McMullen looking forward to joining national runner-up Washburn

Corinna McMullen has always found herself around volleyball.

Whether it was shadowing her older sister, Sophie, to all her volleyball events or just playing the sport herself, volleyball was quick to consume Corinna’s life — but in a good way.

Since she was young, McMullen has always wanted the opportunity to show what she could do on the college stage. Now she is going to get that opportunity. 

Last month, the Louisburg senior signed her letter of intent to play at Washburn University, and on Nov. 21, made it official in front of family and friends during a signing ceremony at LHS.

“I knew from the very beginning that it was my dream to play college volleyball,” McMullen said. “Whether that be for falling in love for the sport or watching my siblings do the same and it become an expectation for me, it was always been a realistic goal that I was determined to achieve. I had a tough time inviting everyone that has helped me get to the place where I am today because there are too many too count. 

“I was so grateful for everyone that could make it, but no hard feelings to the people who couldn’t because I know they helped me become who I am deep down inside. My parents also tried their very best to make sure my moment was special and I am forever blessed to not only have them, but the Louisburg community around me.”

McMullen was a four-year starter for the Lady Cat volleyball team and helped Louisburg to a state runner-up season and a fourth place finish during her time with the program.

She has earned All-Frontier League and all-state honors during that time as the team’s setter and McMullen ran the offense, along with teammate Davis Guetterman, for all four years.

All those accolades provided McMullen with a few different options on the college level, but it was Washburn that made the most sense.

Louisburg senior Corinna McMullen signed her letter of intent on Nov. 21to play volleyball at Washburn. Seated to her are her parents Sarah and Scott McMullen.

“My decision to commit to Washburn was not a tough one,” she said. “My goal was to stay close to home to continue to watch my siblings grow, while also having my family and friends support me with a one hour drive. Another goal was to go somewhere where I could make an impact and leave my mark as I did with Louisburg volleyball. Family has always been a big part of my life and so is volleyball, so I got the best of both world when committing to Washburn.

“Coach Chris Herron is very successful, while also caring for every one of his players. I know he will be a perfect fit for me and will push me to be my very best as did all my coaches in the past. The decision was definitely stressful and took weight off my shoulders due to the fact that volleyball recruiting starts freshman year. Making highlight videos, emailing coaches, playing your very best at all moments is very stressful for all players, making committing the best feeling in the world. I put all my marbles into Washburn because I knew it was the place for me.”

The Washburn program took notice of McMullen early on and the Ichabods believe she is a great fit for their team.

“Corinna has had extensive training with the USA High performance program,” Herron said. “She is an outstanding competitor and very good defender as well as setter. She is the type of player you just want on your side of the net.”

This year’s Ichabod team found themselves as one of the two teams left standing in Division II. Washburn advanced to the national championship match, before losing to Tampa in three sets.

That recent success, along with academic success, has made McMullen excited to get started.

“Washburn has a very successful volleyball program along with an amazing academic program,” McMullen said. “They also have an outstanding nursing program for which I will study under to become a Pediatric Nurse. My goal was to get my school paid for and I am thankful that they can help through athletic and academic scholarships. The whole coaching staff is a great fit for me and the campus is beautiful.”




McMullen earns all-state honor; selected to play in all-star game

Louisburg senior Corinna McMullen played in the GKCVCA All-Star Match last month and she also earned all-state honors from the Kansas Volleyball Association.

Corinna McMullen has seen a lot of postseason honors come her way since the end of her volleyball season and she earned two more honors last month. 

McMullen was named as a Class 4A honorable mention all-state selection by the Kansas Volleyball Association.

The Louisburg senior had a strong season despite missing a few matches due to injury. McMullen led the Lady Cats with 224 kills and was also second on the team with 284 assists. She also had 194 digs and 35 aces on the year after playing all six rotations.

McMullen was also first-team all-league selection. She guided the Lady Cats to a sub-state finals appearance despite the team having to deal with an injury-plagued year.

“Earning another all state honor really surprised me, but also made me feel so grateful to feel that all of my hard work has paid off to be recognized,” McMullen said. “I thought because of the injury that I wouldn’t get many awards, but thankfully the coaches saw past that and saw me for the player and person I truly am on and off the court. 

“Our season was unlike any season I have ever been apart of with all of the injuries and modifications during the season, but it was a growing moment for Louisburg volleyball. The four seniors this year played a major role in not only the team’s performance, but the team’s leadership and teamwork. I am super excited to watch all of the younger players grow into the role they choose to be next year and only hope that I was a role model for them to look up to.”

McMullen was also chosen to participate in the Greater Kansas City Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star match on Nov. 21 at Avila University.

She competed in the small class all-star match which pitted some of the best seniors on each side of the state line. Although McMullen and Team Kansas fell 2-1, she was happy to be chosen to represent the area.

“The MOKAN All Star team was an amazing and rewarding honor to achieve,” McMullen said. “I have been looking forward to qualifying for that game ever since I watched my older sister, Sophie, in the stands when I was in eighth grade. To think that I am not done playing with Louisburg volleyball is beyond me. 

“It was so fun to work with other girls and to learn how to play together without having a single practice. Instead of rivals, they were teammates and we all were so grateful to represent Kansas’ small class.”




Lady Cats earn three spots on all-league volleyball, McMullen named 1st team

For a team that battled injuries most of the season, Louisburg found itself one win away from a trip to the state tournament.

Although it was an up and down year for the Lady Cats with a 20-17 record, a few players caught the eyes of league coaches. When the All-Frontier League Volleyball teams were released last week, Louisburg had three players on the list.

Senior Corinna McMullen was a first-team selection and was also an honorable mention setter. Senior Davis Guetterman was an honorable mention setter and another senior, Chase Kallevig, was named as an honorable mention libero.

“We have a very strong league with some very talented players,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “With the structure of our all-league teams I feel that it was tough to give every girl the recognition she deserves. I firmly believe that we had more than one first or even second team caliber player this season. That being said, I am happy that we landed three of our outstanding seniors on the all-league list.”

McMullen had a strong senior campaign for the Lady Cats as she led the team with 284 kills and was also second on the team with 284 assists. She also had 194 digs and 35 aces on the year after playing all six rotations.

“Corinna ended the year as our leading hitter with a 0.250 hitting percentage,” Willer said. “She was our go-to and we could count on her to put the ball away even with her small size in the front row. She provided our team with a spark and energy that carried us through many tough matches.”

Guetterman was the Lady Cats’ other setter as they ran a 6-2 offense for most of the season. The Louisburg led the team 436 assists and a team-high 58 aces. 

She also added 184 digs and had 146 kills as she played all six rotations as well.

“Davis led our team in assists and aces,” Willer said. “She is our resounding source of leadership and the ultimate hype woman for every single one of her teammates. She was willing to do whatever was asked of her, all for the good of the team.”

Kallevig was in her second straight season as the team’ libero and was one of the best in the league at her spot. She had a team-high 340 digs and was also strong from behind the service line with 37 aces.

“Chase held down our back row with consistent serve receive and defense, and she pushed other teams by being aggressive behind the serving line,” Willer said. “Unfortunately, all three of these seniors had to miss six or more matches due to injuries and we missed them tremendously on the court. They have truly left their mark on this program and we will not be the same without them next year.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL

First Team

Fisayo Afonja, Baldwin, sophomore

Kate Frakes, Spring Hill, senior

Rylee Serpan, Spring Hill, senior

Corinna McMullen, Louisburg, senior

Emery Keebaugh, Ottawa, sophomore

SETTER: Daphne Gardner, Spring Hill, junior

LIBERO: Cate Milroy, Spring Hill, senior

Second Team

Chaney Barth, Baldwin, junior

Mariyah Noel, Bonner Springs, junior

Harper Schreiner, Eudora, senior

Sophia Ewy, Eudora, senior

Sofia Ficken, Ottawa, senior

SETTER: Kirsten Evans, Ottawa, senior

LIBERO: Alexis Morscher, Bonner Springs, senior

Honorable Mention

Mikayla White, Paola, senior

Mackenzie Kuehl, Paola, senior

Maggie Kauk, Paola, junior

Maddie Pitzer, Paola, junior

Mercedes Madlock, Bonner Springs, senior

Alyssa Reichard, Baldwin, sophomore

Lucy Reike, Tonganoxie, sophomore

Shannon Frakes, Spring Hill, sophomore

Kaia Cordill, Piper, senior

SETTER

Maddie Pitzer, Paola, junior

Mercedes Madlock, Bonner Springs, senior

Sophie Baker, Baldwin, senior

Corinna McMullen, Louisburg, senior

Davis Guetterman, Louisburg, senior

Emma Durr, Eudora, senior

LIBERO

Taryn Marcum, Paola, sophomore

Chase Kallevig, Louisburg, senior

Emma Stottlemire, Ottawa, senior

Kylie Vandervoort, Tonganoxie, junior




Lady Cats’ season comes to close with loss to Baldwin in sub-state finals

Louisburg senior Corinna McMullen records a kill in Saturday’s sub-state championship match against Baldwin. McMullen led Louisburg with 20 kills on the day.

BALDWIN CITY — Sometimes there are seasons where everything goes your way.

It wasn’t that type of season for the Louisburg volleyball team — in fact — it was quite the opposite. The Lady Cats dealt with injuries for a majority of the 2021 season and it was no different heading into Saturday’s Class 4A sub-state tournament.

Despite getting three players back from injury, Louisburg was without starting middle blocker Emma Prettyman.

The Lady Cats responded with a 28-26 and 25-12 victory over Parsons to advance to the sub-state semifinals against No. 2 Baldwin.

Louisburg pushed the Bulldogs to a third set, but the Lady Cats came up short in the 25-21, 21-25 and 25-15 loss.

It also meant the final game for Louisburg seniors Aubryn Berck, Chase Kallevig, Corinna McMullen and Davis Guetterman.

“Losing never feels good, but losing at the end of the season is heart wrenching, especially in a tough match like that when we have worked so hard all season long,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “We knew it would be a tough match up with Baldwin, just like earlier in the year, but we came prepared for a battle. Unfortunately, we were not the team on top in the end. Baldwin is a great team. They play with a lot of high energy and they have some stud players that came out in full force on Saturday. 

“I think they knew they were going to have to bring it in order to beat us, and they definitely had some players step up. The atmosphere was loud and crazy, but our players love that energy. It was a great volleyball environment and we are proud of the way we played.”

It was a championship match filled with runs as both teams came out swinging.

Louisburg juniors Claire Brown (left) and Adyson Ross go up for a block in the Lady Cats’ win over Parsons.

Louisburg opened the first set with a 7-2 lead after kills from Adyson Ross, Hailey Sword and McMullen. Baldwin would respond with five straight points to tie the match.

It was a tight set most of the way as Kallevig tied it at 18-all after an ace. Ross also had an ace to pull Louisburg within one. Baldwin went on a 4-1 run to end it and take the first set.

Baldwin was the one who took the lead in the second set, but the Lady Cats had a big rally to force a third. Louisburg went on a 7-1 run to win the set thanks to aces from Berck and kills from Ross, Sword, McMullen and Guetterman.

Louisburg (20-17) used that momentum to take a 5-1 lead to start the third after a block from Ross and an ace from Guetterman. Unfortunately for the Lady Cats, it was all Baldwin after that as the Bulldogs outscored Louisburg 24-10 the rest of the way.

It was similar to the five-set thriller the two teams played Louisburg earlier in the season, with the Lady Cats pulling out the win. The only difference this time was the result.

Senior Davis Guetterman (4) celebrates with her teammates after a big point Saturday during the Class 4A sub-state tournament.

“The match had a lot of ups and downs,” Willer said. “Baldwin came out on fire, and it took us a second to warm up. I thought we really turned it on in the second set, which helped us win. Volleyball is a huge game of momentum. There were big swings in both directions, but they ended up having a few more go their way. Our first five-set match was a thriller, and this one felt no different. We were never out of it, always fighting and pushing back even when their hitters made a big play.

“It did feel like we had the wave of momentum on our side at that point in the third set. We went up 5-1 on Davis’s serve, in what is typically our strongest rotation. On the next point, we made an error to give them the ball back. After a couple of side outs by each team, they were in the rotation with both Fisayo Afonja and Chaney Barth in the front row. We had difficulties with both of those hitters all day, but they went on a run in the third in this rotation and we just weren’t able to answer back.”

Guetterman and McMullen were both the team leaders in assists and kills in the two matches.

Guetterman had a team-high 31 assists, while McMullen had a team-best 20 kills. McMullen finished with 16 assists and Guetterman had 12 kills.

Kallevig and Ross each had three aces to lead Louisburg and Claire Brown was in double figure kills with 10. Kallevig also had a team-high 23 digs, while Berck, Guetterman and McMullen had 19, 18 and 17, respectively.

Although, the Lady Cats will return a core of this group, they have to say goodbye to their four seniors and the impact they had on the team.

Senior Chase Kallevig receivers a serve Saturday in Baldwin.

“I cannot talk about this senior class enough,” Willer said. “I have been so incredibly blessed to have my first year as head coach be with these senior leaders. They are some of the most dedicated and hard working players who live and breathe the game of volleyball. Rinny and Davis have been running the show since they were freshmen, Chase has been a major part of the defense since she was a sophomore, and Aubryn came in this year and made a huge impact in the back row. They are the core of our defense, serve receive, and offense, and they are at the top of each statistics chart (aside from blocking, but they are close). Even when three of them were injured this season, they found a way to be involved in practices and games by being my ‘assistant coaches,’ especially when our JV and Freshman teams were playing elsewhere. I know that every freshman, sophomore, and junior looks up to them because it’s impossible not to. They are always there ready to push themselves and their teammates. They are never satisfied and always hungry to learn more and keep getting better. 

“They have been excellent role models for our players and have set some pretty high standards for what we expect from our players going forward. They leave behind some pretty big shoes to fill, but they have been training their younger teammates for this moment from the very beginning. They believe in what we are doing here with LHS volleyball and are 100 percent supportive of the next team to come. There will never be another group like this one. They have forever left their mark on Louisburg and they will be dearly, dearly missed. We wish them the best of luck as they move on in their volleyball careers and schooling in the years to come.”




Week 8 Athlete of the Week: Davis Guetterman

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week eight of the fall sports season, sponsored by Dr. Laura’s Orthodontics.

DAVIS GUETTERMAN, SENIOR, VOLLEYBALL

Louisburg senior Davis Guetterman helped guide the Lady Cat volleyball team to a 2-1 week and a spot in the sub-state finals against Baldwin. Guetterman led Louisburg with 59 assists in the three matches to go along with 19 kills and four aces.

Although the Lady Cats saw their season come to an end, Guetterman finished with a big year for Louisburg. As one of the team’s setters, Guetterman led her team with 456 assists on the season and also led the team in aces with 58. Defensively, Guetterman also performed well with 184 digs.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the fall season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous Winners:

Week 1: Jaden Vohs

Week 2: Declan Battle

Week 3: Corinna McMullen

Week 4: Emma Vohs

Week 5: Braden Yows

Week 6: Mack Newell

Week 7: Mason Dobbins




Healthier Lady Cats defeat Piper in regular season finale

Louisburg senior Corinna McMullen tips a ball over the net Tuesday at Piper High School. The Lady Cats defeated Piper, 3-1, in their regular season finale.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Injuries have just been a part of the Louisburg volleyball team’s season for better or for worse — mainly for worse.

The Lady Cats were recently without three senior starters and that coincided with a six-match losing streak heading into Tuesday’s regular season finale at Piper.

Although Louisburg got its senior starters back healthy enough to play, the Lady Cats were dealt another setback with junior middle blocker Emma Prettyman out with an injury.

Throw in the fact that the Lady Cats are without starting middle blocker Allie Kennedy, who is done for the year with a leg injury, and Louisburg has been having a challenging season.

Louisburg saw a glimmer of hope Tuesday as it pulled out a 3-1 victory over Piper with much of their starting rotation back in action.

“We are very happy to be back on the winning side of things,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “Our team is very competitive and really wanted to win Tuesday night to finish out the regular season. We are extremely happy to have our seniors back playing – their leadership is a game changer for us and it was important to all of us that they were able to play in their last league match of their high school careers.”

Louisburg junior Claire Brown digs a ball up Tuesday against Piper.

The Lady Cats (19-16) showed a little rust at times, but they were able to get stronger as the match went on. 

Louisburg won the first set 25-23, but fell in the second, 19-25. The Lady Cats responded as they won the next two sets. 25-20 and 25-20 to seal the road victory.

“Overall we played well,” Willer said. “We definitely had some kinks to work out as the group on the floor hadn’t played together for a while, but once we figured out how to limit our errors and just relax and play we felt pretty good. Piper is a strong team that has challenged every team in the league this year, so it was nice to win in the end.”

Senior setters Corinna McMullen and Davis Guetterman were back to running the offense and Guetterman led the way with 28 assists and also had three aces. McMullen had 18 assists, two aces and also had a team-high 13 kills.

Junior Claire Brown and sophomore Hailey Sword were also big at the net. Brown was second on the team with 12 kills and Sword had 11. Sword also had a team-high three aces.

Defensively, senior libero Chase Kallevig returned to lead the back row with 25 digs. Junior Adyson Ross had 12 and senior Aubryn Berck added 12 digs.

Louisburg junior Adyson Ross goes up for a kill during Tuesday’s Frontier League dual at Piper.

Now the Lady Cats’ focus is on the postseason. Louisburg earned the No. 7 seed and will travel Saturday to Baldwin High School for sub-state action.

Louisburg will face off with No. 10 Parsons in the sub-state semifinals at 3 p.m. A victory could set up a rematch with Louisburg and Baldwin.

The Lady Cats defeated Baldwin in five sets at home earlier this season, but they know sub-state will be a more challenging test.

“Our girls have been working hard all week at practice and they are excited to come out and perform tomorrow,” Willer said. “We know that nothing is guaranteed and we have to show up ready to work for every point and earn each win as a team, with everyone working together. I cannot think of a season that has had to have such an emphasis on being team players as much as ours. At some point, every single player on our roster has had to step up into major roles on the court and we have relied on each and every person. 

“At this point we are pros at facing adversity and overcoming obstacles, so we are prepared for whatever challenge comes our way on Saturday. We will face some very tough opponents in Parsons, and potentially Baldwin, Coffeyville, or Chanute. Our sub-state bracket is tough, but we have come to the conclusion that we are thankful for the opportunity to play some really great volleyball and fight for a spot in Hutchinson.”




Lady Cats focused on postseason after difficult week

Louisburg sophomore Hailey Sword (right) gets a block during a match earlier this season. The Lady Cats enter their most important week as sub-state begins Saturday.

The Louisburg volleyball team faced its toughest competition of the season this past week.

If that wasn’t difficult enough, the Lady Cats had to it with half of their normal starting lineup on the bench.

Louisburg senior starters Chase Kallevig, Davis Guetterman and Corinna McMullen were all out with injuries as the Lady Cats went up against five Class 5A or bigger programs. Louisburg also ventured to Wamego for a triangular.

It wasn’t a good recipe for success as they lost all six matches to Blue Valley, Basehor-Linwood, Blue Valley North, Mill Valley, Olathe North and Wamego.

“We had some stiff competition last week,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “We faced the No. 1, No. 6 and No. 7 teams in 6A in the East, as well as the No. 6 team in 5A in the East. Wamego is also a very strong 4A team. I was proud of how our girls came into every match positive and ready to focus on our side of the court, getting better each time. We emphasized our effort, communication, and teamwork as things we always wanted to be top-notch, and really focusing on the things we can control.”

Since Louisburg’s starting setters, Guetterman and McMullen, were both out with an injury, Willer pulled up junior varsity setter Megan Quinn to help run the team. Quinn finished the week with 61 assists in her first varsity action. 

Outside hitter Claire Brown also took a big step forward for the Lady Cats and played all six rotations. Brown led Louisburg with 28 kills and 37 digs.

“We saw many girls step up and rise to the occasion last week,” Willer said. “I can’t imagine being put in a much tougher position than Megan Quinn having to come in and set at the varsity level for the first time with that schedule all week, but she handled the pressure very well. 

“We saw our defense step up and make some really awesome plays against some very powerful hitters. I thought that Claire Brown played well as she has become our go-to attacker, and our middles both worked hard to get as many touches on the block as they could.”

Sophomore Hailey Sword had 18 kills and 32 digs. Junior middle Adyson Ross had a team-high six aces and five blocks during that stretch. 

Senior Aubryn Berck had 27 digs and three aces and junior middle Emma Prettyman had 11 kills and five blocks.

The Lady Cats will now focus on their most important week of the season that begins Saturday when they travel to Baldwin for the sub-state tournament.

Before then, Louisburg will travel to Piper today for its final league dual of the season. Still, the Lady Cats hope to take the court with their full roster of players.

“We are very excited for sub-state,” Willer said. “Of course we are focused on taking care of business at Piper, but then we can definitely shift our focus to Saturday. Senior Chase Kallevig will be back in the rotation, and we are looking to ease Davis and Corinna back in as well. As seniors, they are dying to play and want our team to be as close to full strength as possible for the postseason. We are hoping that the rest last week gave their bodies some time to recover and to be able to play this week.”




Injuries don’t spoil Lady Cats’ win over Eudora on Senior Night

Senior Davis Guetterman dumps the ball over the outstretched arms of two Eudora players last Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ Senior Night match against the Cardinals.

This version of Senior Night wasn’t what the Louisburg volleyball team had envisioned before the season.

The team had hoped to see seniors Corinna McMullen, Davis Guetterman, Chase Kallevig and Aubryn Berck all on the court together for the final time on their home floor.

Unfortunately, half of them were regulated to the bench as McMullen and Kallevig sustained injuries the week before. Along with junior Allie Kennedy being out for the year, the Lady Cats were without half of their original starting lineup last Tuesday against Eudora.

Still, the rest of the Lady Cats weren’t about to let the Cardinals spoil their Senior Night.

Louisburg got out to a quick start and never looked back in a 25-14, 25-21 and 25-19 victory. The win improved the Lady Cats’ record to 18-10 on the year.

Louisburg seniors and their coach got together for a picture prior to their Senior Night match. Pictured are (from left) manager Michijah Pankau, Chase Kallevig, Corinna McMullen, Aubryn Berck, Davis Guetterman, head coach Leanna Willer and manager Ben Ratliff-Becher.

“Eudora has been playing with some of the best teams in the league,” Willer said. “Their record doesn’t really show how good they really are and they have battled everyone they have played. For us to come out and win in 3 and get the job done, really boosted their confidence. Even when they made mistakes, it didn’t affect them much at all.”

Even though they were out with injury, McMullen, Kallevig and Kennedy cheered their teammates on during the Frontier League dual.

“It was really special,” Willer said of the win. “It was killing Rinny and Chase to be sitting there on the bench and not being able to be out there. It made it a little easier for them to see other girls step up and get excited. They were kind of like proud moms over there. They were putting their coaches hats on over there too.”

(From left) Allie Kennedy, Chase Kallevig and Corinna McMullen cheer on their teammates from the bench Tuesday against Eudora.

With the injuries, Willer had to use another new rotation and brought up sophomore Bronwynn Williams up from junior varsity to start on the outside. She also moved Berck from defensive specialist to libero.

Despite all the changes, the Lady Cats put together a solid match that was led by Guetterman as she led the Louisburg offense with 28 assists.

Junior Claire Brown and sophomore Hailey Sword were strong on the outside for Louisburg as they led the team in kills with 13 and nine, respectively. Junior Emma Prettyman had a good game in the middle with seven kills.

“I am proud of the girls,” Willer said. “It is a weird rotation and it is probably the most unconventional that I have ever run. They are playing all over the place, but they did a really good job.

Louisburg senior Aubryn Berck passes the ball off to a teammate Tuesday against Eudora.

“Both Claire and Hailey really did a good job hitting the ball on the outside. There was a point where they couldn’t really stop them and I told the girls to just keep feeding them. The team made some big defensive plays and it was good to see Bronwynn get a couple kills in her first varsity match. Aubryn stepped into that libero spot and we didn’t lose an inch.”

The Lady Cats also tallied eight aces on the night with Adyson Ross, Brown and Berck recording two each. Berck also led Louisburg defensively with 10 digs, while Brown and Williams each had seven.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going Tuesday when it travels to Blue Valley High School for a triangular with Basehor-Linwood. Matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.




Injury-riddled Louisburg volleyball takes sixth at Ottawa

Louisburg junior Claire Brown tips the ball over the net Saturday at the Ottawa Invitational against Olathe West.

OTTAWA — The Louisburg volleyball team suffered a big loss early on Saturday during the Ottawa Invitational and it had nothing to do with a match.

In the second set of the first match of the day against Olathe West, Louisburg senior setter Corinna McMullen sustained an injury and was forced to sit out the rest of the tournament.

Although the Lady Cats responded to beat Olathe West in three sets, their new rotation just couldn’t gain enough traction. Louisburg fell to Maize South, Ottawa, Bishop Miege and Basehor-Linwood to finish the tournament in sixth place.

Louisburg, which was just getting used to a new rotation after losing teammate Allie Kennedy for the season, had to put one together at the last minute.

“It was tough to adjust on the fly, but the girls handled it very well overall,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “Of course we never want to see anyone get hurt, especially during the first game of a tournament. We had finally started to find our groove with the new rotation and then had to start from scratch again, with an even stranger lineup. I was proud of how well the girls adjusted and stepped up to help each other out.”

Louisburg used a one-setter offense with Davis Guetterman and moved junior Claire Brown to play all-six rotations. Sophomore Izzy Moreland also moved to play on the outside. Both Brown and Guetterman stepped up in different areas.

Brown led the team with 35 kills and had six aces. Guetterman had 81 assists and six aces as well.

“We had a few big positives on Saturday,” Willer said. “First of all, Claire Brown came alive on the outside. She became our go-to hitter with Rinny hurt and Davis having to set full-time and she had some really great swings on the outside and even out of the back row. 

“Secondly, Davis Guetterman had to set full time and continue to be the glue holding our team together. She had a long, crazy week with Homecoming and she held us all together. Lastly, Izzy Moreland stepped up as she played the right side and had a few key blocks for us as well.”

Louisburg senior Aubryn Berck runs in to dig up the ball Saturday in Ottawa.

The Lady Cats (17-10) defeated Olathe West 25-19, 25-27 and 25-18 and then went on to play Maize South. 

Louisburg took the Mavericks to three sets, but eventually fell 25-18, 17-25 and 25-20. Ottawa came calling next and the Lady Cats lost 25-20 and 25-18.

Again, the Lady Cats forced a 3-set match, this time against Bishop Miege. Louisburg just didn’t have enough to finish in a 25-17, 26-28 and 25-22 loss.

Louisburg ended the tournament with a 25-22 and 25-12 loss to Basehor-Linwood.

The Lady Cats were busy defensively and it started with libero Chase Kallevig. The Louisburg senior had a team-high 36 digs and was also strong from behind the service line with 12 aces.

Three Lady Cats finished in double figures for kills as Hailey Sword had 27, Emma Prettyman had 19 and Guetterman had 15.

Junior Adyson Ross had a team-high four blocks with Guetterman and Prettyman. Senior Aubryn Berck had 32 digs and Ross finished with 31. Ross and Berck also had eight and seven aces, respectively.

“The Ottawa tournament brings some tough competition every match,” Willer said. “I thought that overall our team competed well, but we fell short in a couple of matches that I think we could have won. Finishing the day 1-4 was less than ideal, but we battled every single match and never gave up.”

The Lady Cats will try and bounce back tonight when they host Eudora for Senior Night as seniors Chase Kallevig, Aubryn Berck, Davis Guetterman and Corinna McMullen will all be honored prior to the match.

Louisburg sweeps Tonganoxie in league dual

Coming off an emotional win against state-ranked Baldwin earlier in the week, Louisburg used that momentum Thursday at Tonganoxie.

The Lady Cats cruised to a 25-20, 25-11 and 25-10 victory over the Chieftains.

“The girls played very well against Tonganoxie and we had a strong emphasis on TEAM volleyball,” Willer said. “Every player was involved in the offense and remained focused on earning our points. It was a fun match.”

McMullen led Louisburg with 14 kills, while Ross had seven. Guetterman, Sword and Brown added six each.

Louisburg was also strong from behind the service line with a total of 14 aces. Guetterman and Sword each had five to lead the way.

Berck recorded a team-high 13 digs and also had three aces, while Guetterman and Kallevig both had nine. Guetterman also finished with a team-best 21 assists.




Lady Cats outlast Baldwin to win battle of state-ranked teams

Sophomore Hailey Sword (left) is congratulate by her teammates after coming through with an ace Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ home match with Baldwin.

Tuesday’s match between Louisburg and Baldwin had all the battles and emotions of two state-ranked teams going against each other.

That is because they were.

Going into the night, the Lady Cats held the No. 2 spot in Class 4A and Baldwin was No. 6. Since then, new rankings came out and Baldwin is now the No. 2 team in the state and Louisburg is No. 7 after a difficult previous week.

The Lady Cats protected their home court and did so in dramatic fashion as they held on for a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs in what was a big league victory for Louisburg.

Louisburg won 18-25, 25-23, 25-18, 22-25 and 15-11 and handed Baldwin just its third loss on the season. It was an evening of spurts that led to a lot of tension-filled moments.

“Baldwin is definitely a really tough team and they have beaten some tough teams this year,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “They play with so much energy and we haven’t really seen that out of Baldwin. The first set was a tough loss and we just made too many errors. For them to bounce back was good to see and the girls starting taking more ownership of their jobs and their roles.”

The Lady Cats (15-6) had their back against the wall after losing that first set, but made several big plays down the stretch to win the next two and take a 2-1 advantage.

Senior Corinna McMullen sets up a teammate up at the net Tuesday against Baldwin.

Those emotions took a turn for the worst in the fourth set as Baldwin jumped out to a 10-1 lead  and took all the momentum away from the Lady Cats. Louisburg didn’t back down as they eventually battled back to tie the match at 21, before Baldwin went on a 4-1 run to end the set.

“In one of the timeouts I told the girls that we got to stop having these emotional roller coasters,” Willer said. “We have to play with intensity and keep it level-headed. We wanted to capitalize on the runs that we do get and focus on playing good defense. 

“That was a big hole to dig out of. It was an impressive feat to play that well to catch up, only to fall apart again late in the set. It was a game of streaks and that fourth set was the epitome of the whole night. The girls were able to figure it out and play well in the last set.”

Louisburg took an early lead in the fifth set and were able to hang on to take the match.

Senior Davis Guetterman runs down a ball in front of the Louisburg student section to keep it in play Tuesday against Baldwin.

It came down to a lot of defense for the Lady Cats as they strung several good rallies together with diving plays from almost everyone on the court.

Senior libero Chase Kallevig was as big part of that as she led the Lady Cats with 27 digs. Senior Corinna McMullen had 18, while Aubryn Berck and Davis Guetterman had 15 and 13, respectively.

“We made some big plays, but I even think we could have made a few more,” Willer said. “We were a little hesitant in some of those sets where we were down, and making some defensive errors we don’t usually, but overall the defense did really well. Chase had a really great game for us and came up with a lot of big digs.”

McMullen, who also finished the night with 18 assists, led the Lady Cats with 23 kills and also had two aces and two blocks.

Junior Claire Brown also had a big night at the net with 14 kills and Guetterman had 11. Guetterman also led Louisburg with 30 assists and had two aces as well.

Junior Claire Brown goes up for one of her 14 kills on Tuesday against Baldwin.

Sophomore Hailey Sword had a team-high three aces and the Lady Cats combined for 10 on the night. Junior Emma Prettyman had six kills and two blocks.

The Lady Cats also had to work around Baldwin’s talented middle blocker, Fisayo Afonja. The sophomore finished with a team-high 13 kills and seven blocks.

“She is very athletic and can kind of jump crazy high,” Willer said. “Her contact point is so much higher and she is a really good player. We got blocked so many times and I think we finally started to realize that we needed to hit around those. We made some good adjustments for sure.”

It was also Breast Cancer Awareness Night and the two teams raised $1,080 that will go directly to the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center of Overland Park. Money was raised through T-Shirt sales and donations.

Louisburg will try for back-to-back league wins tonight when they travel to Tonganoxie.