PHS has sweep dreams at Cody

Posted 10/21/14

After sweeping the Fillies in Powell on Sept. 18, preventing Cody from surpassing 15 points in any of the three games in the process, visiting PHS was given a much harder time on the road Thursday during Cody’s Senior Night at Sweitzer Gym.

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PHS has sweep dreams at Cody

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Panther volleyball takes season series from Fillies, then downs Lovell

CODY — The Powell High School volleyball team’s second match against Cody this season played out much differently than the first.

Until the end.

After sweeping the Fillies in Powell on Sept. 18, preventing Cody from surpassing 15 points in any of the three games in the process, visiting PHS was given a much harder time on the road Thursday during Cody’s Senior Night at Sweitzer Gym.

PHS used a lucky break to win set one and had to fend of a feisty Cody squad in set three before sealing a 25-23, 25-6, 25-22 3A Northwest Conference victory.

“We knew Cody was going to be fired up to play us, especially at home on their senior night,” Panther sophomore Kalina Smith said. “It was important for us to stay composed and feed off of each other, and I think we did a pretty good job of that.”

PHS started the first set well, taking a 6-3 lead early, but after consecutive Panther kills made it a 10-6 cushion, the Fillies flexed their muscles.

Back-to-back PHS errors preceded a Cody block and a kill from Emily Reed that knotted the game at 10. Two more errors and a spike from Jessica Dollard suddenly had Cody (1-3, 12-13) ahead 13-10.

After some back-and-forth, two straight blocks from Smith tied the set again at 17. The game continued that way until Scout Vannoy recorded an ace to save Cody and tie the game once more at 23.

But on the next volley, Megan Wagner’s return was initially ruled out of bounds to put the hosts in set-point position. But during a time out, the decision was reversed and it was ruled that Cody had touched the ball, giving PHS the tally. Kelsey Marchant then ended the game with an ace.

“We got a big break there, and I’m proud of the girls for capitalizing on it,” Panthers coach Cindi Smith said. “And I’m proud of the girls for how they responded after that tough first set.”

PHS avoided another tense situation in the second game, dominating the Fillies after Dollard cut the Panther advantage to 15-6 with a kill. PHS went on to score the final 10 points of the game to secure the victory. Kalina Smith notched three kills and two blocks during the big run and finished with team highs of 13 and five, respectively, for the match.

As dominant as PHS looked in the second half, Cody attempted to match that intensity in the third set, and did so early on.

Four straight miscues from Smith saw the young athlete punt the ball into the stands out of frustration as the Fillies earned a quick 6-2 lead. But Smith bounced back with a kill right after to start a 5-1 run to get the Panthers going.

“We could tell Kalina was a little down and flustered, but we have to pick each other up in those situations,” said PHS senior Megan Wagner, who finished behind Smith with 12 kills. “When we stick together, we can work through tough stretches.”

Wagner added a kill during the Panthers’ early run, and collected another moments later to make it 11-7 in favor of PHS. But Cody continued to fight, reeling off a 7-3 run of its own to tie the set at 14. Vannoy’s ace preceded a side out from the Panthers to knot things.

But PHS used one final push, this one an 11-6 spurt, to earn the victory. Wagner and Breanna Donarski earned spikes near the end, and Cody’s return volley on match point sailed out of bounds to send PHS home happy.

“It’s always good to beat your rival,” Wagner added. “And we really worked hard for this one. We get down, but we never stay down and that’s what we showed tonight.”

Jenni Ebersberger posted 22 digs and three aces, while Donarski and Smith had 10 and nine digs, respectively.

PHS followed its victory at Cody with a big 20-25, 25-14, 25-21, 26-24 win Friday at No. 5-ranked Lovell.

Against Lovell (20-8, 1-3), Smith led her team with 25 kills, and she and Anissa Warner both tallied three blocks and five assists. Ebersberger notched 26 digs while Donarski had 20. Donarski also had a team-high three aces.

The Panthers’ two victories pushed their season record to 25-2 overall and 5-0 in the 3A Northwest Conference.

PHS’s final regular season game is Saturday, when the Panthers travel to Lander Valley for a 1:30 p.m. matchup.

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