Fort Scott moves atop SEK volleyball standings

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School's volleyball team beat Independence and Labette County in three games each here Thursday night and moved atop the Southeast Kansas League standings.

The Tigers (4-0 SEK, 15-7 overall) defeated the host Bulldogs (2-2, 14-9) in the opening match, 25-17, 21-25, 25-22. Halsey dished 22 assists. Shelton had 11 kills and 9 blocks. Megan McDermed had 3 kills and 2 digs and Carpenter had 2 digs.

"We never led our intensity level drop in the Indy game," Bingesser said. "The girls were extremely focused."

The Tigers then went out and beat Labette County, 25-20, 21-25, 25-55. Against the Grizzlies (2-2, 8-14), Mallory Shelton had 9 blocks and 6 kills. Libby Halsey had 16 assists. Marliss Allen served 4 aces, Sammi Therwhanger served 3 and Jenna Campbell 2. Courtney Carpenter and Marliss Allen each had 2 digs.

"The girls played smart," Fort Scott head coach Carol Bingesser said. "They whole night, they kept the intensity up and that's what put us above both Indy and Labette County."

Bingesser noted that Shelton was able to shut down Labette County's left-side attacker and that Therwhanger had "superior" passes to the setter, Halsey.

In the final match, Labette County swept Independence, 25-22, 25-14. Indy came into this triangular tied atop the standings with Fort Scott and Chanute.

A flu outbreak at Chanute High School, where the Blue Comets were set to host Pittsburg and Coffeyville, forced a triangular there to be postponed, so the Tigers are currently alone atop the league standings. Chanute follows at 2-0, 13-6 and Parsons is third at 3-1, 13-6. No make-up date has been made for this triangular and there isn't any word as of this writing if the Chanute Tournament this Saturday will be affected.

The Tigers will be at home Thursday for a league triangular with Pittsburg and Columbus. Play is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at the FSHS gymnasium.