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Great Bend spikers runner-up at Tonganoxie
11 Jenna Mauler attacks at the net.JPG
Great Bend's Jenna Mauler attacks.

Panther volleyball runner-up at Tonganoxie


BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com


TONGANOXIE — Great Bend continued a strong start to the volleyball season with a runner-up finish to Shawnee Mission Northwest 25-23, 25-15 at Saturday’s Tonganoxie Tournament. 

Great Bend (13-4) dropped two home matches to Goddard and Hutchinson High Thursday, but bounced back with wins over KC Schagle, KC Piper, Junction City and Tonganoxie to reach the semifinals. The undersized Panthers pulled their typical defensive wizardy from Jenna Mauler and Sydney Unruh by upsetting Eudora 13-25, 25-28, 25-13.  

Olivia Mull delivered the clinching point against Eudora in the second set. Jayden Johnson hit the match-winning point against Eudora.

“You should have seen them,” said Great Bend coach Shelly Duvall. “Great Bend hasn’t played in the Tonganoxie championship since 2001 when my mom coached Great Bend High School.”

The overmatched Panthers competed against several 6-0 hitters against Eudora and Shawnee Mission Northwest. Duvall was proud of the way the Panthers battled for every point.

“The girls took some major shots when we played Eudora and Shawnee Mission Northwest because their starting lineups were over 6-foot,” she said. “Nobody would’ve guessed we would’ve competed against these two major teams. We beat Eudora in three sets and took Shawnee Mission Northwest 25-23 in the first set. They had rolled over everyone except us.”

Kills were split nicely with Mauler (25), followed by Brynn Boxberger (22), Olivia Mull (20), Rachel Panzer (19) and Jayden Johnson (13). Alyssa Herter and Zoe Jerke led the Panthers in assists. Unruh led the way in served received. Mauler and Unruh shared the duties in served received. 

The Panthers return home Thirsdfay against Dodge City and Hoisington. The Great Bend volleyball invitational is scheduled Saturday.

TONGANOXIE TOURNAMENT

POOL PLAY—Great Bend def. KC Schlagle, 25-3, 25-6; Great Bend def. KC Piper, 25-13, 25-8; Great Bend def. Junction City, 25-12, 25-22; Great Bend def. Tonganoxie, 25-3, 25-17; SEMIFINAL—Great Bend def. Eudora, 13-25, 25-18, 25-13; CHAMPIONSHIP—SM Northwest def. Great Bend, 25-23, 25-15 


SMNW STATS—Jayden Johnson 1 dig, 1 assist, 6 serves received; Alyssa Herter 3 kills. 7 serves, 1 dig, 10 assists; Olivia Mull 5 kills, 5 serves, 1 dig; Brynn Boxberger 2 kills, 2 serves, 1 dig; Jenna Mauler 7 kills, 5 serves, 8 digs, 8 serves received; Sydney Unruh 1 kill, 5 serves, 14 digs, 1 assist, 19 serves received; Rachel Panzer 6 kills, 7 serves, 7 digs, 14 serves received; Zoe Jerke, 9 serves, 5 digs, 10 assists. 


TONGANOXIE STATS—Johnson 3 kills, 1 assist; Herter 8 kills, 10 serves, 1 dig, 6 assists, 2 serves received; Mull 5 kills, 3 serves, 1 dig; Boxberger 5 kills, 1 serve, 1 serve received; Mauler 2 kills, 6 serves, 9 digs, 2 serves received; Unruh, 14 serves, 13 digs, 9 serves received; Panzer 7 kills, 4 serves, 7 digs, 2 serves received; Jerke, 9 serves, 3 digs, 18 assists. 


JUNCTION CITY STATS—Johnson 2 kills, 3 digs, 6 assists; Herter 4 kills, 9 serves, 10 digs, 10 assists, 2 serves received; Mull 2 kills, 6 serves, 3 digs; Boxberger 6 kills, 2 serves; Mauler 13 kills, 11 serves, 3 digs, 4 serves received; Unruh, 6 serves, 10 digs, 12 serves received; Panzer 2 kills, 7 serves, 5 digs, 8 serves received; Jerke, 10 serves, 2 digs, 11 assists. 


KC PIPER STATS—Johnson 3 kills, 1 dig, 2 assists, 2 served received; Kayli Shull 2 serves, 1 dig; Herter 3 kills, 7 serves, 9 assists, 4 serves received; Mull 6 kills, 8 serves, 1 dig; Boxberger 4 kills, 1 serve; Mauler 3 kills, 8 serves, 6 digs; Unruh, 14 serves, 7 digs, 8 serves received; Panzer 2 kills, 7 serves, 3 digs, 5 serves received; Jerke, 5 serves, 4 digs, 8 assists. 


KC SCHLAGLE STATS—Johnson 5 kills; Shull 4 kills, 8 serves, 4 digs, 2 serves received; Herter 2 kills, 3 serves, 1 dig, 10 assists; Mull 2 kills, 6 serves, 1 dig; Boxberger 5 kills, 5 serves, 1 dig; Mauler 4 kills, 9 serves, 6 digs, 1 assist, 2 serves received; Unruh, 1 kill, 3 serves, 3 digs, 3 serves received; Panzer 2 kills, 2 serves received; Jerke 1 kill, 13 serves, 3 digs, 10 assists.