Great Bend Post Sports
Call it an up-and-down week. After suffering just their second and third losses of the season Tuesday in Goddard, the Lady Panther volleyball team headed east to Hillsboro Thursday to face two of its toughest opponents on the schedule. Great Bend needed two sets to get by No. 9 Emporia (5A) 25-19, 25-23, then needed just two more sets to get by top-ranked and reigning 2A state champion Hillsboro 25-20, 27-25. Senior Macy Nachtigal reached 1,000 career digs on the evening.
Junior Kara Feist led the attack in the Hillsboro match with eight kills. Senior Makenzie Premer followed with six, junior Cassie Ellegood finished with five, and senior Sadie Spray added four. Spray and Ellegood were also big defensively with three blocks, and Feist and freshman Kya Behr each added two. Nachtigal led the back row with 14 digs en route to her milestone. Spray added 13, and Feist and Behr each finished with six. Behr finished with 18 assists.
The Lady Panthers move to 20-3 on the season. Great Bend still occupies the No. 3 spot in the 5A West standings as they head to El Dorado Saturday for tournament play. The squad will see more tough competition next Tuesday's triangular in Phillipsburg that includes No. 3 Smith Center (2A).