Roth 11, Clark 10, Roper 3, Childs 1.
Aces: Hoffman 3, Little 3, Childs 1, Davis 1, Roth 1.
Blocks: Hayles 2, Little 2, Childs 1, Clark 1. 

All three games were fairly close, but the Sandites were low on offense and slow on defense, amounting to losses of 25-21, 25-22, and 25-22. Gloria Mutiri led all scorers with fifteen kills and four blocks, while Madison Burris did the bulk of the setting for the Sandites, recording 20 assists. Kayla Little and Gaby Justus both broke double digits for the Spartan offense.

It seemed like the Sandites would have a typical, successful night at first. Cloe Campfield started off the match with an ace. Sophie Childs scored a kill to tie things up, then Chelsea Neely took the lead back for Sand Springs. Emma Clark hit back-to-back kills to tie it at 3-3, but Mutiri helped push the Sandites back out front to 7-4. The Spartans took a 9-8 lead with a pair of aces from Little, the game tied again at 9-9, then Bixby took the lead once and for all with a kill from Justus. 

For ten-straight rallies neither team could score back-to-back points and the Sandites were right behind their foes at 18-16, then Bixby went on a five-point run with a kill from Sydney Hayles and an ace from Josie Hoffman. The ball was in the Sandites' court, and they tried their best to undo the damage. Mutiri, Justus, and Neely exchanged kills and Mutiri scored a block, but Childs secured the 25-21 win for the home team. 

The second set was equally competitive, but this time it was the home team who took the initial lead with an ace from Hoffman. Neely tied it at 1-1, Mutiri tied it at 2-2, and Makenna Cypert tied it at 17-17, but Sand Springs never once took the lead. Bixby ultimately prevailed 25-22.

Campfield gave the Sandites another 1-0 lead with an ace in set three, but Skyler Roth aced for the Spartans to tie it at 2-2. The teams exchanged consecutive contact points, then Callie Davis scored an ace for the 4-3 Spartan lead. The game tied at 6-6 with a kill from Mutiri, 11-11 on a Spartan error, 13-13 on a kill from Vanessa Wyrick, and 20-20 with a block from Mutiri. 

Bixby led by as much as 20-16 before Mutiri blocked, Madison Ward aced, and Mutiri blocked again to tie it up. Sand Springs gave up a point on an error, but Mutiri took it right back with a spike to the face of Justus. Hayles avenged her comrade's pride with a kill for the lead, and the Spartans never looked back, securing the 25-22 win with an ace from Hoffman to complete the upset. 

The Lady Sandites will look to bounce back from the loss when they travel to the Stillwater tournament this Friday. The Spartans will travel to Ponca City (11-10) this Thursday where they hope to avenge a 3-0 loss from the Norman tournament earlier this season.