Hartsburg-Emden Stags win Quincy
Invitational
Briggs, Cross and Eeten make all-tournament and
Briggs is the tournament MVP
[October 13, 2025]
The littlest school participating in the 49th Quincy
Invitational volleyball tournament came away with the biggest prize
on Saturday night.
For the third time in Hartsburg-Emden volleyball history, a Stags
team coached by Jennifer Hayes won the Quincy Invitational.
The Stags took home first place in 1998, 2006 and now 2025.
The Stags had a phenomenal day on Saturday. They played five teams
and took down four of them.
Beginning pool play on Saturday morning, the Stags beat Springfield
High School 25-19 and 25-9.
Next they defeated Camp Point Central 25-10 and 25-6.
The Stags lost a close match to the Class 4A hosts, Quincy High
School. Those scores were 24-26 and 21-25.
Quincy High School has an enrollment of 1,886 compared to 37
students at Hartsburg-Emden High School. The loss put the Stags
second in the pool, but they made it to the Gold Bracket.
The Stags crossed over to play the other no. 1 seed in the
tournament, Class 2A Quincy Notre Dame. The Stags beat Quincy Notre
Dame 25-16, 23-25 and 15-8.
With the win over Quincy Notre Dame, the Stags were headed to the
championship against Class 4A Hannibal, Missouri.
The Stags defeated Hannibal 25-15 and 25-23 on Saturday night to win
the tournament.
At the end of the day, volleyball fans were very familiar with the
little team from Logan County as Alayna Briggs, Celia Cross and Emma
Eeten were named to the All-Tournament Team and Briggs was awarded
the tournament MVP for her outstanding performance.
Coach Jennifer Hayes was very pleased with her team on Saturday.
“It was a fantastic day,” said Hayes. “We came out strong against
Springfield High in a two-set win. Then we took care of Camp Point
Central. We finished pool play with a tough loss against Quincy
High. We were up big in the first set and let it slip away. We never
could get the momentum back and you can’t do that against a great
team. I mean, Quincy High School has an enrollment of 1,886 and we
have an enrollment of 37. And I am mad about losing to them.”
She added a laugh to that last comment, but you know there’s more
than a hint of seriousness in Hayes. She wants her team to win no
matter who they’re up against.
“But it was a great lesson about finishing games when you have a
team down,” said Hayes. “Playing to win. Not playing “not to lose.”
A different mind set and I have to keep at them about that.”
“The loss put us second in the bracket against the other pool’s no.
1 team, Quincy Notre Dame. We played awesome! We took set one 25-15
and QND didn’t know what hit them. We lost set two 23-25. But we
turned it around and won set three 15-8. That set us up for the
championship against Hannibal, who had beaten Quincy two times.
Again we game out swinging and won 25-15. Then the second match was
point-for-point and we got down 14-18. I called a timeout and we
talked about a gut check. A mind set. How much do you want to win
this? Go out and take it! We were able to tie it up at 21, point for
point. Celia Cross had a beautiful back tip kill for point 23 and
Emma Eeten had a stuff block for the match 25-23. It was a great
ending.”
Congratulations to the Stags team on the tournament championship and
shoutout to Briggs, Cross and Eeten for their individuals awards.
The Stags bring a 22-4 record back to Logan County and they will
host Springfield Lutheran on Tuesday night. The JV game will start
at 6:00 p.m. and the Varsity will begin at 7:00 p.m
Stats versus Springfield High School
Points
Celia Cross 9
Cambelle Hopkins 9
Alayna Briggs 8
Allie Grelck 5
Ellie Klokkenga 3
Ava Eeten 1
Kills
Alayna Briggs 9
Emma Eeten 6
Ellie Klokkenga 5
Cambelle Hopkins 4
Celia Cross 2
Lydia Doolin 1
Blocks
Emma Eeten 2
Alayna Briggs 1.5
Cambelle Hopkins 1.5
Celia Cross 1
Lydia Doolin .5
Assists
Celia Cross 22
Digs
Cambelle Hopkins 8
Ellie Klokkenga 7
Celia Cross 4
Alayna Briggs 4
Allie Grelck 3
Ava Eeten 3
Lydia Doolin 2
[to top of second column] |
Emma Eeten, Alayna Briggs and Celia Cross represented the Stags on
the All-Tournament team with Briggs being named the MVP. Photo
courtesy Jennifer Hayes
Stats versus Camp Point
Points
Alayna Briggs 16
Ellie Klokkenga 6
Ava Eeten 6
Celia Cross 6
Cambelle Hopkins 3
Allie Grelck 2
Layla Parrish 1
Kills
Cambelle Hopkins 7
Alayna Briggs 4
Celia Cross 3
Ellie Klokkenga 2
Emma Eeten 2
Lydia Doolin 1
Blocks
Alayna Briggs 2.5
Celia Cross 2
Emma Eeten 1
Ellie Klokkenga .5
Assists
Celia Cross 16
Digs
Alayna Briggs 7
Cambelle Hopkins 4
Allie Grelck 3
Celia Cross 2
Ellie Klokkenga 1
Sophia Bivens 1
Stats versus Quincy High
Points
Campbell Hopkins 10
Ava Eeten 7
Celia Cross 5
Allie Grelck 4
Alayna Briggs 1
Ellie Klokkenga 1
Kills
Alayna Briggs 7
Cambelle Hopkins 6
Ellie Klokkenga 4
Emma Eeten 2
Lydia Doolin 1
Celia Cross 1
Blocks
Emma Eeten
Alayna Briggs 1
Celia Cross 1
Ellie Klokkenga .5
Assists
Celia Cross 16
Digs
Cambelle Hopkins 9
Celia Cross 7
Alayna Briggs 5
Ellie Klokkenga 2
Allie Grelck 2
Ava Eeten 2
Lydia Doolin
Stats versus Quincy Notre Dame
Points
Cambelle Hopkins 10
Ava Eeten 7
Celia Cross 5
Allie Grelck 4
Alayna Briggs 1
Ellie Klokkenga 1
Kills
Alayna Briggs 9
Cambelle Hopkins 9
Ellie Klokkenga 6
Emma Eeten 3
Celia Cross 3
Blocks
Alayna Briggs 3.5
Celia Cross 2
Cambelle Hopkins 1
Ellie Klokkenga 1
Emma Eeten 1
Assists
Celia Cross 26
Digs
Cambelle Hopkins 9
Celia Cross 7
Alayna Briggs 5
Ellie Klokkenga 2
Allie Grelck 2
Ava Eeten 2
Stats versus Hannibal, Missouri
Points
Cambelle Hopkins 11
Ava Eeten 8
Celia Cross 6
Alayna Briggs 5
Ellie Klokkenga 5
Kills
Alayna Briggs 6
Cambelle Hopkins 5
Celia Cross 2
Ellie Klokkenga 1
Blocks
Emma Eeten 4.5
Celia Cross 2
Alayna Briggs 1
Cambelle Hopkins .5
Lydia Doolin .5
Assists
Celia Cross 12
Digs
Ellie Klokkenga 7
Alayna Briggs 6
Celia Cross 6
Allie Grelck 6
Ava Eeten 2
Cambelle Hopkins 1
[Teena Lowery]
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