Wildcat volleyball season ends in sub-state finals against Miege

By Andy Brown
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Updated: November 6, 2025

Louisburg seniors Delaney Nelsen, Caileigh Kilgore, McKenna Lohse, Stella Bohnenstiehl, Rylee Telken, along with manager Morgan Latham saw their season come to a close in the sub-state championship game.

CHANUTE — The Louisburg volleyball team left everything on the court.

The Wildcats’ postseason run came to an emotional end in the Class 4A sub-state championship Oct. 25 in Chanute, where they fell to perennial power Bishop Miege, 25-23 and 25-19.

Though the loss marked the close of the season, it also capped a year filled with grit, growth and lasting memories for the five Louisburg seniors who played their final match — Delaney Nelsen, McKenna Lohse, Rylee Telken, Caileigh Kilgore and Stella Bohnenstiehl.

Louisburg, the No. 8 seed, swept Independence in the semifinals, 25-20 and 25-18, to move on to the sub-state championship for the second straight year.

“Miege always presents a special challenge for us,” Louisburg head coach Rich Brown said. “They are the perennial champions and come in with a record that doesn’t reflect their talent. We watched film of both them and Chanute as we were looking at what was coming up.”

In the title match, Nelsen led the way offensively with seven kills, while Kilgore added six. Setter Adelyn Moore distributed 18 assists, continuing her strong season running the Wildcats’ attack. Defensively, libero Regan Williams dug up nine balls, while Lohse and Telken combined for nine blocks at the net.

Against Independence, Nelsen served three aces to spark Louisburg’s momentum. Kilgore and Lohse followed with six and five kills, respectively, as Moore tallied 19 assists and Williams again anchored the defense with nine digs.

Brown said he was proud of how his team prepared and competed.

“I think they did a great job against Independence,” Brown said. “In practice, we were able to simulate some of the things they do leading up to sub-state and how we could counter them.”

Even though their championship hopes fell just short, the Wildcats left Chanute with their heads held high. The senior class helped guide a young team through challenges, while setting the tone for the program’s future.

“I really enjoyed this season,” Brown said. “The players responded well to coaching and improved as the season went on. I hope they came out of the season with a positive outlook at what lies ahead for them in the world of volleyball.”