BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

DODGE CITY — A 4-year journey to the 2A state volleyball championship is a dream come true for Ellinwood seniors Kyndal Moore and Regan Widener. They ended their volleyball careers with a 153-17 record.

The Eagles downed Valley Heights, 25-16, 25-21 to finish a record-breaking 47-0 season.

"My feeling winning our state championship was pure joy with a sense of accomplishment," Moore said. All the hard practices, conditioning, and long hours made it worth it in the end. This achievement is surreal because of the countless hours we put into this sport."

Widener appreciated being part of school history.

"When the state title was secured, I was overjoyed and excited," Widener said. "It was rewarding, and I was honored to be a part of it. We have been playing volleyball since we were young. We've invested time and training into this sport over the years. It was super fun because of the love we have for the game."

The Eagles played with the confidence of a team that's performed together for years.

"Our team chemistry is the best I've ever been a part of," Moore said. "We're all best friends on-and-off the court. It really showed by the way we played."

Widener enjoyed the tight team chemistry.

"I love playing with these girls," Widener said. "I know I can rely on each of them to do their job when it matters. We spend a lot of time together off the court as friends." 

The seniors learned life lessons that will help later in life.

"The whole experience taught me self-discipline and how to persevere during high pressure situations," Widener said. "Winning state is a great example that hard work pays off. Being a senior on such a successful team taught me great communication and leadership skills can help me later in life."

Moore believes that hard work pays big dividends.

"The lesson I take away from this experience is if you work extremely hard, you can achieve any goal you put in front of yourself," Moore said.

ELLINWOOD ROYALTY

SENIORS—Regan Widener, Kyndal Moore

JUNIORS—Bennett Jacobs, Alyvia Batchman, Reese Stickney

SOPHOMORES—Mette Maxwell, Reagan Wirtz, Ayla Ritchie, Brynn Widener, Jaizley Andrasek

FRESHMEN—Mallory Batchman, Blayre Moore

COACHES—Greg Maxwell, Cami Thomas, Becca Maxwell