By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
One mistake will end a perfect score on the volleyball court. Yet the No. 2 Lady Eagles led Hill City 23-0 in the first set of Monday's Class 2A regional action at Ellinwood High School. The Lady Eagles went on to beat the Ringnecks 25-2, 25-4, then downed No. 9 seed Hoxie 25-12, 25-17, and defeated No. 8 seed Stanton County 25-8, 25-11 to finish at 3-0 as regional champions. Hoxie posted a 2-1 record to advance to next week's substate as a regional runner-up.
Ellinwood improves to 37-3 on the season and hosts a Class 2A substate Saturday at 2 p.m.
Entering Monday's regional, Kennedy Behnke, the lone senior on the squad, led the team with 220 kills. Junior Kyndal Moore had 195 kills and junior Regan Widener 180. Behnke also led the team with 94 blocks and 56 aces, followed by 50 aces from Widener and 41 from sophomore Alyvia Batchman. Freshman Mette Maxwell led the team with 427 assists with Batchman adding 337. Sophomore Bennett Jacobs has been the leading defender in the back row with 270 digs, followed by 149 each from Batchman and sophomore Reece Stickney, and 147 from Maxwell.