Tie-breaker gives PHS 2nd seed in region tourney

Posted 10/27/15

Powell (10-15 overall, 4-2 in Class 3A Northwest) closed regular-season play with a three-game sweep of the Lander Tigers on Saturday after falling to a tough Jackson team in four sets on Friday.

The Panthers finished in a tie with Lovell, which …

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Tie-breaker gives PHS 2nd seed in region tourney

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The Powell Panthers earned the second seed in the regional tournament after splitting two conference matches over the weekend.

Powell (10-15 overall, 4-2 in Class 3A Northwest) closed regular-season play with a three-game sweep of the Lander Tigers on Saturday after falling to a tough Jackson team in four sets on Friday.

The Panthers finished in a tie with Lovell, which will take the No. 1 seed into the regional tournament due to better results against common opponents.

Friday’s 3-1 loss to Jackson may have hurt Powell’s seeding, but Powell head coach Morgan Kistler was satisfied with the way her team challenged the visitors.

“I thought we played well, for the most part,” Kistler said. “Jackson is a scrappy, scrappy team, and both teams played hard.”

The Panthers fell behind midway through each of the first two sets, staying within three points of the Broncs early in the first set. Jackson went ahead by five at, 14-9, but the Panthers fought back, cutting the lead to 14-12. A Breanna Donarski kill, two aces by Tayli Stenerson and blocks by Donarski and Dani Asay kept it close, but a 9-2 Broncs run helped the visitors secure a 25-10 first-set win.

The story was much the same in set two. After the teams dueled to a 6-6 tie, the Broncs grabbed a lead, and while the Panthers stayed close, they never caught up. Jackson took its biggest lead at 24-18, and again Powell attempted to come back after a kill by Asay. Donarski spotted an opening in the Jackson defense and tipped the ball for a point, but it was the last one the Panthers could muster and the Broncs took a 2-0 lead with the 25-21 win.

Set three belonged to the Panthers, who took an early lead and never trailed as they rolled over the Broncs. Anissa Warner set the tone by slamming the ball down for the first point of the set, and scored the second point with a gentle tap that eluded the Bronc defense. A Nikkole Schneider kill followed by three unanswered points by Warner built a seven point lead for PHS. When the score reached 14-8, Emily Herman, Warner, and Donarski all contributed kills as the Panthers reeled off five unanswered points on the way to a 25-14 win.

The win gave the Panthers new energy that helped them take an early lead that grew to as many as six points in set four. This time, though, the Broncs rallied to tie the match and eventually took a 17-15 lead. Then it was the Panthers’ turn to rally and take a 19-17, but Jackson again went up two, at 21-19. Jackson scored the final three points of the set to clinch the match 25-22.

The difficult loss might have led to a letdown on Saturday, and the Panthers started out slowly in the first set against Lander. Despite a few miscues, Powell took an early lead and steadily worked it to 13-9. Lander got one point back, but on the next rally a hit by Schneider touched a Tiger before it went out of bounds, giving Powell a sideout. The Panthers followed with four more points to take the lead, and after losing another point, they added three more to lead 21-11. The Tigers rallied to cut the lead to five before a Donarski kill stopped the run. Stenerson served and made two digs in the next rally that produced the Panthers’ 23rd point. The Panthers scored again by forcing a sideout, and Lander’s attempt to return Kinsy Ashby’s serve sailed out of bounds to score set point and give the Panthers a 25-18 win.

Lander made a determined effort at evening the match in set two. The teams battled back and forth early in the set, before the Tigers took a slim lead that grew to as many as four points before a block by Warner and Mallory Triplett cut the lead to 17-14. Powell scored three more off the serve of Jordan Walsh, who also recorded two digs during one rally that ended with the teams tied at 17. A kill by Schneider gave the Panthers a brief lead, but a block attempt by Powell went out of bounds to tie the score again. Lander took the lead on the next serve, but Asay’s block tied it again. The Panthers went up by two only to see Lander come back with three points to take a 23-21 lead. That was all for Lander, though. After Powell gained a side out, Donarski again found an open spot to place the ball, Richelle Phister made a kill after a long rally and a Lander hit out of bounds scored set point for the Panthers’ 25-23 win.

Kistler said the Panthers might have taken Lander too lightly after winning the first set.

“I think the girls were having too much fun,” she said. “It was nice to see them come back and finish the job.”

Warner recorded a kill and made two blocks and Asay contributed a kill as Powell built a 7-2 lead. Lander never came closer than four points after that, and the Panthers extended the lead to 16-7. Lander cut the lead to 16-10, but Powell closed the match with a 9-3 run for a 25-13 win in the set.

Kistler said all the Panthers played well during the weekend, and she is looking forward to tournament action this weekend.

“I think we’re ready,” she said. “We have to win two before we lose two. They have that etched on their brains.”

Powell’s first challenge will be against Mountain View, a team they lost to at the conference duels two weeks ago.

“That’s a good game for us,” Kistler said. “We were kind of shell-shocked when we lost to them, because we lost Breanna (Donarski) early in the match.”

Donarski turned an ankle in that match and sat out as a precaution. Mountain View has some size the Panthers will have to deal with, but Kistler said they will work on adjustments in practice this week.

The Panthers could meet Jackson at the tournament, but Kistler believes her team is up to the task.

“I think we’re ready to play Jackson again,” she said.

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