Athletic Lady Panthers to leave mark on volleyball program

Though the Mountain Grove Lady Panthers’ volleyball team has some changeover in both staff and key positions on the court, there is a lot of optimism that the 2025 fall squad will leave their own mark this season.
Taking over is new head coach Bobbi Jo Bayer.
Bayer comes over to the Lady Panthers after leading Summersville to the district title game a season ago.
As a player, Bayer earned two All-American titles at the community college level.
She later coached as an assistant for that same level. She then coached a prestigious club called the Vegas Aces in Las Vegas, Nev.
Though they lost Missouri State University Beach standout Raylee Stenzel to graduation, the Lady Panthers will still have some pop around the net.
Sophee Peterson will be making her presence felt on the outside after tallying 90 kills in 2024.
Junior Aubrie Gerla also returns as she will be setting the table all season long coming off a year where she had 932 total assists.
Other key returners are Addy Watson, Kylie Roth, Hadley Driskell and Rowen Kelly. Newcomers who may see time on the court include Lyla Golden, Braylee Shannon, Aubrey Owens, Elley Criner, Kaylee Virtue and Hannah Dowden.
Overall, the Lady Panthers have won three straight district championships.