By Joanna Chadwick

Tayana Martin understands exactly what her role is as a defensive specialist — pass well, serve well.

She has lived up to that through the course of the volleyball season at Wichita Heights.

“You’re setting up the pass for a play for our setters to set and our hitters to hit off of,” she said. “Basically, since you’re setting up a play, when you do get that kill or a good play off it, it makes you feel good because the team can rely on you.

“… A good dig, a good dive, it just feels great.”

Martin’s got goals to play college volleyball and even study sports medicine to be an athletic trainer.

But she spent her offseason focused on strength and conditioning, even focusing on sand volleyball with her teammates as a way to get stronger while getting touches on the ball.

“The sand drags you down, so it makes you have quick reactions,” she said.

Sub-state volleyball is on Saturday. Sub-state winners play in a quarterfinal match on Oct. 27 in a best-of-five match to advance to state. State volleyball is a one-day tournament — Class 6A, 4A and 2A are Oct. 31, while 5A, 3A, 1A-I and 1A-II are Oct. 31.

Area sub-states

Class 6A

At Wichita Southeast — Campus, Derby, Wichita South, Wichita Southeast, Wichita West

At Wichita Heights — East, Heights, North, Northwest

Class 5A

At Great Bend — Great Bend, Hays, Salina Central, Salina South

At Maize South — Eisenhower, Goddard, Maize, Maize South

At Kapaun — Ark City, Bishop Carroll, Kapaun, Valley Center

At Andover Central — Andover, Andover Central, Emporia, Newton

Class 4A

At Pratt — Andale, Buhler, Nickerson, Pratt, Ulysses

At Wellington — Clearwater, Mulvane, Wellington, Winfield

At Circle — Augusta, Circle, El Dorado, McPherson, Rose Hill

At Clay Center — Abilene,Chapman, Clay Center, Concordia

Class 3A

At Russell — Beloit, Ellsworth, Hoisington, Larned, Norton, Phillipsburg, Russell, Thomas More Prep

At Cheney — Chaparral, Cheney, Douglass, Halstead, Haven, Kingman, Trinity Academy, Wichita Collegiate

At Smoky Valley — Council Grove, Hesston, Lyons, Minneapolis, Riley County, Rock Creek, Smoky Valley, SE-Saline

At Burlington — Anderson County, Burlington, Eureka, Fredonia, Neodesha, Osage City, Santa Fe Trail, West Franklin

Class 2A

At WaKeeney — Ell-Saline, Ellinwood, Ellis, Hill City, Hoxie, Plainville, Smith Center, WaKeeney

At Inman — Berean Academy, Hillsboro, Hutchinson Trinity, Inman, Moundridge, Remington, Sedgwick, Sterling

At Garden Plain — Belle Plaine, Bluestem, Conway Springs, Cedar Vale-Dexter, Garden Plain, Independent, Medicine Lodge, Sedan, West Elk

At Herington — Bennington, Herington, Marion, Salina Sacred Heart, Republic County, Valley Heights, Wabaunsee, Washington County

Class 1A-I

At Little River — Canton-Galva, Fairfield, Goessel, Little River, Norwich, Pratt Skyline, Pretty Prairie

At Udall — Caldwell, Central-Burden, Flinthills, Oxford, Udall, Wichita Classical School

Class 1A-II

At South Barber — Argonia, Ashland, Attica, Cunningham, South Barber, South Central, South Haven

At Linn — Beloit St. John’s-Tipton, Linn, Osborne, Pike Valley, Southern Cloud, Tescott

At Burrton — Burrton, Centre, Elyria Christian, Hutchinson Central Christian, Peabody-Burns, Wichita Central Christian Academy