Great Bend Post Sports
The Lady Panther volleyball team pushed its win streak to eight matches to open the season. Great Bend powered past its first four opponents of the Riley County Tournament on Saturday before falling to fourth-ranked Clay Center (4A) in the title match.
The Lady Panthers dominated Chapman 25-8, 25-13 in the opener. Senior Kara Feist put down seven kills in the win. Senior Cassie Ellegood and freshman Mikala Minton each added five kills, and sophomore Kya Behr finished with four. Ellegood had a strong service game with five aces. Behr and junior Ava Kaiser led the back row with four digs, and Behr had 15 assists in the win.
Great Bend needed three sets to get by No. 4 Valley Heights (2A) 21-25, 25-19, 27-25. Behr led the attack with 12 kills followed by nine from Ellegood. Ellegood and Feist each had two aces, and Feist and Ellegood each had four blocks. A busy back row dug up 77 balls. Kaiser led the charge with 22, followed by 14 from sophomore Alex Mayers, 12 from Behr, 10 from Minton, and nine from junior Kimberly Hofflinger. Behr added 21 assists.
The Lady Panthers downed perennially-tough Jefferson County North 25-9, 25-13. Feist led the way with six kills, followed by five each from Hofflinger and Mayers. Feist also had four blocks and Hofflinger led the defense with eight digs. Behr finished with 14 assists.
Momentum continued to roll with a 25-17, 25-21 win over host Riley County. Feist again led the attack with eight kills, followed by six from Ellegood. Feist again led the team at the net defensively with three blocks. Behr finished with 10 digs in the back, followed by Minton and Kaiser with nine each. Behr tacked on 16 more assists.
Clay Center got nine kills from sophomore Raimee Lipker in their 25-20, 25-15 win over the Panthers. Behr put down six kills for Great Bend, followed by five each from Ellegood and Feist. Hofflinger and Minton paced the back row with eight digs each and Behr added seven digs to go along with 14 assists.
Great Bend takes an 8-1 record to Manhattan for triangular action against the Indians and Hays on Tuesday.