By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

Decisions, decisions.

Which granddaughter and which of two teams to follow to state volleyball.

Nice problem.

That's the choice Judy Flax from Hays had to make this week, although she said it was an easy decision.

"I'll go with the senior," said Flax, who will have three granddaughters competing in state high school volleyball tournaments this weekend.

That senior is Megan Stein, a starter for Spearville, 31-7 and seeded fourth in the Class 2A State Championships at Fort Hays State University's Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Class 1A state competition started early this morning at GMC, with 2A pool play scheduled for this afternoon and evening.

Megan is the daughter of Lorie Flax Stein, a former prep multi-sport standout herself and one of only two girls in a family of 10.

Stein's older sister, Janelle Flax Geist, also has a daughter playing at state.

Jessica Geist is a junior on the Abilene team, the top seed in the Class 4A tournament in Salina with its 37-2 record.

The Flax sisters, both graduates of Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, will cheer each other on over the phone.

"Oh, we'll be in touch with Abilene," Judy Flax said. "Saturday, we were texting and calling all day."

She was referring to last weekend's sub-state tournaments, when she went to Russell to watch Jessica Geist help Abilene win the 4A title while Spearville was busy winning a 2A sub-state championship at Sublette.

Judy Flax will get to see two granddaughters play today anyway, because Megan Stein's younger sister, Elle, is a sophomore starter for the Lancers.

"Kind of bonus," Flax said. "Got to watch Jessica last week and now these two this week."

One of Flax's eight sons, Jason, is going to try to catch some of all three of his nieces' games.

He plans to stop in Salina Friday and watch Abilene on his way to Hays from his home in the Kansas City area.

Then on Saturday, he hopes to pick up some Spearville matches.

If Spearville would happen to lose out today and Abilene is still alive in Salina, it probably will mean another road trip Saturday for Flax.

"We're just presuming they're all going on (to Saturday's final four)," Flax said with a laugh. "But if (Spearville loses out), I would probably go to Salina then ... six of one, half a dozen of the other."

With 10 children, several who now coach and/or have children of their own in athletics, having to choose which team to follow is something to which Flax has become quite well accustomed over the years.

"We may be running into the same thing come basketball season," Flax said.

Besides granddaughters playing for Abilene and Spearville, both her daughters are coaches of the girls' basketball teams at their respective schools.

"It's fun," Flax said. "Going to games is something we've been doing for a long, long time."