2024 Western Athletic volleyball team

Great Bend's Panthers celebrate the 200th victory for volleyball coach Shelly Duvall.

Great Bend's Shelly Duvall earned Western Athletic Coach of the Year honors and Cassie Ellegood and Kya Behr earned first-team All-WAC honors for the 2-time league champions.

The Panthers (35-5) qualified for 5A state, and lost to Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Lenexa St. James and Southern Cal commit Reese Messer, and Andover High in pool play. The Panthers also lost to 4A state qualifier Clay Center and 6A state qualifier Manhattan.

"We hadn't seen teams at that level. These girls saw some of the most elite competition in Kansas," Duvall said. "St. James was the roughest competition we faced. It was the best volleyball we played. We were in the Lion's Den. That first loss was hard to take. State is a different level."

Behr delivered a school record 829 assists to break Taryn (Kirmer) Steuder's previous record of 745 in 2012. Behr contributed 359 serves, 284 digs, 211 winners, 35 blocks. Ellegood had 314 serves, 280 winners, 111 digs, 53 blocks. Kara Feist earned second-team honors with 214 winners, 75 blocks.

Feist will play volleyball at Fort Hays State. Ellegood has signed to play at Cowley College.

"We're sitting pretty good for the next few years for Panther volleyball taking a look with players coming back," Duvall said.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

FIRST TEAM

GREAT BEND—Cassie Ellegood, 12; Kya Behr, 10

HAYS—Molly Martin, 12; Annie Humphrey, 11

GARDEN CITY—Piper Harris, 12

DODGE CITY—Piper Mellinger, 11

SECOND TEAM

GREAT BEND—Kara Feist, 12

GARDEN CITY—Aleeya Cruz, 12; Charly Vollertsen, 9

DODGE CITY—Cait Pfaff, 12; Jersey Bogner, 10;