The Powell Panthers volleyball team collected a second conference win on a weekend that saw the standings tighten.

The Panthers' win over Lander, coupled with Cody’s loss at Lovell, leaves both the Panthers and the Fillies with 2-1 records in the race for top seed from the Northwest at the Regional Tournament later this month.

The Panthers took an easy win in the first set at Lander, 25-21. Lander stayed a little closer in set two before losing 25-15, and Powell avoided a third-set let down and swept the match with a 15-18 win.

“The girls all played well,” Powell High School head coach Morgan Kistler said. “They all knew what their jobs were and they did them well.”

Kistler had a luxury volleyball coaches don’t often have, giving her entire team time on the court.

“A lot of kids played and everybody got some experience,” she said. “They all had a chance to improve. It was a fun weekend.”

Senior Anissa Warner led the offense with nine kills, senior Breanna Donarski followed with six and junior Dani Asay had five.

Warner added seven blocks, Donarski had three and Asay had two.

Senior setter Richelle Phister led the Panthers with 10 assists while Donarski dished out eight.

The win following last weekend’s five-set win over Buffalo provides a boost for the Panthers as they approach the end of the regular season. Kistler added that “a cold went through the team” last week, but the girls played through it.

“That was a huge win against Buffalo, and it was a great confidence builder,” Kistler said.

That confidence will be important because it looks as though the conference will go down to the wire, Kistler said.

Before they take on their Northwest Conference rivals for the second time, the Panthers will travel south this weekend to get a look at the teams from the southwest. The girls have played against both Pinedale and Jackson, and Kistler said she has seen Mountain View play, but this will be her first chance to see the Star Valley Braves, who lead the Southwest Conference with a 3-0 record.

Kistler said Mountain View has a notable tall player, but she thinks the Panthers will match up with them.

“They’re a pretty well-rounded team and I think we’re pretty equally matched,” Kistler said.

The next home action for the Panthers will be Oct. 15, when the Cody Fillies visit Powell for a rematch that could go a long way in deciding the Northwest’s top seed at regionals. On Oct. 16, they will try to repeat their win over Lovell in the Bulldogs’ home gym.