Lady Cats off to good start with three straight victories

Louisburg senior Davis Guetterman (left) and Allie Kennedy team up for a block during the Lady Cats’ home match with Olathe West on Thursday.

The Louisburg volleyball team got a test right off the bat last Tuesday when it had to travel to rival Paola to begin its season.

Louisburg passed with flying colors as it cruised to a 3-0 win over the Panthers and continued that momentum into Thursday’s home opener against De Soto and Olathe West.

The Lady Cats took care of business against the bigger programs as they defeated both De Soto and Olathe West, 2-0, to win three straight to start the season.

In its road tilt with Paola, Louisburg got out to a good start as it won the first set 25-18 and then responded with a 25-17 and 25-21 victory in the next two to get its first Frontier League win.

“I was very proud of how our girls played and they came ready to go,” Louisburg coach Leanna Willer said. “We did make a few more errors than we would have liked, but that’s to be expected for the first game of the season. We saw some things we need to work on, but we also saw many positives. I thought that our seniors did an excellent job leading the way with effort, intensity, and a high level of play.”

Senior setters Corinna McMullen and Davis Guetterman ran the offense well as they each recorded 15 assists on the night. McMullen had eight kills to go along with four aces, while Guetterman had three aces.

Junior middle hitter Allie Kennedy had a big night at the net with a team-high 12 kills and sophomore outside hitter Hailey Sword had eight.

“Hailey Sword stepped up and made her presence known which was really awesome to see,” Willer said. “One of the biggest positives overall was that we remained calm and in control even when we made errors. We were always looking forward to the next ball rather than thinking about the errors on the previous play.”

The Lady Cats were also strong on defense as senior Aubryn Berck and junior Adyson Ross had a team-high nine digs, while senior libero Chase Kallevig had eight.

Against De Soto on Thursday in its home debut, Louisburg continued its success and it took control from the get-go as the Lady Cats won 25-18 and 25-18.

Sword and Kennedy led the Louisburg attack at the net with eight and seven kills, respectively. McMullen and junior Claire Brown each added five.

Guetterman and McMullen combined for 25 assists and Kallevig had a team-high nine digs on defense.

It was much of the same against Olathe West as the Lady Cats cruised to a 25-20 and 25-17 victory.

Kennedy finished with a team-high six kills that led a balanced attack. Guetterman and McMullen both had five, while Sword and Emma Prettyman each tallied three.

Guetterman led the way with 11 assists and McMullen and eight. Defensively, Kallevig had seven digs, while Kennedy and Sword each finished with two blocks.

“I was impressed with our team,” Willer said. “We adjusted the rotation a little bit from Tuesday night and they all stepped right up into their roles. Our passing and defense were very strong throughout both matches which kept us in system most of the night. 

“Allie and Emma both had some big swings and blocks which was awesome to see. We started off strong both matches and never wavered, no matter how close the game got. We are starting to see just what this team is made of.”

Louisburg is back in action tonight when it travels to Piper High School for a triangular with Burlington and Santa Fe Trail. Matches are set to begin at 4 p.m.

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