BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Great Bend’s volleyball team swept Smith Center 25-14, 25-17 and Phillipsburg 26-24, 25-17, honored seniors Kate Warren and Kendall Sell and celebrated Pink Out Night Tuesday.
Great Bend coach Kelsey Perry said the team enjoyed the perfect night.
“It was an emotional night in the gym,” Perry said. “We honored two senior players Kate Warren and Kendal Sell for their final night playing on our home court, and two great senior managers Logan Perry and Eddy Beach. With Senior Night, the girls have a lot emotions, so you hope that they will be able to funnel those emotions into energy. The team definitely did that.”
The Panthers celebrated Pink Out Night by honoring Annetta Schaub, the wife of assistant coach Kurt Schaub. The team presented the Schaub family with the proceeds they raised selling Pink Out shirts to the high school and middle school volleyball players and their families.
Jenna Mauler led the Panthers with 12 digs and 27 assists. Camryn Dunekack contributed 14 kills and 14 digs. Kate Warren deelivered 12 kills, 4 stuff blocks and 5 aces. Baylee Beck had 19 digs.
“We beat Smith Center pretty handily,” Perry said. “We weren’t challenged too much, so we stressed getting re-focused and ready for a tough Phillipsburg team. We started slow the first set and had to fight back to get the 26-24 win.
“The final set we really played well and spread our offense around which makes it hard to stop,” she said. “We talked about tonight being a must win night heading into the WAC Tournament at Hays Saturday.
WAC leader Garden City defeated Great Bend, but the Panthers have betaen Hays High, Dodge City and Liberal this season.
“The rest of the week we will be focusing one match at a time Saturday,” Perry said.
The Great Bend junior varsity team defeated Phillipsburg and lost two tight sets to Smith Center. The junior varsity travels to Dodge City Thursday.
PANTHER STATS
Baylee Beck, ace, 19 digs; Camryn Dunekack, 14 kills, block, 2 aces, 14 digs; Baleigh Fry, ace, 4 digs; Alyssa Herter, block, 3 digs, 9 assists; Jenna Mauler, kill, 2 stuff blocks, 12 digs, 27 assists; Sidney Meitner, 7 kills, 4 digs; Olivia Mull, 3 kills, 2 blocks, 3 digs; Kendal Sell, 5 digs; Kate Warren, 12 kills, 4 stuff blocks, 3 blocks, 5 aces, 5 digs; Trista Wilt, 5 kills, 3 blocks
WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
10 a.m.—Great Bend vs. Liberal
11 a.m.—Great Bend vs. Dodge City
Noon—Great Bend vs. Garden City
1 p.m.—Great Bend vs. Hays High