BY TRACY MCCUE
Sumner County Newscow
ARGONIA — Argonia's volleyball team (38-1) was disqualified from postseason competition by the Kansas State High School Activities Association Monday due to an administrative scheduling issue.
The KSHSAA issued the ruling on Monday, one day before Argonia was scheduled to host a 3-team Class 1A Regional Tuesday with Satanta and South Barber.
Argonia, a 1A Div. 2 state title contender, was ranked No. 4 in the final Kansas Volleyball Association poll.
Jeremy Holaday, assistant executive director for the KSHSAA, stated that Argonia had too many “points,” exceeding the allocated 36-point scheduling restriction, in an interview with Sumner Newscow. Points are based on specific dates, whether it is a dual, triangular, quad, or tournament.
When a KSHSAA-sanctioned school plays a dual, it is assigned one point; a triangular is assigned two points; a quad is assigned three points; and a tournament is assigned five points. A school will have five scheduling points regardless of the number of matches it plays in a weekend tournament. No school can play more than six matches in one weekend, and no school can play more than 40 matches in a year.
“Argonia ended up with a combination of 38 points,” Holaday said. “The maximum points you can have are 36. It wasn’t based on having too many matches.”
Holaday did not specify how Argonia got that combination of points.
Holaday said a complaint was lodged with the KSHSAA on Monday before noon.
The staff made an executive decision based on the information it received and called the school district. Holaday said normally the school has 10 days to appeal, but because of the impending postseason this week, it was appealed immediately. An emergency appeal committee was formed, and a decision was rendered that upheld the KSHSAA staff decision. Because the Red Raider regular season was deemed in violation of the scheduling rules, it was therefore ineligible for postseason play.
When asked who lodged the complaint, Holaday said, “I don’t think I’m at liberty to say.”
The regional was moved from Argonia to South Barber yesterday. Satanta beat South Barber 25-19, 25-21 to advance to sub-state. Few people doubted that Argonia, had it been allowed to participate, would have won the regional easily.
Luke Greenwood, the Argonia principal and activities director, issued the following statement via the Facebook page:
Holaday said this case is highly unusual but has happened before.
The KSHSAA ruling was stunning news to the Argonia volleyball community. The 2025 Red Raiders were arguably one of their best assembled teams yet. The Red Raiders have been state tournament participants for the past two seasons.
Many took to social media to express their outrage. Chelsea Coleman, a fan, responded to the high school principal’s Facebook post, stating:
“KSHSAA is supposed to be all about the students. As much as I don’t want anyone to be punished, the least they could do is punish the school, NOT the girls.”
Holaday said he understood the sentiment. However, the KSHSAA had to weigh the options of all the schools in Kansas.
He states -- “The thing we have to look at, any sort of any ruling we have, may look as a punishment to a particular school. But in reality, we (the KSHSAA) must be protective of the rest of the field. So, if everyone agrees to a set of rules, our assumption is that everyone will do so and abide by them, thereby qualifying for the postseason equally. But if it is determined that a member school has not followed those agreed-upon rules, it is our duty to protect the field. That is how you have to approach this.”
As far as the same schedule having been played the past five years in Argonia, Holaday states:
“I couldn’t say yes or no on that. We operate on the assumption that people are following the rules. We don’t operate where ‘Jeremy Holoday is sitting in every classroom studying five different subjects everyday’. We can only speak on what is happening this year for certain.”
There are 349 high schools in Kansas, all of which have numerous sports schedules.
Argonia was a dominant force during the year, winning all but one match – a three-set loss to the Wichita Homeschool Warriors Sept. 9.
Red Raider head coach Emily Coleman’s club has been a unique story before the season began. The team had only 10 players and had to bring in alumni to hold a practice scrimmage.
Yet the team was dominating, winning every South-Central Border League and tournament it played during the season.
It was led by three seniors, Tori Morrison, Autumn Coleman and Kara Jones. Other starters included: Emmah Phillips, Lindsay Coleman, and Piper Koomeyer. This year, there were five returning starters, including two who played club volleyball during the winter and summer.
