VOLLEYBALL RECAPS

10.19.17. PARKWAY BATTLES TOUGH, SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS

Although the lady panthers were going up against the #1 team in the state, they made the cardinals earn it. It wasn't like the panthers didn't know what they who they were about to tangle with, parkway had faced them once this season. Some thought it would be a walk in the park for the lady cards, the panthers made sure that it wasn't. In the first set, parkway came out trading shots with new bremen as the lead flip-flopped back and fourth. The lady panthers handled the pressure from the cards pretty well, but new bremen was just too strong at the net. Parkway fell apart in the second set, it looked as if they had run out of steam and the lady cards would cruise to a win. But Parkway wasn't ready to lay down and fold in the final set. They came out just as they did in the first set. Fending of most of the rocket shots from the cardinals and scoring a few of their own. Parkway finished the match falling in the final set, but they went down fighting. This was the last match for the four seniors who left it on the floor in every match. I would have to say that tonights match was one of the best that Parkway has played this season. The panthers finished the season with a 9-14 mark.

10.16.17. LADY PANTHERS DOWN ARCHERS, FACE #1 CARDINALS

The ladies from Parkway are moving on, after winning their first tournament match they earned a match with top ranked New Bremen. It took the panthers five sets, but they dug deep and took care of business. Both the visiting panthers and host archers were evenly matched. Parkway battled from behind in the first set on their way to a win. The second set went the way of the archers as they took the second set to make it a 1-1 score. The panthers jumped out to a big lead in the third set and cruised to fourteen point victory. It was looking as the archers had run out of gas, but they came storming back in the fourth set. Just as the lady panthers cruised in the previous set, the lady archers took the fourth set by fifteen points. The fifth and final set would decide the hard fought match. Antwerp jumped ahead by several points until Parkway finally asserted themselves. Grace Swander stepped up big and was a dominant force at the net for the panthers. The archers played well at the net all night, but the fifth set belonged to Parkway. Antwerps best hitter wound up for a huge kill, but there was Sydney Crouch and Haley Hawk for the block that finished the archers season. Parkway won the match 3-2, with games of 25-18,19-25, 25-11, 10-25 and 15-11.

10.12.17. PANTHERS FINISH REGULAR SEASON WITHOUT A M.A.C. WIN

It would be the last time for seniors Bailey Bates, Haley Hawk, Kenzie Sipe and Sydney Crouch would play a match on their home court. It was also their last chance this season for a league win, but it wasn't in the cards for them to get a win on senior night. The wildcats had a height advantage over the host panthers and it was evident all night. Minster had several kills throughout the match that were like missiles coming at the panthers. The wildcats won both sets one and two without much resistance from the lady panthers. After falling behind 2-0, the panthers knew they had to play better if they wanted to win. That is what they did in the third set en route to a four point win. Needing another win, Parkway would have to match their intensity from the last set. But they didn't have it in them and the wildcats were on a roll in the fourth and final set. Minster won the match with scores of 25-12, 25-11, 21-25 and 25-16. With the loss, Parkway will finish the regular season with an 8-13 record and also went winless in conference play. They junior varsity also lost to the wildcats. The lady Panthers will be in tournament play on 10/16 versus the Antwerp Archers.

10.10.17. PARKWAY BATTLES TOUGH, BUT FALLS TO #3 SAINT HENRY

The lady panthers hosted #3 St. Henry on Tuesday evening. The result didn't turn out as they had hoped for, but they battled the lady redskins tough. The redskins are a very dominant team at the net, they have several ladies that are powerful hitters when they get the chance. Parkway had alot of trouble in the first set handling that power kill from the redskins. The visitors cruised to an easy 25-14 win in the initial set.
The panthers did a much better job in the second set, returning quite a few of the redskins hard kill shots. The panthers also did a nice job of keeping the volley going on several occasions that looked as if they wouldn't get they point. Although parkway played much better in the second set, they still went down by a 2-0 score. St. Henry finished the set with a 25-17 score. The lady panthers played their best in the third set of the night. It was a battle from the first service. The score never got more than two or three points either way. Parkway hung with the redskins until late in the set, but the redskins were just too strong for them. The panthers showed sparks of really good ball movement and kept several volleys going when it didn't look to good for them. The panthers dropped the final set 25-21 and lost the match 3-0. Parkway will host Minster on Thursday for Senior Night.

10.3.17 PANTHERS VICTORIOUS IN FAMILY FEUD 2017

It took the host panthers five long sets, but they won the 2017 version of the Henkle Volleyball Family Feud. For those of you that didn't know, both coaches really want the win in this matchup. It provides bragging rights for a full year in the Henkle Clan, Coach Horstman and Coach Henkle are brothers-in-law. Talk about twists and turns, this match had a little bit of everything. For a long while it looked as if the visiting lady t-birds would leave rockford with a win. They came storming out in the first set to a big lead, eventually winning it 25-14. The lady panthers didn't look very sharp at all, but were able to bounce back in the second set. Parkway moved the ball well and it appeared they would knot it up at one all. The t-birds thwarted that rally and eeked out a 25-23 win that put them up 2-0. The panthers found themselves on the ropes and near defeat. But the ladies dug deep and played hard. The third set went back and forth and Parkway managed to get the 26-24 win, now down two sets to one. Needing to come out on top to push the match to a fifth set, the panthers came out strong and hammered the t-birds at the net. Never letting up the pressure on LCC, ole "mo" had clearly moved to the side of the host panthers. Parkway came out on top by a count of 25-17 and pushed the match to a fifth and final set. What a comeback from the lady panthers, they kept digging and working together to get to this point. Parkway came out on fire and just pounded the net every chance they got. Lcc had trouble handling the panthers onslaught. Grace Swander was a beast at the net in the final set. She had blocks & kills that the lady t-birds couldn't handle and she got the final point with a bomb of a kill to finish off the t-birds. It was a well deserved victory for the panthers. the jv's lost to LCC in two sets.

9.28.17. LADIES CONTINUE THE GAUNTLET, FALL TO INDIANS

The lady panthers hosted ft. Recovery tonight, continuing the gauntlet that is the Midwest Athletic Conference. Parkway came out fired up ion the first set and took an early lead. The hosts had the indians on their toes until late in the set. Ft. Recovery finally took the lead for good and won the first set 25-22. Although the panthers played tough in the first set, they didn't have much left for the rest of the match. The lady indians play at the net was the downfall of the panthers. Ft. Recovery had several players with multiple kills that was just too much for Parkway to handle. The panthers did a fair job of returning the volley, but were overwhelmed with the ferocity of the kills. Both the second and third sets went to the indians in similar fashion for a 3-0 match win. Parkway fought hard the entire match, but were just overmatched by the lady indians.

9.19.17. PARKWAY BATTLES TOUGH, FALLS TO #8 FLYERS

Coming off a nice win over the lancers last evening, the lady panthers started the daunting journey of state ranked MAC teams. With just six regular season matches left on the schedule, only one is not against a ranked squad. The panthers came into the match fired up and it showed in their play. The lady flyers started out showing that dominance at the net, Coach Henkle called a time out when the flyers had run off seven consecutive points. Whatever he said to the girls seemed to work as the soon pulled closer to Marion Local. The flyers were able to get the first set win by a score of 25-19. In the second set Parkway just fell flat, it was all lady flyers as they cruised to a 25-14 quick win. Finding themselves down 2-0, the lady panthers were walking a tight rope. The third set saw both teams go back and forth, the panthers kept pace for most of the set. But the strength of Marion Local was just too much for Parkway as they lost the third and final set by a 25-19 count. Parkway falls to 7-9 on the season. The jv ladies also lost to the flyers in two sets.

9.18.17. LADY PANTHERS DOWN LADY LANCERS 3-1

In one of the few matches that aren't against a ranked opponent, the lady panthers came away with a win. After Parkway cruised through the first set by a score of 25-16, it looked as if it would be an easy night for the black and gold. The lady lancers gave the visiting panthers a fight in the second set, keeping pace with Parkway for much of the set. The panthers pulled away though for a 25-19 win. Parkway led 2-0 and just need one more set to make short work of the lancers. Lincolnview had other plans and stormed out to a lead in the third set. Able to battle toe to toe with parkway and winning the set 25-22. Now it was a 2-1 lead for the ladies from parkway and time to dig in. The fourth set turned out to be the final one, but the lancers gave parkway all that they wanted. Lincolnview pushed the panthers but parkway battled all the way and won the set 25-19. Parkway moves to 7-8 on the season with the victory. The junior varsity panthers also were victorious also.

9.11.17. PARKWAY BATTLES KNIGHTS FOR FIVE SETS, BUT FALL SHORT

What a battle it was between the lady panthers and the visiting lady knights from Crestview. It was back and forth from the start, when it started to look as if someone had the upper hand, the other team would pull closer. The knights took the first set by a score of 25-21 and the host's found themselves down 1-0. The second set Crestview started to build a lead early, but the lady panthers reigned them back in. The knights pulled away to a 25-17 win in the second set and going up 2-0. The panthers found themselves down 2-0, but didn't cave in at that point. Parkway regrouped and played some inspiring volleyball as they controlled and won the next two sets by score of 25-21 and 25-21. As we went to the fifth and final set, the momentum seemed to be with the lady panthers. They pulled out to an early lead and it looked as if they were on their way to a win. But the lady knights pulled closer to parkway and eventually took the lead for a 15-12 hard fought victory.

9.7.17. PANTHERS CONTINUE SKID WITH M.A.C. LOSS TO VERSAILLES

The lady panthers just can't seem to catch a break, They traveled to Versailles for a match with a very tall & tough tiger squad. Versailles set the tone early in the first set with their play at the net. The height advantage went to the host tigers and they exploited it every chance they got. After a very quick first set, the tigers had a 25-7 win and a 1-0 lead. The lady panthers settled in a little, but they were rattled by the net play from Versailles. The second set went a little better for the visitors, but the end result was the same. Parkway went down 2-0 on the heels of a 25-12 second set. The third and final set started much like what we had seen all night, the tigers would go on a run and the panthers would fall behind very quickly. Parkway had some bright spots on the evening, but they just didn't have enough for a win. The junior varsity also fell to the tigers in two sets.

8.29.17. LADY PANTHERS FIGHT HARD, FALL SHORT AGAINST STARS

After a rough night versus a very good ottovile squad, the lady panthers were right back at it. After a 25-7 first set that the host starfires bombarded Parkway with kill after kill, they lady panthers must have been wondering what they did wrong. The height of the stars was a huge advantage for them at the net. But the visiting panthers dug deep and gave their hosts all that they could handle in the second set, but just falling 28-26. Down by two sets, the ladies from Ohio found themselves in a familiar spot. Parkway kept pace with South Adams , trading points back and forth for most of the third and final set. That's when the stars began to pound the net and pull away from Parkway. The panthers took their third loss in a row as they fell 25-18 in the third set. Parkway falls to 3-3 on the season as they will be in action next on Thursday evening at New Knoxville to start league play.

8.28.17. PARKWAY RUNS IN BUZZSAW, FALL TO BIG GREEN

The ladies ran into a buzzsaw against a very good Ottoville team. From the very start, the lady big green was in firm control of the match. They jumped out to big leads in both the first and second sets and were able to hold parkway to just single digits in both sets.Winning by scores of 25-9 and 25-8, the big green were solidly in control. Parkway struggled against the very good net play from Ottoville all night. But in the third game with their backs against the wall, the young panthers responded well. They kept it close for most of the set, battling hit for hit with Ottoville. But they big green pulled away to win the third and final set by a 25-18 score, also winning the match 3-0. The loss puts Parkway at 3-2 as they will travel to South Adams tomorrow for a match with the lady starfires. The jv panthers won a hard fought battle 2-0 over the big green junior varsity.

8.26.17 LADY PANTHERS ARE RUNNERS-UP,GO DOWN FIGHTIN'

Parkway came up just short on their bid to win the panther invitational on Saturday morning. The lady panthers faced the Delphos Jefferson wildcats first and defeated them two matches to none. The scores were 25-10 and 25-11 as the panthers advanced to play the Elida Bulldogs. Parkway had relitively no problems in defeating the lady bulldogs in two sets, with scores of 25-13 and 25-13. The victory set up the championship match with the Celina bulldogs. Celina is a very good team that has some size and plays strong at the net. Celina used that net play and took an early lead that the lady panthers just couldn't catch up, giving Celina a 25-18 win. The format is best of three games, meaning that Parkway needed this next game to keep playing. Celina jumped out to a 10-3 lead and it seemed that Parkway wouldn't have a chance. But the panthers dug deep and fought back with amazing play after amazing play. They were fighting and clawing to the end. They fell just short, dropping the second set 27-25. It has been some time since i have seen a panther team fight that hard to get a victory, going forward i feel this team will surprise some people. Although the girls took the runners-up, it looks to be a very promising volleyball season. Keep diggin' ladies!

8.24.17 LADY PANTHERS WIN OPENER 3-0 OVER BRADFORD

The season started on a good note for the lady panthers. They hosted the Bradford railroaders and easily won in three sets. The panther rotation was working well as Mckenna Temple was strong at the net with 8 kills on the night. Grace Rogers added 14 assists and also 5 aces to match the 5 aces from Izzy Strunk. Kenzie Sipe cam up big with 8 digs and newcomer Sydney Crouch had three blocks in her first outing. Parkway defeated the railroaders by scores of 25-6, 25-9 and 25-11. The jv panthers also defeated the railroaders in two games. The panthers will be in action next on Saturday for the Panther Invite.