By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Entering Saturday's Class 5A sub-state volleyball tournament, the Lady Panther volleyball team needed one win to set a new school record for most wins in a season and two wins to meet the big goal of making it to state. The 2023 team moved into the record books with a 25-16, 25-21 win over Salina Central, but failed to meet the state goal with a 19-25, 25-16, 25-23 loss to Andover.
Needing to win in the third set against Andover, senior Sadie Spray put down a kill to give the Panthers a 7-5 edge. The gap peaked at 8-5 before Andover mounted a comeback to take an 11-10 lead, its first since a 2-1 score early in the set.
It was a battle from there with neither side leading by more than three points. The Lady Panthers fell behind 15-12 before points from Spray and junior Kara Feist helped even the score at 15. Great Bend regained the lead at 19-18 and kept the score level at 21-21. Andover got a point, then another on an ace off the net. A block gave the Trojans a match point at 24-21. The Lady Panthers got as close as 24-23 before Andover tallied the final point.
Andover dominated Hays in two sets and led 7-3 early in the first set against Great Bend. The Lady Panthers scored the next four points and got big play on both sides from junior Cassie Ellegood late in the set to take it 25-19.
Ellegood had an early stuff and kill, and freshman Kya Behr added a tip early in the second set as the Lady Panthers jumped out to an 8-4 advantage. Andover used its own big play at the net to pull ahead 11-10. Great Bend tied the score at 13 on a kill from Behr and big serve from Paige Thexton, but the Trojans pulled away from there to take the second set 25-16.
Great Bend entered the day at 30-4 as the No. 3 seed in the Class 5A West bracket. That meant a game against 13-19 Salina Central to open the day. The Mustangs jumped out to a 5-0 lead before a kill from Feist knotted the score at six and Great Bend took its first lead of the match on the next point. Senior Kenzie Premer and Spray halted a Central comeback late in the set with back-to-back kills, and the Lady Panthers rolled 25-16.
Senior Lauryn Davis and Feist each had aces early in the second set for a quick 5-3 lead. Premer added a block and Feist had another big serve to push the gap to 7-3. Central did fight back, taking its first lead at 13-12. Ellegood had to big hits and Behr added a kill to put the Panthers on top for good at 19-18. Great Bend finished the set and match 25-21.
The Lady Panthers finish the season at 31-5 overall. All five losses came in matches that went three sets. The volleyball team will say goodbye to seniors Spray, Premer, Thexton, Davis, Macy Nachtigal, and Emilee Hall.