One of the words that is often synonymous with family is “class” and for the Great Bend High School volleyball team, “class” is both noun and adjective.

A recent turn of events for a member of the Panther coaching staff has allowed the team to exhibit publicly their family oriented program off the court. JV coach Kurt Schuab’s wife Annetta was diagnosed with cancer for the second time and is currently going through chemo.

After receiving word of the diagnosis, head coach Kelsey Perry and the Panther girls went into action.

“My good friend Jenny Urban from Wichita approached me about having a Premier Jewlery Party that she would host,” said Perry.

“I thought about it and approached my players and senior moms about hosting a party and surprising Annetta with the free jewelry. They were all in and we had the party tonight (Wednesday).”

Perry said the event was a complete surprise for Annetta. “She was beyond thankful,” said Perry. “Our team motto this year is ‘family’ and the team and parents have taken that motto and ran with it. We have been stressing this season that there are bigger things in life than winning and losing volleyball matches.”

“Our goal as a team is to win,” she continued. “But the memories and lessons the young ladies make is what they take with them for the rest of their lives.”

Perry said Wednesday’s party went beyond just a team event.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way they are representing their families, team, school, and community,” she said. “They took one hour out of their evening to make someone feel beautiful and they accomplished that! We may not have added a win to our official volleyball record but tonight’s win was pretty amazing!”