RUSSELL — Continuing to play a consistent, sometimes overpowering, brand of volleyball, Great Bend High School improved to 8-1 on the season after sweeping a pair of non-conference road matches on Monday night.
Great Bend held off Smoky Valley, 25-15 and 25-21, and dominated Russell, 25-8, 25-5, capping the best start to a season for the Lady Panthers' sixth-year head coach, Kelsey Perry.
GBHS gradually became consistent after starting out sluggish against Smoky Valley.
In the end, the Lady Panthers were digging it, led by Kylee Spray, a senior libero, who led the way with nine of their 32 digs.
"We started slow against Smoky Valley, but finally got going halfway through the first set," Perry said. "This year our team doesn't get in a panic if we are behind. They fight through and focus on every point, and that has gotten us back in a lot of sets."
GBHS senior setter Tarynn Stueder had 22 assists and six kills, and senior middle blocker Brenna Haines added six kills, four aces, four digs and two blocks. The identical Doll twins had nearly identical numbers, each totaling five digs while Kelsie Doll had seven kills and Kaylie Doll had six attacks.
The high points went from digging to serving for the Lady Panthers' conquest of host Russell.
"Against Russell we really served the ball very well," Perry said of her team's nine aces, complementing 16 attacks. "That has really been one of our greatest assets this season so far. We serve locations so well that we have taken our competition out of their routine.
"When that happens we get the advantage on offense and put the ball away. Everyone played very well tonight. We hit well, passed well and served well."
Haines served three aces and put down four kills, Stueder had a team-best four aces, Hannah Hildebrand unloaded four kills and Kelsie Doll had a trio of attacks, displaying Great Bend's balance.
"We have to use that momentum going to Cheney on Thursday to play Cheney, Garden Plain and Rose Hill, all ranked teams," Perry said.
— Mack McClure
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Russell Triangular
At Russell
Monday
Great Bend 2, Smoky Valley 0
(25-15, 25-21)
Selam Ball — 1 dig
Liz Barber — 1 dig
Brenna Haines — 4 aces, 4 digs, 6 kills, 2 blocks
Hannah Hildebrand — 1 dig, 2 kills, 2 blocks
Kaylie Doll — 5 digs, 1 assist, 6 kills, 2 blocks
Kelsie Doll — 5 digs, 7 kills, 1 block
Morgan Kottas — 1 ace, 1 dig, 3 kills
Dakota Sanders — 1 dig
Kylee Spray — 9 digs
Tarynn Stueder — 1 ace, 5 digs, 22 assists, 6 kills, 1 block
Regan Unruh — 2 digs
Great Bend 2, Russell 0
(25-8, 25-5)
Liz Barber — 1 ace, 1 dig
Brenna Haines — 3 aces, 4 kills, 1 block
Hannah Hildebrand — 4 kills, 1 block
Kaylie Doll — 3 kills, 1 block
Kelsie Doll — 2 digs, 3 kills, 2 blocks
Morgan Kottas — 1 ace, 1 dig, 1 kill
Dakota Sanders — 1 dig
Kylee Spray — 2 digs
Tarynn Stueder — 4 aces, 1 kill, 1 block, 10 assists
Regan Unruh — 3 digs
JV went 2-0, now 10-4 overall
