BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Great Bend will showcase its volleyball team at its home tournament Saturday. The Panthers will play St. John High School at 9 a.m. followed by matches against Hutchinson High, Phillipsburg, Salina Central and Hays High at Great Bend High School.
Starting setter Olivia Mull will return this week after missing the Tonganoxie Tournament.
“We have our full varsity roster back with Olivia Mull in rotation,” said Great Bend coach Kelsey Perry. “That changes our mindset and puts everyone in their regular position. We are feeling pretty good about that aspect of our game.”
The Panthers play Olivia Mull, Alyssa Herter, Baylee Beck, Jenna Mauler, Aleah Urban, Olivia Urban, Sidnet Meitner, Trista Wilt, Kaylee Unruh, Hunter Ruppe, Rachel Panzer and Candice Smith.
The Panthers lost to Bonner Springs, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Tonganoxie and Topeka High in last weekend’s Tonganoxie Tournament.
“At Tonganoxie, our setters were trying to speed up the offense to beat the bigger team’s blocks, but our hitters weren’t running the same offense, so we struggled,” Perry said. “We have spent most of the week working on that.”
Mull leads the Panthers in kills, hitting percentage, and blocks. Aleah Urban led the Panthers with 21 kills last weekend. Beck and Mauler led the team in defensive digs. Mauler led the way with assists.
“We have really focused on consistency and our hitters getting into a flow with the setters,” Perry said. “To be successful we have to get multiple offensive threats. This will be something that we hope will be better this weekend. It has been a good week of practice.”
Perry has been pleased overall. with the team’s effort and intensity.
“I’m very proud of how they played, and I know they will continue that as we move into the final month of the season,” Perry said. “Once we are healthy and back to our normal rotations, that will be nice.”
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
WEST COURT
9 a.m.—Great Bend vs. St. John
10 a.m.—St. John vs. Salina Central
11 a.m.— Great Bend vs. Hutchinson High
Noon—Great Bend vs. Phillipsburg
1 p.m.—Hays vs. Salina Central
2 p.m.—Great Bend vs. Salina Central
3 p.m.—Salina Central vs. Hutchinson
4 p.m.—Great Bend vs. Hays High
EAST COURT
9 a.m.—Hays vs. Hutchinson
10 a.m.—Hutchinson vs. Phillipsburg
11 a.m.—Phillipsburg vs, Salina Central
Noon—St. John vs. Hays
1 p.m.—St. John vs. Hutchinson
2 p.m.—Hays vs. Phillipsburg
3 p.m.—St. John vs. Phillipsburg