The North Platte volleyball team’s (2-24-1) season came to an end when the Lady Panthers ran into second-seeded East Buchanan (28-5-1) and were swept in the opening round of the Class 2 District 16 Tournament on Oct. 22.
North Platte lost in three sets and struggled in the opening one as East Buchanan won 25-6. The Lady Panthers scored more points in each set, but ultimately were swept as they lost set two 25-10 and set three 25-12.
Kinsey Niedfeldt led the way with five kills and one ace, while Kayla Humes also had an ace. Kylee Sipes had 11 digs and Bailey Richardson had five assists.
North Platte came up short in its last 11 matches of the regular season, including a 3-0 loss to West Platte (15-11-4) in the regular season finale on Oct. 18. The Lady Panthers put up a fight and were unable to win a single set, losing by scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-13.
In that match, Niedfeldt and Ariana Miller each had three kills while Sipes had 12 digs. Kate Richardson finished with three aces and Bailey Richardson dished out eight assists.
North Platte brought back six of its top-10 players from a year ago, including seniors Bailey Richardson, Brooke Meadows and Allison Morelock. While the Lady Panthers only won two matches this year, they will look for improvement with underclassmen stepping up next fall.