VOLLEYBALL RECAPS

10.17.19 THE JOUNEY ENDS FOR LADY PANTHERS

The lady panthers had hoped to extend their season one more match, that didn’t happen. Although they played pretty well against the lady knights, they fell 3-1. Parkway stormed out of the gate and took control of the first game. The ladies were returning most shots and killing it at the net. That led to a panther win in game one by a 25-22 count and giving them a 1-0 lead in the match. But the lady knights went on a run to start the second game and quickly won the set. After two sets, we were tied at one apiece. It was a back and forth affair in the third set, Possibly the longest of the night also. Points were traded nearly one for one until late in the game. Crestview pulled away to a 25-22 win and a 2-1 advantage in the match. Macy Johnson and Sophia Miller were playing really well at the net against the knights. Johnson even finished the night with 18 kills in the match. With Crestview having a 2-1 lead, Parkway needed to win the next set to continue their season. It was a total team effort against Crestview, but it just wasn’t enough to get the victory and move on in the tournament. Parkway battled tough to the end, which was a final score of 25-18 in the fourth set of the match. In their final game as a panthers, Grace Rogers finished the night with 35 assists, McKenna Johnson had 13 kills and Kris Kirby had 21 digs. Although it wasn’t the way the ladies wanted the season to go, this was a fun team to watch grow as they progressed through the season.

10.16.19 PANTHERS ADVANCE TO FACE LADY KNIGHTS

In the opening round of tournament play, the panthers hosted the lower seeded Temple Christian Pioneers. Parkway won easily in three sets as the pioneers weren’t much competition. With scores of 25-5, 25-5 and 25-7, the panthers will move on to play Crestview in a second round match. Kris Kirby had 6 digs on the night and Grace Rogers finished with 18 assists on the evening. Rogers and McKenna Johnson each had 3 services aces against the pioneers. Macy Johnson also had a good night at the net with 10 kills. It won’t be so easy on Thursday night against the lady knights. Anytime that the panthers play the knights, it’s a rivalry game. So it will be an intense match for the underdogs from Rockford. That match will be at St. Henry High School at 5;30 p.m. on Thursday.

10.11.19 SENIOR NIGHT HEARTBREAKER CLOSES REGULAR SEASON

This wasn’t they way that seniors Grace Rogers, Sophia Miller, Kris Kirby, McKenna Johnson and Ansly Burtch wanted to finish the season. But these ladies are fighters and they fought till the very end. The regular season came to a close with a heartbreaking 5 game loss on senior night to an evenly matched Minster squad. This matched was a battle in every game as the teams traded the lead often. Parkway seemed to be just a step behind the wildcats in each of the first 2 games. Dropping them by scores of 25-23 and 25-22. The wildcats needed just one more game to get on the bus with a victory. But Parkway regrouped and weren’t going away that easy. As in the first two games, the ladies battled and then pulled ahead for a 25-17 win to keep the match going. The panthers stormed out in the fourth game and kept the pressure on Minster. Parkway finished the game with a 25-21 score to tie the match at 2 games each. With all the momentum on the Parkway side, they were primed to get the victory. We knew this match would go to the wire and that’s just how it finished. Minster jumped out to a 5-1 advantage, but the panthers battled back to close the gap. With the panther fans on the edge of their seats, in a matter of minutes the match slipped away. The wildcats went on a run to earn a hard fought M.A.C. victory. With a 15-11 score, Parkway saw the match slip away. The ladies fought so hard in their match, just as they have all season. This was the fourth match this season that Parkway has had go 5 games. The also had several that were very close losses. The ladies finish the regular season with an 8-13 record, but they are much, much better than their record.

10.8.19 #9 RANGERS MAKE QUICK WORK OF PANTHERS

The lady panther hit the road for a trip toNew Knoxville for a match with the lady rangers. The rangers broke into the top 10 rankings at # 9 yesterday. Then last night had a tough loss to Lincolnview in 5 sets after leading 2-0. They were clearly ready to take out their frustrations on the panthers. The first set was a battle back and forth until late in the game when the rangers won 25-18. Parkway battled well and started the second set off trying to set the tone. But the lady rangers were winning the game at the net and quickly jumped out in front. The rangers had the panthers reeling and took a 2-0 lead after winning the set 25-15. The rangers seemed to get stronger as the match went on. In the third set the panthers just fell apart and had trouble handling the strong serves from the rangers. New Knoxville made quick work of it and won the set 25-10 and the match 3-0. Parkway falls to 8-12 and will host Minster on Thursday for senior night.

10.3.19 PANTHERS SEND BLUE JAYS TO THE CELLAR

As the season winds down for the lady panthers, they got a much needed win on Thursday evening. It was a match for a spot that neither team wanted, the cellar of the MAC. With a three game victory, the panthers insured that they wouldn’t be in last place. St. Johns battled hard in all three games. Just when it looked as if the panthers would run away, the blue jays would reel them in. The lady jays really pushed Parkway in the third game of the match. The panthers had six point advantage when Delphos made a run and cut it to just a point. But a Macy Johnson kill put an end to the blue jays hopes. Parkway won the match 3-0 with games of 25-20, 25-19 and 25-23. Leading the way with 14 kills was Macy Johnson and big sis McKenna had 11 kills. Kris Kirby had 18 digs on the night. Grace Rogers finished the night with a whopping 37 assists.Parkway moves to 8-11 on the season with just 2 more regular season matches left.

9.26.19 PARKWAY BATTLES #1 SKINS TOUGH

The lady panthers battled hard against the top ranked team in the state in division IV. It was the one loss St. Henry redskins that handed Parkway their sixth loss in a row. Five of those losses were to state ranked teams. Parkway was up to the task in the first game, they battled and kept pace with the redskins and even held the lead for most of the game. But St. Henry forged ahead to win the initial set 25-22. From the start of the second set till the end, the panthers were well behind the visitors. The redskins cruised to a 25-16 win in the second set, to take a 2-0 lead in the match. It looked as if the tank was empty for the host panthers. But they were not done fighting, they were down but not out just yet. St. Henry and Parkway traded points all the way to 20 and at one point “ole Moe” was on the Parkway side. The lady panthers were scratching and clawing until the end. Then St. Henry pulled away and finished the panthers off with a 25-20 win in the third and final set. Parkway dug deep when they needed to and played toe to toe with the #1 team tonight. Keeping pace for most of the match and they played well, even though they took the loss. Gracyn Temple had a big night at the net with 8 kills to lead the panthers. The Johnson girls each add 7 kills on the evening. Those ladies looked to Grace Rogers when they need set up, she was there with 25 assists on the night. The skins’ had some power behind their kills and Kris Kirby was on the recieving end of a fair amount of them. She led the team with 14 digs on the night to keep the ball in play.The ladies fall to 7-11 on the season and will face the St. Johns lady ‘jays next Thursday.

9.24.19 T-BIRDS SOAR TO VICTORY OVER PANTHERS

It was the annual “Family” match as the lady panthers hosted the lady T-birds of Lima Central Catholic. Parkway had a rough schedule last week as they faced three ranked squads. But having a couple days off, they still came out flat and sluggish in the first game. LCC quickly jumped out to a lead and cruised to a first set 25-14 victory to go up one to zero. Parkway started out slow, but then came to life in the second game. It was close as they traded points, then the thunder birds started to pull away. Needing just two points to win the set, LCC saw the panthers storm back and pull too within just a point. Parkway had the momentum and were only down 23-24 and looking to tie the score. But a dribbler that barely made it across the net, fell just inside the line to push the lady birds ahead 25-23. That gave the visitors a 2-0 lead as we headed to the third set. The lady T-birds kept the panthers heads on a swivel all night as they were returning most of the kill shots that parkway attempted. Parkway stayed within striking distance until LCC got to 20 points and then they pulled ahead to get the win. After pushing the score to 25-20, the T-birds closed out the match with a 3-0 win over the panthers. Grace Rogers was all over the court as she finished with 23 assists in the match. Kris Kirby led the way in the dig column with 12 on the night and Macy Johnson garnered 14 kills in the match. Parkway falls to 7-10 on the season and will face the #1 team in the state in St. Henry on Thursday.

9.17.19 #4 CARDS DOMINATE PANTHERS AT THE NET

It was another typical night of volleyball for the panthers as they hosted the #4 ranked state power New Bremen. The lady panthers were coming off of a long five set match on Monday evening. It showed as they came out a little flat in the first game of the night. It was a fairly easy set for the cardinals as they won it 25-13. The play at the net from the cards was overwhelming for parkway. Nearly every kill was sent back over the net with much more force than when the panthers hit the ball. New Bremen would set up for the block with three players, making it near impossible to get a kill. But Parkway shook off the first game and battled nose to nose with the cards in the second game. Keeping pace for most of the set, until New Bremen pulled away for a 25-21 win. But the scrappy panthers wouldn't go away, as they battled to the end. Parkway continued to go toe to toe with New Bremen in the third game. Eventually the hosts just couldn't keep up with the cardinals, as the net play from New Bremen was overwhelming. The panthers dropped the match 3-0 and fall to 7-9 on the season. They will travel to Versailles next for a match with yet another state ranked squad.

9.16.19 PANTHERS UPSET BID FALLS SHORT

The schedule for the ladies is a rough one this week, as they will face three ranked volleyball teams. Parkway started off their week nearly upsetting the #18 ranked Lincolnview Lancers. The panthers jumped out in the first game to a big 9-1 lead, sending the message that they came ready to play. The lancers responded well, but Parkway won the first set 25-20. In the second set, it looked as if Lincolnview would run away with a win. But the panthers pulled all the way to within 2 points. The hosts won the set 25-23 to make it one game apiece. The lady lancers were in a groove and rolled to a 25-17 win in the third game. Parkway looked a little flat and were just one game from taking the loss. In the fourth game they came to life, returning nearly everything that the lancers threw at them. That lead to a 25-22 win for the visitors, tying the score at 2-2. Both teams had some really nice play at the net throughout the contest. The fifth and final game was neck and neck midway through, but then the lancers took control of the game for a 15-8 win. It was a battle and a good match, the panthers played well. Macy Johnson and Faith Jacobs were both on top their game with 14 kills each. Kris Kirby was all over the court as she racked up 19 digs tonight. Grace Rogers stymied the lancers with 5 aces and she also tallied 21 assists on the night. The panthers fall to 7-8 on the season as they will face the #2 New Bremen Cardinals on Tuesday.

9.12.19 LADIES BATTLE HARD, BUT FALL TO FLYERS

Another ranked team on the schedule, just another night of Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball. Parkway ventured out for a match against the lady flyers at the "hangar" in Maria Stein. The visitors kept pace with the flyers until midway through the first game. That's when the flyers attacked the net and moved past the panthers. With a 25-15 score in the first game, it was looking Parkway would falter in quick sets. But the ladies were undeterred and jumped out to a lead in the second game. We went back and forth, trading the lead and then Parkway tied the match at one all with a 25-22 win. The panthers came back in the third game with just as much intensity. Their host knew by this point that they were going to have to fight for a win. With the third game ending in a 25-22 score, the flyers took a two games to one advantage. Faith Jacobs and Macy Johnson were giving the flyers all they wanted with their play at the net. Although McKenna Johnson had seven aces, it wasn't enough for the panthers to get a victory. Parkway dropped the fourth and final set by a 25-20 count. Although they lost the match, they were playing in sync for most of the match. The lady flyers kept Kris Kirby busy with their kill shots, but she finished the night with 18 digs. Grayson Temple set up many scoring plays with her 19 assists in the contest. Parkway falls to 7-7 on the season with the loss.

9.6.19 PANTHERS FINISH 4TH AT PIONEER DAYS INVITE

The lady panthers started the season on a hot streak and jumped out to 5-0. But then came the tough part of their schedule. Following three straight losses to Ft. Recovery, South Adams and Coldwater, the panthers were looking to get back in the win column. Heading into the Pioneer Days Invtie at Kalida, it looked promising that they could go 2-1 on the day. In the first match with the Bath wildkittens, the panthers were pushed into a third set. Parkway battled hard and came away with a win to advance to the semi-finals. In the semi final match they would play a much improved Fairview team. Parkway started the first game building a nice lead, but then the Apaches fought back to get a 26-24 win. That was the turning point for Parkway, they just went flat from there on out. Fairview won the second game by a 25-18 count to win the match 2 games to none for the panthers. Sitting at 1-1 on the day, they could still come away with a positive outcome with a win. The lady black knights had other plans. They were in control for bath games of the match and came away with a 2-0 win. That gave Parkway a 1-2 record for the invitational. The panthers are now 6-5 on the season and will host the lady knights from Convoy on Monday evening.

9.3.19 STARS DEAL PANTHERS TOUGH LOSS

Coming off of their first loss of the season, the panthers were ready to get back in the win column. It was a battle from start to finish for the panthers. South Adams jumped out to an early lead in the initial set, but Parkway battled back for a 25-23 win. The second game was just as intense as the first and it also finished with the visitors getting the 25-23 win. Up two games to zero, the panthers just needed on more game for the victory. Then the lady starfires regrouped and won the third game 25-18. Still up 2-1, parkway still needed just one more game to get their sixth win of the season. The fourth game brought us a back and forth contest from start to finish. With the lead, parkway just needed to finish strong for the win. But the stars pulled off the comeback and finished the game with a 25-23 win. Tied at two apiece, we were headed to a deciding fifth set. Parkway start off strong and had built a slight advantage. But then the bottom fell out as South Adams stormed back to secure the victory by a score of 15-12. Giving the visitors a 3-2 loss and moving them to a 5-2 record. Macy Johnson finished with 17 kills and Faith Jacobs had 11.
Gracyn Temple led the way with 20 assists and Grace Rogers added 18 on the evening. The stars net play kept Kris Kirby busy as she tallied 23 digs while McKenna Johnson finished with 2 service aces in the contest.Up next for the panthers is the ever tough Colwater cavaliers at home.

8.29.19 PARKWAY SUFFERS FIRST LOSS OF SEASON

The lady panthers hit the road for the first league match of the season. It would be a tall task for parkway if they were going to continue their winning ways. The Indians have several ladies well over six feet and they set the tone early with their net play. The panthers had no answer for the offensive fire power of the Indians. They tried to return the ball, but it was like missiles coming at them. Not only were the Fort Recovery playing above the nets, they were bringing it with plenty of power. The Indians won the first game by a count of 25-10, leaving the panthers just shaking their heads. It was much of the same in the second game, even though the visitors battled hard. It looked as if the third game would go the panthers way early on, but Ft. Recovery pulled ahead for a 25-19 win. The Indians won the M.A.C. opener three games to none, giving the panthers their first loss on the season. The jayvees also lost to the host lady Indians. Grace Rogers had 8 assists for the panthers while McKenna Johnson finished with 2 service aces. Faith Jacobs finished the match with 8 kills and Kris Kirby had 14 digs on the night.

8.27.19 LADY PANTHERS DOWN THE FLYING JETS

The Adams Central lady jets crossed the border with intentions of taking a victory back to Indiana. Parkway wasn't about to let that happen though, as they continued on their winning streak. The jets had players with good height, but they were up against the heavy hitters for Parkway. The panthers made it clear early on that the net belonged to them. The visitors kept the first game close, but couldn't stop the panthers from winning it 25-18. In the second game, the jets jumped out to a minimal lead early on. The panthers battled back and forth in the second game and came out on top by a count of 25-20. Up two games to none, parkway continued to pound the net in the third set. Adams Central battled hard though and didn't make it easy on the panthers. Parkway outlasted the jets in the period and won 25-19. With the 3-0 win, the lady panthers move to 5-0 and will travel to Ft. Recovery for their first M.A.C. match of the season. There are several ladies that played well at the net tonight, but Macy Johnson led the way with 8 kills, Gracyn Temple and Faith Jacobs each added 7 kills. Grace Rogers had 15 assists and Temple chipped in with 11 assists. Kris Kirby scooped 18 digs on the evening to boost the panthers offense. The Johnson sisters also combined for 7 service aces against the jets. The jayvees also were victorious in two sets. With a stellar second set that the panthers won 29=27.

8.26.19 BIG GREEN BATTLED HARD, PANTHERS PREVAIL

Parkway hit the road for the first time this season and both the varsity and jayvees came home with the victory over the lady big green. The first set went back and forth throughout, until the panthers finally pulled away for a 25-20 win. It looked as if the big green were giving up in the second set. Parkway went on several runs in the set on their way to a 25-12 win. Up two games to zero, the panthers had it set on cruise control for the victory. But Ottoville wasn't going away that easy as the battled and fought hard in the third set. It was much like the first game, but once again the lady panthers pulled away to win the set 25-20. Parkway won the match 3-0 and move to 4-0 on the season. Kris Kirby had a busy day with the shovel, tallying 16 digs. Grace Rogers had 19 assists and McKenna Johnson added 7 aces in the serving category. The panthers also were strong at the net against a tall front line of Ottoville. McKenna Johnson had 11 kills while Macy Johnson finished with 10. Faith Jacobs also contributred with 8 kill shots on the evening. The jayvees also defeated Ottoville by a 2-0 count.

8.25.19 PANTHERS START SEASON 3-0, WIN INVITATIONAL

The ladies took to the court for the first time this season and walked away with the Panther Invitational Championship. Starting the season with hard fought 3-0 record. They jumped out early and often in the days first set over Hardin Northern. They went on an 18-1 run behind the service show from Grace Rogers. The panthers won the first set 25-2, but the lady polar bears battled hard in the second set. But Parkway prevailed wining the set 25-21 and the match 2-0.
Next up for the panthers were the Elida Bulldogs. Elida jumped out to a sizable lead, catching Parkway off balance. The ladies battled and worked their way back to even with Elida. Back and forth we went, trading points until Parkway won 26-24. The second set was nearly a mirror image as the lady bulldogs kept pace with parkway for most of the game. The panthers finished them off with a 25-19 count and winning the match 2-0.
Winning their first two matches earned the hosts a spot in the championship match versus the Celina lady bulldogs. Parkway stormed out in the first set and took Celina to the wood shed for a 25-9 beat down. But it felt as if the win was just too easy for Parkway. After a tongue lashing, the dogs' responded by winning the second set 25-21. We were all tied up at one set apiece heading to the third and final set for the championship. The fans got their moneys worth as the teams battled for that trophy. It went down to the end, trading the lead several times in the match. With a final kill shot from Faith Jacobs the panthers got the win 25-23 to win the match 2-1. The lady panthers really were attacking the net and it showed in the stat lines. As a team they had 146 kills in just three matches. Macy Johnson 36, Faith Jacobs 16, McKenna Johnson 16, Gracyn Temple 41, Grace Rogers 37. Grace Rogers led the way with 10 aces on the day wile Kris Kirby tallied 29 digs. Parkway starts the season with a 3-0 record and will play at Ottoville on Monday versus the lady big green.

8.14.19 LADIES LOOK SHARP IN FINAL TUNE - UP

The competition was good and the lady panthers were pushed at times. They had good communication and passing. There seems to be a good balance of depth for the panthers with this years squad. They played well against the five different teams that they faced on Thursday evening, but there is always room for improvement. Which i am sure they will get even better as the season draws near.

8.9.19 ALUMNI SCRIMMAGE A BIG SUCCESS

In the first scrimmage of the season, the panthers couldn't have had better competition. The volleyball alumni
showed up in full force and those that were in attendance saw some good matches. The intensity was high and nobody was shown any mercy, lol. The current players did well against their older counterparts. Showing that they weren't going to back down, even though they were less experienced. It was nice to see the alumni get behind our girls and help in supporting their success.