Louisburg volleyball coach Jessica Compliment has resigned her post after 15 seasons with the Lady Cat program. Compliment helped guide the Lady Cats to eight state tournament appearances and three state runner-up finishes.

When Jessica Compliment walked off the floor following her team’s semifinal sub-state loss to Bishop Miege back in October, the only thought on her mind was how that match was more like a state championship battle.

It wasn’t your normal match as the two perennial state contenders had to square off so early in the postseason. She was proud of her team and was looking forward to another season of helping Louisburg volleyball get to another state tournament.

Little did she know, it would be the last time she would find herself on the Lady Cat sideline.

In late January, Compliment submitted her resignation as head volleyball coach as she will be stepping away to spend more time with her growing family as she, and her husband Bret, are expecting their third child.

“It was a difficult decision, and I went back and forth on whether or not I could make the fall season work,” Compliment said. “I’ve put many, many hours into building this program, and stepping away from it wasn’t easy. My husband and I have been blessed with two little kiddos and are expecting our third this summer. It came down to that I couldn’t figure out a way to complete all of my duties of a head coach during the summer and at the start of the season while also being there for my three kids and husband. I have an amazing coaching staff with Leanna Willer and Kallie O’Keefe, and I know they would have been more than willing to pick up more of the load during the summer, but I didn’t feel like it was fair to them or to the players. Plus, I was starting to feel the pull that I needed to devote more time to my family. 

“I had 10 seasons without kids so I could spend as much time as I wanted to over the summer and during the season at the school. My husband coaches as well, so thankfully he’s always understood the time commitment that goes into coaching. He has been a huge supporter over the years and quickly became a Louisburg volleyball fan. Over the past five seasons, I’ve had to learn to balance my time between coaching, teaching, and being a wife and mom. Every year since having kids, I hear from parents, ‘Enjoy this time! Before you know it they’ll be graduating’” ‘They’re only this little once so soak it all up.’ My daughter is getting to the point where she’s asking and wanting to participate in activities, and I’d like to be there for her. So I felt like it was time.”

Compliment certainly left her mark on the Louisburg volleyball program as she finished her 15th season back in October and has an impressive resume to show for it.

In the decade-and-a-half as the Lady Cat coach, Compliment guided Louisburg to eight state tournament appearances and placed in the top four of seven of them.

She also finished nine wins shy of 400 as she posted a record of 391-226 and helped Louisburg to three state championship matches.

As tough as it was to come to the decision, it was an even tougher for Compliment to tell her team of the news. It came as a surprise to all of them.

“I was shocked to say the least,” junior setter Davis Guetterman said. “Next year will be a different atmosphere because Coach Compliment has ran this program since I’ve known it. 

“She was always was there if you needed something and those 6 a.m. bus rides she was always pumped and ready to go even if you were half asleep.”

Those bus rides – and many other things – Compliment has had a hard time saying goodbye to, including those memories with her players. It has been just as difficult for some of her team.

“Coach Compliment was a very caring coach to all of her athletes through the years,” junior Rinny McMullen said. “From letting me jump in drills when I was in middle school, to coaching me almost up until my senior year, she was always there with open arms with an end goal of making each individual better. 

“Not only was she a coach on the court, she was a great teacher and a great second mother figure when some of us needed it the most. She definitely never failed to make us smile and put us before herself 100 percent of the time.”

The problem with having such a successful run at coaching is it is hard to remember all those positives and Compliment has plenty to choose from.

She has three state runner-up finishes on her resume, including in 2013 when the Lady Cats were named the Kansas Volleyball Association Program of the Year. Compliment was also named the MO-KAN Small Class Coach of the Year three times and helped Louisburg to four Frontier League championships.

However, it is the little moments that Compliment looks back on the most.

“It’s true what they say about how you won’t remember all of the Ws or Ls, but you’ll remember the time spent together as a team, the relationships built, and those moments that make up a whole season or career,” Compliment said. “There are a lot of matches and moments that standout over the years, but honestly they do start to run together. Qualifying for state for the very first time is one that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Beating Miege last year in the first round of sub state is another unforgettable match. 

“There have been a lot of memorable moments, so it is hard to pick out a few, but one summer day that I’ll never forget is the day the senior moms (Mary Dvorak, Beth Dixon, and Angie O’Keefe) surprised me by throwing a bridal shower during an open gym practice. The best part was when the mom’s asked the players to give me marital advice based on what they see/know from their own parents’ marriage.  There were a lot of laughs over their ‘advice.’ Dance parties….the volleyball team’s hidden ‘talent’ over the years is dancing and singing. At the most random times one, two, or the whole team would break out the dance moves.”

Now Compliment finds herself dancing off into the sunset as she takes great pride in what she has helped accomplish the last 15 years. 

“It’s kind of crazy when I look back over the years,” Compliment said. “It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. There were definitely some bumps along the way and some drama from time to time, but overall my experience as the head coach at Louisburg High School has been a positive one and one that I won’t ever forget. 

“I’m excited to see what the teams can accomplish next season and in the years to come. As I told the players at the meeting, I’ll be their number one fan and cheering them on next season. I wish nothing but the best for the future of Louisburg volleyball and can’t say enough thank yous to everyone who has supported me over the years. It has been quite the ride.”  

There hasn’t been a year like 2020, and for most people, they are ready to put it behind them and forget it ever existed.

Still, with all the challenges that 2020 brought, there were still plenty of positives to talk about when it came to Louisburg High School sports. History-making state places and state medals were plentiful on this list, but it wasn’t all positive. Louisburg had to say goodbye to a beloved town figure and athletes had to deal with the loss of spring sports.

Below are the top stories from 2020, along with a brief explanation of each. Included in the explanation is the link to the actual story from the event.

When putting the list together, I took a lot of things into account – whether it was team vs. individual, popularity of the sport, historical achievements and the interest it drew on the web site. Thanks to the cancellation of spring sports, I don’t have the top 10 like I normally do, but I got close.

This year was a blast to cover, when I had the opportunity, anyway. Still, I am looking forward to what 2021 will bring. Thank you for everyone’s support and can’t wait for it all to begin again.

8. Ratliff-Becher wins state powerlifting title

After winning a state championship in 2019 Reilly Ratliff-Becher had every intention of backing up her performance during the Class 4A State Powerlifting Championships on March 7 at Piper High School.

In fact, the Louisburg senior wanted to improve it. Last season, Ratliff-Becher took first in everything but squat, which she got runner-up.

This time around, she got the clean sweep.

Ratliff-Becher took first in bench, squat and clean and that led to her second straight state championship in the 180-pound class.

“It means a lot to me that I was able to win the state title again,” Ratliff-Becher said. “I set a goal for myself to win first in everything since I had got second in squat last year and I achieved it. Even though it wasn’t my best showing with the numbers I got on my lifts.

“The competition was very good this year, as it always is. But, fortunately with all the work I put in to at least maintain my numbers from last year, meant I was able to lift bigger amounts than my competition.”

7. Conley named state and midwest coach of the year

After a third place finish to end the year, Louisburg boys soccer coach Kyle Conley was recognized among the state’s best.

Conley was named as the Class 4-1A Coach of the Year by the Kansas Soccer Coaches Association in November.

He guided the Wildcats to a 16-2 record on the season and the team’s highest finish in program history when Louisburg ousted Rose Hill, 3-0, in the state third-place game.

Just a few weeks later, Conley was honored once again – this time on the girls’ side.

Despite the lost season, the United Soccer Coaches wanted to recognize coaches for their past accomplishments and for what this past spring was supposed to hold.

Atop that list was Conley as he was named as the Small School Midwest Coach of the Year. 

“I am absolutely honored to receive this award,” Conley said. “There are so many great coaches in the Midwest, but to me this is a program award. None of this is possible without everyone involved; girls coming to work their tails off everyday, parents traveling and supporting us anywhere and everywhere, community helping with supporting the program, the school supporting the girls, etc. Without the support and buy in from the girls, parents and community none of this is possible.”

The Wildcat girls program has had a successful start in its four years. Conley has a 54-22-2 record during that span, that included two state runner-ups and another state final four appearance. 

6. Louisburg cheer places third at state

The Louisburg cheer squad had to do its postseason competition a little different this year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It didn’t seem to bother them much as the defending state champions found themselves right in the thick of things again.

Although they didn’t repeat as champs, they were still among the state’s best as the Wildcats cheerleaders finished third in the state back in November.

Unlike performing in front of judges like they did in 2019, the Wildcats had to video tape their performance and send it in to be judged. It fared well as they tallied 83.35 points to finish in the top 3.

Baldwin earned the state title with 88.85 points and Abilene was second with 85.25.

Members of the Louisburg cheer squad are Bella Feikert, Addison Drake, Brooklyn Harmon, Jayden Trester, Maddy Carpenter-Ross, Sophie Katzer, Sammy McDaniel, Julia Arriola, Andrea Gaza, JoJo Hendrickson, Sydney Dudzik, Abby Bradley, Anna Poe, Sienna Finch, Mable Graham, Audrey Anderson, Zoe Weers, Anna Morrison and Maggie Madison

5. Holtzen, Owens earn state medals for Wildcat wrestling

Ryan Owens and Cade Holtzen both had their own agendas going into the state wrestling tournament.

Owens, qualified for state last year, but left without a win and he vowed to fix that this time around. As for Holtzen, he came up short in his efforts for a second state medal as a sophomore last season and had all the motivation not to come home empty-handed again.

Both wrestlers more than made up for their rough patches a year ago.

Owens and Holtzen left Salina with a state medal during the Class 4A Kansas State Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. 

Owens made it to the semifinals and wound up earning a fourth-place medal at 120 pounds, while Holtzen finished fifth at 126 pounds.

It also marked the first time since 2016 that Louisburg finished the season with multiple state medalists, when Nathan Keegan and Mason Koechner each brought home medals.

The Wildcats nearly had three medalists as sophomore Brandon Doles finished one win shy of a state medal at 160 pounds with a 2-2 record.

4. Dennis steps down as LHS team doctor

Almost every day of the week, if you were looking for Damon Dennis, he could be found at his office on 11 S. Broadway St., helping treat those pesky aches and pains, taking X-rays, or mending those beaten up athletes after a game.

Doc D – as he his affectionately known – opened Louisburg Chiropractic Office 28 years ago and has served as the Louisburg High School athletic team doctor for almost that same amount of time.

Dennis has seen it all. The walls in his office are lined with mementos from his years of service to both the community and the high school.

He has taped thousands of ankles, seen even more patients and has touched many lives during his time in Louisburg. That is why this week is one of the more emotional times in his life.

In May, he left Louisburg Chiropractic Office and handed the reins over to Dr. Jake Polzin. Add to that, Dennis also stepped away as LHS’ team doctor and left an absence on the sidelines and behind the mic that many in Louisburg have come to know.

“My decision to step down and sell the practice has turned out to be the hardest thing I have ever done,” Dennis said. “I have poured everything I have into my job and community. It has become my entire existence. I was taught from a young age to serve others and your community. I feel like the pressures I have put on myself have become unhealthy. I have put about 40 years work in to 28 and feel like there is never going to be a good time to make such a huge life change. 

“That being said, I feel like I need to make changes while I am still able to do the things that will be best for my family. Dr. Polzin came along and I think he will carry on the work at the office wonderfully. We are a lot alike in many ways. I could not have found anyone better to replace me.”

For many, Dennis has been a big part of people’s lives, especially in the athletic arena. He has served as the LHS team doctor since 1992 and has treated many athletes in those 28 years.

3. Girls Cross Country Takes Third at State

For 23 years, the Louisburg cross country program has been chasing a top three finish at the Class 4A meet.

The Wildcats have had several teams qualify, especially in the last few seasons, but have always come up short of their goal. Following Saturday’s race in Wamego, the Wildcats can finally stop running after it.

The Louisburg girls put together an historic performance at the Class 4A Kansas State Cross Country Championships at Wamego Country Club. The Lady Cats earned a state plaque with a third place finish as they surpassed Buhler by eight points to record the school’s first top three state finish.

Junior Reese Johnson, sophomores Claire Brown, Bree Gassman and Nova Ptacek, along with freshmen Lola Edwards, Maddy Rhamy and Erin Apple, will all go down in school history as they became the first Wildcat team to bring home state hardware.

“It means the world to me to be a part of the first team ever to place at state,” Rhamy said. “Coming into the state meet, I was just hoping our team would be in the top half, so you could imagine my excitement when our team placed third. I didn’t even know we made school history until our coaches told us.”

Rhamy was one of two freshmen who earned top 10 finishes individually, along with Edwards. Rhamy finished eighth overall in 20 minutes and 58 seconds, while Edwards was right behind her in 10th in 21:02.

Junior Reese Johnson also garnered a state medal as she was 15th in 21:28 to help the Lady Cats to an historic performance.

It was a proud moment for many in the Louisburg program, and included in that is John Reece. The longtime Wildcat head coach was all smiles following his team’s performance.

“It is 23 years the making,” coach Reece said. “You always have the plans and goals to get to state and then you get a group to go to state and do something great. This year was one of those. With the Frontier League as tough as it is, and then getting third there, put it in our heads that maybe we could do this. They all went out and ran their races, and that just shows their grit and determination and who they are.”

A week earlier, the Wildcats also made history as its was the first time in school history when they qualified the entire boys team to the state meet as they took third at regionals.

2. Boys Soccer Finishes Runner-Up At State

As the Louisburg players huddled around their state plaque, many of them looked at it in awe and wonder.

“Hey guys, we won this,” a player shouted.

The statement was obvious at the time, but nonetheless, their excitement was more than warranted.

For the first time in program history, the Louisburg boys soccer team brought home a plaque from the state final four as the Wildcats defeated Rose Hill, 3-0, on Saturday in the third place match of the Class 4-1A state tournament at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.

It was only the second time in school history that the Wildcats had it made it this far, with the other being in 2016, when they finished fourth.

“There are only six teams in the entire state that get to end their year with a win and we wanted to be one of those teams,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “We want to be able to hang up a banner on our field and we wanted a plaque so that no one can forget what these kids earned and what they did this season. I am so proud of all of them.”

It was a program defining moment for the Wildcats as they began the weekend searching for a state championship, but lost 2-0 to Bishop Miege on Friday in the semifinals. Still, recording the best finish in school history is nothing for someone to hang their head about, and the Wildcats came out Saturday wanting to make sure they brought some hardware home.

“It’s absolutely crazy to think about what we have accomplished this year, partly because I have only played soccer in high school,” senior captain Logan Faulkner said. “Bringing a state plaque back will just be a reminder of what we did and how we reached our goal.”

1. COVID-19 Cancels Spring Sports

In March, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly closed all schools for the rest of the 2019-20 school year due to the spread of COVID-19.

When most students hear school has been closed, especially in the winter, cheers erupt. In this case, however, the tone was much more somber – especially among the senior class.

Proms were canceled. Any plans they had for a graduation ceremony were put on hold, and for more than 30 seniors, their last opportunity at playing a sport at Louisburg High School was taken away.

In fact, close to 200 students were planning on participating in an activity in the spring, but with no school, the Kansas State High School Activities Association followed suit and canceled the spring season the day after Gov. Kelly’s declaration.

Students, parents and coaches alike have had to come to grips that a season they had been looking forward to all year, was never going to happen. Tears flowed, walls were punched in frustration and some were left speechless.

There would be no game days, no Senior Nights and no postseason runs. Athletes had to figure out how to cope with this fact and it was a challenge for the Louisburg girls soccer, track and field, baseball, softball, golf and swim teams.

Many of those teams had big postseason aspirations after success in 2019 and were left wondering what could have been.

Carleigh Pritchard always had a good idea of where she wanted to play volleyball and it was going to take a lot to pull her away from the school where everything seemed to fall into place.

That place is Emporia State University.

Pritchard made it official in November in front of family and friends at Louisburg High School when she signed her letter of intent to play for the Hornets. It was a moment she won’t soon forget.

“I’m so excited to have the opportunity to play collegiate volleyball,” Pritchard said. “I always knew I wanted to coach volleyball. It has been a dream of mine since I started playing volleyball, and I knew that to be a successful coach I needed to get as much experience as possible. I started the recruiting process my sophomore year, and it took off from there. It has been a dream of mine to play collegiate volleyball, I love the game and I’m so excited to see what next year brings.”

The Louisburg senior has had her eye on Emporia for a long time. Her father, Cris, played football for the Hornets and she has made several trips to the campus.

Also, the fact Emporia had her major was just icing on the cake for Pritchard as she looks to continue her volleyball career for another four years.

“I think I always knew I wanted to go to Emporia,” Pritchard said. “There are a lot of things I loved about the school. My dad played college football there and we would take a lot of trips down to campus, so I was already familiar with it. I love their campus and the town, it has a small town feel like Louisburg does. 

“I also wanted to go to that school because they have a very good education program. I want to be a teacher and they are one of the best colleges for education. I also love the team and my coaches I am going to play for.”

That team, which had to take the fall off due to COVID-19, is a regular fixture in the MIAA Tournament under coach Bing Xu, who is in his 16th season with the Hornets.

“I am so excited to play for coach Bing,” Pritchard said. “I love how he makes the team feel like one big family. He is an amazing coach and has so much knowledge about the game and I am excited to see how far he will take me and how much I’m going to improve as an athlete.”

Volleyball has been a big part of Pritchard’s life as she started playing club volleyball her freshman year along with four years of high school. Her growth has been apparent as she has earned all-league and all-state honors along the way.

Pritchard, who was the team’s starting middle hitter for most of the season, missed a few weeks due to injury, but still made a big impact for the Lady Cats. Pritchard finished the year with 169 kills and 36 blocks to go along with 17 aces.

That success led her to earn second team All-Frontier League honors and was a Class 4A honorable mention selection.

Pritchard has enjoyed her time with the Louisburg, and along with her training in the offseason, she has the opportunity to continue to play the sport she loves.

“Playing club volleyball has definitely prepared me for the next level,” Pritchard said. “I started club volleyball after my freshman high school season, and just that year alone I improved so much. Because of club volleyball and my amazing trainers, I was able to go from freshman volleyball straight to varsity my sophomore year. I am so happy I got the opportunity to play varsity three years. 

“I believe that at Louisburg, we have two of the best setters in the nation and getting the opportunity to play with them made me so much better. They made me a better hitter. Now with club volleyball, I am on a team that is for sure playing at the college level and speed. I have three of the top club coaches in the nation who know so much about the game. I know they are going to get me ready for next year.”

Although the Louisburg volleyball team saw its season come to a close a little earlier than they had hoped, several Lady Cat players were awarded with postseason honors – two in particular.

Junior Rinny McMullen was recently selected as a second team setter on the Kansas Volleyball Association All-State Team and was also named as a first team setter on the All-Frontier League Team.

Senior Carleigh Pritchard was also given both honors as she was named as an honorable mention on the KVA All-State Team and was a second team player on the All-Frontier League squad.

For McMullen, it has been a year of transition that had her become, not just a setter, but an all-around player as well. Instead of taking a step back, the Louisburg junior thrived in her new role.

Despite being on the team’s setters, McMullen led Louisburg with 207 kills on the season to go along with a team-high 439 assists. She also had 149 digs and 48 aces on the year.

“I thought Rinny had a great season,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “She definitely had a larger role this season since she became a six rotation player and contributed to the team in more ways than she has in the past. We went back and forth between a 6-2 and 5-1 offense due to Davis (Guetterman’s) injury, and Rinny did a great job of adjusting and helping to lead the team through those adjustments.”

Pritchard, who was the team’s starting middle hitter for most of the season, missed a few weeks due to injury, but still made a big impact for the Lady Cats. Pritchard finished the year with 169 kills and 36 blocks to go along with 17 aces.

“Despite Carleigh’s injury, which kept her out of 11 matches, she had a great season,” Compliment said. “She is a dynamic player and just her presence on the court helped raise the level of play of her teammates.”

The Lady Cats also earned four honorable mention spots on the All-Frontier League Team. Senior Alyse Moore, sophomore Allie Kennedy and McMullen were named as hitters, while junior Chase Kallevig was an honorable mention libero.

Moore was second on the Lady Cats with 174 kills and also played well on defense as she was second on the team with 195 digs. She also had 19 aces.

As for Kennedy, she also missed the beginning of the season due to injury, but the sophomore middle hitter still managed to come back and lead the Lady Cats with 39 blocks and finished with 147 kills.

Kallevig was a team leader on defense from her libero spot as she tallied a team high 300 digs and also had a team-best 55 aces from behind the service line.

“Just like as in past years, our league has some very tough volleyball teams and this year was no different,” Compliment said. “I think we are well represented given the level of talent within the Frontier League. I was pleased to see Alyse, Allie and Chase be recognized as well. They are each deserving of the honor and each had a great season.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL

First Team

Keyana Cruse, Bonner Springs, senior; Alli Frank, Spring Hill, senior; Jalyn Stevenson, Spring Hill, senior; Jayla Pierce, Eudora, senior; Darby Weidl, Ottawa, senior

Setter: Rinny McMullen, Louisburg, junior

Libero: Cate Milroy, Spring Hill, junior

Second Team

Carleigh Pritchard, Louisburg, senior; Kate Frakes, Spring Hill, junior; Mariyah Noel, Bonner Springs, sophomore; Chaney Barth, Baldwin, sophomore; Abby Richmond, Paola, senior

Setter: Mercedes Matlock, Bonner Springs, junior

Libero: Harper Schreiner, Eudora, junior

Honorable Mention

Rinny McMullen, Louisburg, junior; Alyse Moore, Louisburg, senior; Allie Kennedy, Louisburg, sophomore; Rylee Serpan, Spring Hill, junior; Fisayo Afonja, Baldwin, freshman; Devyn Ford, Piper, senior; Molly Olmsted, Ottawa, senior; Tessa Calovich, Tonganoxie, senior; Morgan Clark, Paola, senior

Setter: Daphne Gardner, Spring Hill, sophomore; Kirsten Evans, Ottawa, junior; Mikayla White, Paola, junior

Libero: Lexi Ziolo, Tonganoxie, senior; Brooklyn Chase, Baldwin, senior; Chase Kallevig, Louisburg, junior; Emma Stottlemire, Ottawa, junior

Louisburg senior Carleigh Pritchard records a kill past a pair of Bishop Miege blockers during the Class 4A sub-state semifinal match at Eudora High School.

EUDORA – The 2020 season brought its fair share of challenges for the Louisburg volleyball team and did so before the season even got underway.

Every team was forced to deal with the COVID-19 precautions and had the idea that its season could end prematurely. Injuries then prevented the Lady Cats from playing with their full complement of players for most of the season.

“We battled more adversities this season than any other season over the past 15 years,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “Between the challenges of COVID and our injuries, we battled each day on court and in the gym and grew as a team – probably the most that I’ve ever seen a team do. Many of the players stepped up this season and filled roles they had never played before.”

Louisburg put together a 21-win regular season and had its eyes on another state tournament appearance. The Lady Cats had another obstacle to face to get there – Bishop Miege.

The Lady Cats, who were ranked No. 4 in the state going into the Oct. 24 sub-state tournament, faced Bishop Miege, the No. 3 team in 4A, in the first round of sub-state for the second year in a row.

It may have been just the sub-state semifinals, but the two teams played to a state championship level. In the end, however, Miege had the answer as it defeated Louisburg 27-25 and 25-20 to end the Lady Cats’ season with a 21-10 record.

“The girls were disappointed by the loss,” Compliment said. “None of us were ready to see the season come to an end. Miege played really well. It is hard to beat a team that makes very few errors. I thought we played very well too. We left it all out there on the court, and it was one of our best matches this season.”

Both sets went back-and-forth and neither team could pull away from the other.

The Stags jumped out to an early 9-6 advantage, but was able to rally and take a 13-12 advantage after kills from Alyse Moore, Rinny McMullen and Allie Kennedy. Juniors Chase Kallevig and Davis Guetterman each had an ace during that run.

It was tight the rest of the way, but the Lady Cats had match point following a block from Kennedy and a kill from senior Carleigh Pritchard to go up 25-24. Miege, however, would go on to take the final three points and win the set.

“We’ll never know what could have happened if we had won that first set,” Compliment said. “Volleyball is very much a game of momentum, and losing such a close first set does sting a little. We knew we’d have to come back out and start the second set strong if we wanted a chance to win that one and force a third set. Unfortunately, Miege never let up.”

The second set actually started well as Louisburg jumped out to a 5-2 lead and led 13-12 following a kill and an ace from Moore. Kennedy and Pritchard each registered kills to stay up 15-14, but the Stags went on an 8-2 run that the Lady Cats couldn’t recover from.

Bishop Miege would go on to win the state championship over Andale last Friday in Hutchinson.

Louisburg played one of its best matches of the season defensively as the Lady Cats were constantly digging balls out of the net and diving on the floor to keep volleys alive. It was what they needed to do to stay with a powerful attacking Miege squad.

Kallevig led Louisburg with eight digs on the day, while Guetterman finished with seven. Moore also added five digs and three blocks. Kennedy led Louisburg with five blocks, while McMullen, Guetterman and Pritchard had two each.

“Over the past few weeks, we talked about how important it was to go all out defensively and to not let a ball fall to the ground untouched,” Compliment said. “The girls really embraced that challenge of leaving no ball untouched. Going up against a team that is very aggressive offensively, we knew we would need to step our defense up. I thought the players at the net did a great job of putting up some good blocks or at least getting a touch on the ball which helped slow it down.”

Offensively, the Lady Cats also played well as Guetterman led the Louisburg offensive with 10 assists and also had four aces in the two sets. McMullen added seven assists and three kills, while Pritchard had a team-high six kills and Kennedy finished with five.

Despite the early ending, the Lady Cats had a successful season and one that brought many good memories along the way.

“We had a mixture of returning starters and players who had never suited up varsity before,” Compliment said. “The way the players grew individually and as a team was amazing to watch. I was very proud of how this team handled everything this season. I’ve never had a season where the line-up changed every week. But due to injuries, we had a different line up almost weekly. They never skipped a beat though.”

Louisburg senior Alyse Moore sends a shot passed the outstretched arms of a Piper blocker Tuesday during the Lady Cats’ 3-0 win over the Pirates.

The match was more of a formality, really.

Louisburg hosted Piper in its final regular season match of the season, and win or lose, the Lady Cats would still be the No. 1 seed at this Saturday’s sub-state tournament. Still, Louisburg wanted to head into postseason play with some momentum.

Mission accomplished.

The Lady Cats (21-9) took care of business as they defeated the Pirate, 25-23, 25-12 and 25-16 and did so with their full complement of players – something that has been a rarity during the 2020 season.

Louisburg has had to deal with injuries at different points and very rarely has it played with all their pieces in place. Still, the Wildcats are healthy now and are ready to roll into the season.

“I am just really glad we made it all the way this far into the season,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “This was supposed to be our Senior Night and we moved it all the way up to the first game because we didn’t know if this night would actually happen. I am happy that we are to the point where we are still playing and we’ve had the season go as smoothly as it has. It was good to finish the regular season out with a win.”

It didn’t start out as easy as the final score indicated as Louisburg was down to Piper, 15-8, in the first set. The Lady Cats persevered as they rallied to take the set, 25-23 and took all the momentum away from the Pirates.

“What we said in the timeout was that we were all playing really tight and nervous, instead of just relaxing, taking deep breaths and playing our game,” Compliment said. “We did a better job in the second and third set of just playing more loose and aggressive, both defensively and offensively.”

Even though all the Lady Cats haven’t played together as a complete unit much this year, they looked strong against Piper. Senior Carleigh Pritchard has made her way back from injury and recorded 11 kills on the night.

Setter Davis Guetterman also went back to playing all six rotations and led Louisburg with 24 assists and also had 10 kills, three digs and three aces. The team’s other setter, Rinny McMullen, led Louisburg with 13 kills on the night and recorded 11 digs, seven assists and three aces.

Louisburg also played strong defensively as junior Chase Kallevig recorded a team-high 14 digs and senior Alyse Moore was also in double figures with 10. Moore also finished with six kills and an ace.

“Alyse really made some great plays in the back row and there were a couple of times where I didn’t know how she got a touch on that ball,” Compliment said. “Chase also does a good job with her defense on the left side. It just fun to see just the way they have evolved, especially Alyse with how she has stepped up in the last week and a half.

“With Carleigh back, and having Davis play all the way around again, it was nice to see the leadership and intensity that both of those girls bring to the court. Davis and Rinny do such a great job of bringing that calming effect out on the players and they are great leaders. Then with Carleigh back out there, she has a way a bringing everyone’s level of game back up as well.”

Now postseason play begins as Louisburg will be the No. 1 seed Saturday at the Eudora sub-state and will play the winner of the play-in game between Tonganoxie and Bishop Miege at 2 p.m. If Louisburg advances, it will play the winner between Baldwin and Eudora.

Miege is considered a favorite to advance past Tonganoxie as the Stags and Louisburg are the No. 3 and No. 4 ranked teams in Class 4A, respectively. Both teams are in the same sub-state and would play in the first round, just like a year ago when the Lady Cats knocked off Miege at the Atchison sub-state.

Louisburg and Bishop Miege faced each other in early October at the Ottawa Invitational and the Stags defeated the Lady Cats, 2-0. Still it was a match that didn’t have the complete cast of Lady Cat players.

“We knew going in that we were probably going to see Miege, we just didn’t know if it would be in the first round or later,” Compliment said. “Miege will have to win the play-in game first, but we know we can play with them and we showed that last year at sub-state. We were a different team than when we saw Miege early in the year. It is going to be a good challenge, but the girls know that they can do it.”

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week seven of the fall sports season, sponsored by Edward Jones-Craig Holtzen.

ALYSE MOORE, SENIOR, VOLLEYBALL

Senior Alyse Moore had a big week for the Louisburg volleyball team as it played six matches in span of three days and against three ranked teams. Moore helped her team all around the court as she recorded 38 digs to help the Louisburg defense, including eight in the win over No. 5 Blue Valley. She also added 35 kills at the net to guide Louisburg to a 4-2 finish on the week and a 21-9 record on the year.

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: Weston Guetterman

Week 2: Lola Edwards

Week 3: Logan Faulkner

Week 4: Rinny McMullen

Week 5: Carson Houchen

Week 6: Cade Gassman

Junior Davis Guetterman sets up teammates Alyse Moore (back) and Emma Prettyman during a match Thursday at Louisburg High School.

Playing six matches in three consecutive days, with three of those matches coming against ranked teams, the Louisburg volleyball team was certainly tested in that short span.

As it turned out, the Lady Cats finished action last week with a 4-2 record, including a win over No. 5 ranked Blue Valley in Class 6A. They also had a pair of close matches against No. 8 Blue Valley North in Class 6A and No. 6 ranked Mill Valley, even though they were their only two setbacks.

It was enough to give the Lady Cats some confidence as their regular season is winding down and their focus will soon be on the postseason.

“Last week was a very busy week,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “Between six matches and it being Homecoming week, there was a lot going on. I was extremely proud with how we showed up to play each night. We had a lot of energy and a lot of excitement going into this week.

“Outside of Basehor-Linwood, the other five teams were all ‘new’ to us this season. We saw Mill Valley once last year, but the rest of the teams haven’t been on our schedule for a long time, if ever. So seeing teams that spanned four different classifications (3A – 6A) was unique and provided us with a lot of great competition.”

Louisburg, which is currently ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, began its week with a triangular at home against Basehor-Linwood and Blue Valley. The Lady Cats got out to a good start against Basehor and held on for a 25-17, 23-25 and 25-19 victory.

Then later on in the night, the Lady Cats got the big win they were hoping for in a 25-20 and 25-20 straight set victory over Blue Valley.

“This was our third match up with Basehor, so I was proud with how the team started the night against them,” Compliment said. “We knew Blue Valley would be a tough match, but the girls rose to the occasion and played extremely well together. We found our momentum early in both sets and never let up.”

Against Basehor, junior setter Rinny McMullen led the Lady Cat attack with a team-high 12 kills, along with 11 assists. She also finished with nine digs on defense and added two aces.

Sophomore middle hitter Allie Kennedy was next on the team with nine kills and two blocks, while senior Alyse Moore had six kills and two blocks.

Defensively, junior libero Chase Kallevig had a team-high 16 digs, while Moore finished with nine as she played all six rotations. Junior setter Davis Guetterman led Louisburg with 12 assists on the night.

The Lady Cats (20-9) also got some good news on the injury front when senior middle hitter Carleigh Pritchard made her return against Blue Valley, and played in three of the six matches this past week as she continues to be on the mend.

“We are working her back into the rotation and watching her number of swings,” Compliment said. “It was good to have her back out there. Her presence helps raise the level of play of the team.”

 Pritchard made an impact against Blue Valley with six kills, but it was McMullen who continued her strong play as she led Louisburg with seven kills, a block and 13 assists.

Kennedy and sophomore Adyson Ross each had four kills and Kennedy added a team-high two blocks. Defensively, it was Moore who stepped up as she had a team-high eight digs, while Kallevig had four and Madi Quinn and Guetterman each tallied three. Kallevig also finished with two aces and Guetterman had eight assists.

Wednesday proved to be a challenging evening as the Lady Cats traveled to Mill Valley for a triangular with Blue Valley North. Louisburg took Mill Valley to three sets, before falling 25-10, 23-25 and 25-19, and later lost to Blue Valley North 26-24 and 25-17.

“It was another tough, but good night of volleyball,” Compliment said. “We struggled at times to find our rhythm, but we rebounded well and fought hard throughout each match. Taking a set away from Mill Valley and pushing the first set to 24-26 with Blue Valley North showed the level of play this team is capable of playing at.

“We’ve had different rosters and lineups almost every week this season, and each time the group on the court has risen to the occasion and played their hearts out and as a team.”

Pritchard and Kennedy led the Louisburg attack against Mill Valley with nine and seven kills, respectively, while Moore and McMullen each had five. Kennedy and senior Ali Prettyman had four and two blocks, respectively.

Kallevig had two aces and a team-high nine digs, while Quinn and McMullen also had seven digs. McMullen added two aces and Guetterman had a team-high 14 assists with five digs. 

Against Blue Valley North, Moore and Pritchard each had four kills, while Quinn and Kennedy added two aces. McMullen had a team-high six digs and Moore added five of her own. Guetterman led Louisburg with seven assists.

Louisburg had a little easier time on Thursday when it hosted Wamego and Anderson County for another triangular. The Lady Cats wasted no time with a 25-16 and 25-17 win over Wamego and followed it up with a 25-21 and 25-7 win over Anderson County.

Kennedy led Louisburg at the net against Wamego with eight kills and two blocks, while McMullen and Moore each finished with seven kills. McMullen also had a team-high three aces and Kallevig added two of her own.

Moore and Kallevig led the Lady Cat defense with seven digs each, while McMullen and Guetterman had 12 and nine assists, respectively.

Against Anderson County, Moore had a strong match with a team-high 10 kills to go along with three aces. Kennedy and McMullen finished with nine and eight kills, respectively.

Guetterman led Louisburg with 13 assists and had two aces, while Kallevig had a big match defensively with 16 digs.

It was the defense that Compliment was pleased with throughout the week and several players stepped up when it was needed most.

“I was impressed with our back row defense all week,” Compliment said. “Alyse, Chase and Madi made some great plays and kept the ball alive for us more than once. I was really impressed with Alyse this week. She’s a senior leader and has shown time again that she will give it her all for her teammates. She has stepped up offensively as well while Carleigh has been out.”

Louisburg will play its final regular season match tonight when it hosts Piper. The Lady Cats will then travel to Eudora for sub-state action on Saturday. 

The 2020 Louisburg High School fall homecoming candidates are (front row, from left) Jadyn Amren, Megan Foote, Madi Quinn, Alyse Moore; (back row) Weston Guetterman, Konnor Vohs, Ben Wiedenmann and Jay Scollin.

Homecoming week at Louisburg High School kicked off Monday and events are in full swing. With something going on every day this week, it will be a busy time for students. All of it is, of course, centered around the crowning of the 2020 fall king and queen. Eight students were selected as nominees and here are their names and profiles.

The crowning will take place on Friday before the Wildcats’ home football game with Ottawa. Kickoff for that game is set for 7 p.m., with the crowning to take place at 6:30. Good luck to all the participants and make sure to come out on Friday to support the Wildcat football team if you have the opportunity.

Jadyn Amren

Jadyn is the daughter of Mark and Carmen Amren. She has been involved with choir for four years. Jadyn has participated in cheerleading, FFA, FBLA and National Honor Society for two years. She also was a member of FCCLA for one year. Following graduation, Jadyn plans to attend Missouri State and major in nursing.

Weston Guetterman

Weston is the son of Mike and Jodi Guetterman. Weston has been involved for football, basketball and FFA for four years. He was also a member of the baseball team for two years and track for one year. After graduation, Weston plans to attend college and major in Ag Business.

Megan Foote

Megan is the daughter of Jim and Dana Foote. Megan has participated in basketball for four years, FBLA for three years, National Honor Society, choir and cross country for two years. She has also been a member of the Louisburg Interact Club and softball team for one year. After graduation, Megan plans to go to college and major in psychology or nurse anesthesia.

Konnor Vohs

Konnor is the son of Kevin and Cassi Vohs. Konnor has participated in football, basketball and FFA for four years. He has also been a member of National Honor Society and the baseball team for two years. Following graduation, Konnor plans to attend college and major in business and will shoot competitive shotguns.

Madi Quinn

Madi is the daughter of Danny and Mary Quinn. Madi has participated in volleyball, basketball, softball, student council and band for four years. She has been a member of choir/select choir for three years, along with a member of FBLA, forensics and National Honor Society for two years. Madi is has also been in the Interact Club and debate for one year. Following graduation, Madi will attend Kansas University and major in exercise science.

Ben Wiedenmann

Ben is the son of Bill and Vickie Wiedenmann. Ben has been a member of the football, wrestling and track teams for four years. He has also been a part of student council for four years. After graduation, Ben plans to attend college and is undecided on his choice.

Alyse Moore

Alyse is the daughter of Tommy and Alison Moore. Alyse has been a member of the volleyball and basketball teams for four years and has also participated in choir, the musical and student council for four years. She has been a part of the track team for three years and softball for two years. She has also been a member of National Honor Society for two years and band and FFA for one year. Following graduation, Alyse plans to attend college to continue her athletic and academic career.

Jay Scollin

Jay is the son of Jason and Kashena Scollin. Jay has been a member of the football, track and chess club for four years. He has participated in FBLA and boys volleyball for three years, along with National Honor Society an yearbook for two years. He was a member of student council, the basketball team and debate and forensics for one year. Following graduation, Jay plans to attend the University of Central Missouri and major in safety management.

Louisburg senior Ali Prettyman goes up for a kill during a match earlier this season. The Lady Cats went 3-0 during last week’s action on the road.

During Tuesday’s Frontier League match at Eudora, the Louisburg volleyball faced adversity early on.

The Lady Cats lost the first set, 25-13, and were all of a sudden behind to the No. 5 team in the state. However, No. 4 Louisburg bounced back in a big way against the Cardinals.

Louisburg won three straight sets, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-19, to pull away and secure what was a big road win to start their week.

Two days later, the Lady Cats picked up two more wins on the road as they rolled Topeka High 25-13 and 25-17 and followed it up with a 25-12 and 25-14 victory over Junction City in a triangular at Topeka High School.

Against Eudora, Louisburg (16-7) struggled to find much energy early on, but the early loss seemed to wake them up as it controlled the rest of the match.

“I thought we responded really well after the first set,” Louisburg coach Jessica Compliment said. “We found some energy that was much needed and we carried that level of energy throughout the match.”

Setters Rinny McMullen and Davis Guetterman got all of their hitters involved, and also got involved themselves at the net at times. The Lady Cats registered 45 kills and did so with their top hitter – Carleigh Pritchard – who is still out with an injury.

Along with her team-high 19 assists, McMullen also had a team-best 12 kills on the night and Guetterman tallied 18 assists. Sophomores Allie Kennedy and Emma Prettyman were also a presence at the night with eight kills each and five blocks between the two players.

Seniors Alyse Moore, Ali Prettyman and sophomore Adyson Ross each had five kills.

“Rinny and Davis continued to do a good job of managing the offense and that evening it really showed how well they run the offense,” Compliment said. “Carleigh amounts for a large portion of our offense, and without her we needed others to step up. Rinny and Davis moved the ball around well to the other hitters, and they in turn stayed aggressive at the net.”

The Lady Cats were also strong behind the service line as they had eight aces, including two each from McMullen, Guetterman and junior Chase Kallevig.

Kallevig also led the Louisburg defense with a team-high 17 digs and Moore finished with 12. McMullen and Guetterman both had 10.

On Thursday, the Lady Cats traveled to Topeka and weren’t challenged in the pair of wins over Class 6A programs.

“We did a good job of playing each match all the way through without many changes in momentum,” Compliment said. “If we lost the serve, we did a good job of siding out quickly and regaining the serve.”

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going beginning today in what is a busy week for the program. The Lady Cats will host Basehor-Linwood and Blue Valley in a triangular at 4:30 p.m. tonight, and then will travel to Mill Valley tomorrow for a triangular with Blue Valley North.

The Lady Cats will then host Anderson County and Wamego on Thursday.