By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
With just three home competitions scheduled this fall, time was tight to celebrate the seniors on the Great Bend High School volleyball team. Thursday night, in front of a Senior Night crowd, the Lady Panthers downed Dodge City in a best-of-five match 25-10, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21. Great Bend improves to 14-1 on the season.
The Lady Panthers never trailed in the first set, getting an ace from senior Lauryn Davis and a kill from junior Cassie Ellegood to push the lead to 8-3 early. Dodge City cut the gap to 13-8 before junior Kara Feist put down a kill, freshman Kya Behr had a stuff, and senior Macy Nachtigal served up an ace. Feist added a pair of late stuffs, and Davis ended the set on back-to-back aces. Great Bend scored 14 of the final 16 points in the set to win 25-10.
Great Bend was cruising in the second set at 6-1 with back-to-back kills from Feist and senior Makenzie Premer. Two points from senior Emilee Hall and another stuff from Feist kept the lead at 15-7. Dodge City ultimately leveled the set at 18, then took its first lead of the night at 19-18. Ellegood came up with several key points late but the Lady Panthers dropped the set 25-23.
The Demons carried some of that momentum into the third set, holding tight at 8-0 before Davis and Ellegood put down points. A pair of kills from Feist and an ace from Behr all but secured the set at 20-12. Great Bend took that set 25-17 and finished off the Red Demons 25-21 in the fourth set.
Ellegood led a balanced attack with 11 kills, followed by 10 each from Feist and Hall, and nine apiece from Behr and Premer. Davis served up four of the team's eight aces on the evening. Feist led the blockers with five. Senior Paige Thexton led the back row with 17 digs, followed by 14 from Nachtigal, 11 from Davis, 10 from Sadie Spray, and nine from Behr. Behr had 28 assists and Spray added 10.
The Lady Panthers stay home for their invitational Saturday in the GBHS gymnasium.