HAYS — What a wild night of high school volleyball!

No. 7 ranked 5A Great Bend (23-3, 9-0 WAC) built a 2-game lead in the Western Athletic Conference and clinched a 5A homecourt substate tournament by sweeping three WAC foes Tuesday.

The Panthers edged WAC runner-up Garden City 15-25, 25-20 25-19 in a typical comeback fashion.

Great Bend's senior trio of Kya Behr, Meredith Mazouch and Alex Mayers continue to rewrite the school record book with a 4-year record of 117-24.

The Panthers own records of 31-5, 35-5 28-11 and 23-3 while winning the WAC three consecutive years under prior head coach Shelly Duvall. Great Bend finished 1-2 at 5A state last year and 0-3 at 5A state in 2024. Andover edged the Panthers 19-25, 25-16, 25-23 to prevent a state trip in 2023.

Great Bend plays Emporia and Hillsboro Oct. 8 and Garden City and Liberal Oct. 13.

HAYS QUAD — Great Bend (23-3) def. Hays (17-14), 25-18, 25-23; Great Bend def. Garden City (17-6), 15-25, 25-20, 25-19; Great Bend def. Dodge City (13-17), 25-19, 25-16; Garden City def. Hays, 25-16, 25-16; Garden City def. Dodge City, 25-21, 25-20; Hays def. Dodge City, 25-10, 25-14