BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Great Bend's volleyball team celebrated a record-breaking season with a substate volleyball championship to earn a trip to the 5A state tournament.
The Panthers outlasted Valley Center, 25-21, 25-23 in the championship match after beating Goddard, 25-15, 25-15 in the opening match. The Panthers (35-2) have swept 27 consecutive matches.
Kara Feist's patented left-handed tip triggered a wild celebration after Alex Mayers and Mikala Minton kept the match point alive with diving digs.
Great Bend volleyball coach Shelly Duvall soared for "air time," to celebrate her second state volleyball trip.
The Hornets led 14-9 after Valley Center's 6-1 powerhouse Taylor McDonald dominated the net.
"Our emotions were running high the last set," Duvall said. "We were down five points. We knew we had to minimize our errors and get back in the game. One of our goals was to play two sets each match Saturday. The girls got it done."
Against Valley Center, Mayers (17 serves received, 10 serves, 7 winners) and Ava Kaiser (14 serves received, 9 digs) contributed crucial back-line defense.
Other stat leaders were Kya Behr, 63 assists; Cassie Ellegood 10 winners; Kara Feist 7 winners; Kimmie Hofflinger, 10 serves; and Mikala Minton, 9 digs.
Feist teamed with hard-hitting Cassie Ellegood, who ended the first set, to keep attacking the Hornets fueled by Behr's perfect sets. Mayers hit back-to-back ace serves and Cassie Ellegood and Feist drilled the final winners.
"Each teammate did their part. We are the team we are because of each individual involved. From the players to the coaches and managers, each one gives all they can to the program. It's a true team effort"
Against Goddard, winning plays were equally distributed with Behr and Cassie Ellegood earning eight point-ending plays. Feist delivered seven plays that ended a point and Minton added six plays
Great Bend (35-2) is paired with Andover High (31-4), Lenexa St. James (28-6) and Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel (30-7) in Friday's pool play at Salina.
Great Bend qualified for the 2020 state tournament, but the Panthers played just one match in the covid-shortened season
"State in 2020 was so different due to Covid," Duvall said. "The team didn't get the full state experience. This year, they'll see it all. I'm waiting to watch their faces when they walk into the event center for the first time."
The Panthers statistical leaders are Behr, 771 assists, 336 serves, 258 digs, 196 winners; Mayers, 301 serves, 274 serves received, 229 digs, 158 winners; Kaiser, 417 serves received, 293 serves, 321 digs; Cassie Ellegood, 259 winners, 49 blocks; Minton, 276 digs, 217 serves received, 146 winners; Feist, 196 winners, 70 blocks and Hofflinger, 310 serves, 186 serves received.
5A STATE SALINA FRIDAY
POOL A—Blue Valley SW 32-5 vs. St. Thomas Aquinas 30-5, 3:30; Topeka Seaman 37-2 vs. DeSoto 17-19; BVSW vs. DeSoto; Seaman vs. Aquinas; Aquinas vs. DeSoto; Seaman vs. BVSW
POOL B—Andover High 31-4 vs. Lenexa St. James 28-6, 3:30; Great Bend 35-2 vs. Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 30-7; Andover vs. Kapaun-Mt. Carmel; Great Bend vs. St. James; St. James vs. Kapaun-Mt. Carmel; Great Bend vs. Andover
5A WEST SUBSTATES
TOPEKA—CHAMPIONSHIP—Topeka Seaman def. Maize South, 25-15, 25-20; Topeka Seaman def. Topeka West, 25-10, 25-11; Maize South def. Emporia, 25-17, 25-18
GREAT BEND—CHAMPIONSHIP—Great Bend def. Valley Center, 25-21, 25-23; Great Bend def. Goddard , 25-15, 25-15; Valley Center def. Hays High, 25-23, 25-20
ANDOVER—CHAMPIONSHIP—Andover High def. Wichita Carroll, 25-17, 25-18; Andover def. Arkansas City 25-15, 25-17; Wichita Carroll def. Goddard Eisenhower, 25-12, 25-16
ANDOVER—CHAMPIONSHIP—Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel def. Andover Central, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23; Andover Central def. Hutchinson High, 25-18, 26-24; Kapaun-Mt. Carmel def. Salina South, 25-9 ,25-11
