PHS sweeps Lovell to improve to 12-1

Each set took a little longer — each result was the same.

The Powell High School volleyball team allowed Lovell to push a little further into each game Tuesday, but the end result still favored PHS in a 25-16, 25-18, 25-20 home-opening 3A West Conference victory over the Bulldogs.

“Lovell is scrappy and they weren’t going to give up,” said Panthers coach Cindi Smith. “But our girls really have that focus on the fact that, [rallies will] happen in this game. They just needed to regroup and push ahead, and that’s what they continue to do.”

PHS (12-1, 1-0) cruised in the first set, leading by five or more points for the back half of the game. After consecutive errors made it 22-16, Breanna Donarski and Megan Wagner knocked down consecutive kills to go with a Lovell error that sealed the first set.

The story was nearly the same in the second game, as the Panthers at one point led 20-10 on one of sophomore Kalina Smith’s 14 booming kills. A ferocious attack appeared to be a point of emphasis for PHS, who again ended the set after back-to-back spikes, this time from Donarski and Anissa Warner.

“I think we were just really excited to come out and  play on our home court for the first time,” Kalina Smith said. “I still think we played really well. It took us a little while to get going, and it always seems to for us. But we always seem to find a way to pull it out.”

That was exactly what the Panthers had to do in the decisive set.

It appeared PHS slipped into cruise control after Kalina Smith’s kill pushed the Panther advantage to 18-13, as Lovell (12-2, 0-1) proceeded to reel off a 6-1 run to pull within one. Bulldogs senior Emilee Reasch collected three kills during the move.

But after MyKelle Nichols’ spike stayed just inside the left boundary line to make it a 22-20 PHS lead, two Lovell errors and a Donarski kill sent PHS to victory.

“Powell is a very good team. We knew they’d be tough to beat,” Douglas coach Stormy Jameson said. “I’m glad we were able to give them a fight there at the end, but errors were an issue for us tonight. It was too little too late.”

Both of Lovell’s losses this season have come at the hands of the Panthers.

Donarski finished with seven kills on the night while Wagner added six. Jenni Ebersberger continued to be a force on defense with 22 kills, while Donarksi chipped in 17. Warner led the team with four blocks.

The Panthers will look to continue their hot start when they travel to Rawlins High School for the Rawlins Invite on Friday and Saturday.

“We’re happy with where we are, but we know we can get better,” Kalina Smith said. “We just need to keep pushing and improving until we’re as good as we can be at state.”