Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  It was a down-to-the-last-second sensational victory for the Nederland High School volleyball team on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. The girls traveled to Cornerstone Christian where they beat the Bulldogs in a five-game tie-breaker match to win 3-2. The Panthers now have a 2-8 win record.

The first game of the match was probably the longest one the Panthers have played in their volleyball careers, see-sawing back and forth to a 35-33 win for Nederland.

It was the kind of game with the kind of action that can dissolve one’s energy, and the Ned girls struggled to catch up in the next two games. They finally grabbed their second win in the fourth game and then went to the tie-breaker which they also won 15-13, a squeaker that could have gone either way, but the Panthers dug in. They reached a level of intensity that wasn’t going to let the Bulldogs pass them by.

Game Scores:

35-33 17-25 19-25 25-20 15-13

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, Nederland played Dayspring Christian in a home game. DC is the fourth-ranked defending state champion and they were scoring machines, making relentless kills and attacks.

Coach Kirt McCracken says, “We were missing three starters when the Lady Panthers hosted the 4th ranked, defending state champion, Dayspring Christian last Tuesday. The girls played well, but the size, power and experience of the champions overwhelmed Nederland for a straight set win.”

Game Scores:

8-25 11-25 2-25

Individual Statistics:

Rylee Kutscher: 3 attacks, 3 serves, 2 digs, 4 ball handling, 6 serve received

Sydney Nation: 6 attacks, 3 serves, 2 assists, 29 ball handling

Karen Sorokach: 3 kills, 1 ace, 6 serves, 1 block, 4 digs, 14 ball handling

Breegan McClish: 1 kill, 12 attacks, 2 serves, 5 blocks, 2 digs, 4 ball handling

Hattie Bakke: 5 attacks, 1 ace, 2 serves, 3 digs, 11 ball handling, 19 serves received

Marie Pancoast 1 kill, 1 attack, 5 serves, 1 dig, 4 ball handling, 11 serves received

C. Worthington: 1 serve

On Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, at Bellview Christian, with Lily Lindstrom returning as setter and Mazie Pancoast and Riley Kutscher filling in admirably, the girls got off to a blazing start and won the first set 25-11. Karen Sorokoch had a career match with 11 kills and 8 solo blocks.

Coach McCracken says, “Bellview made some adjustments, and the smaller gym affected the Panthers with eight balls hitting the ceiling in the second and third sets, which rattled the girls. The Panthers lost the match in 4 sets.”

Game Score:

25-11 21-25 18-25 12-25

Individual Statistics:

Rylee Kutscher: 2 kills, 3 attacks, 2 aces, 18 serves, 6 digs, 1 serve received, 10 ball handling

Sydney Nation: 5 serves, 2 digs, 2 ball handling

Karen Sorokach: 11 kills, 24 attacks, 1 ace, 5 serves, 8 blocks, 7 digs, 11 ball handling, Breegan McClish: 3 kills, 10 attacks, 1 ace, 14 serves, 4 blocks, 4 digs, 6 serves received

Hattie Bakke: 1 kill, 16 attacks, 4 digs, 1 assist, 19 ball handling, 10 serves received

Mazie Pancoast: 1 kill, 3 attacks, 5 serves, 3 ball handling, 3 serves received

Lily Lindstrom: 4 kills, 10 attacks, 4 aces, 14 serves, 6 digs, 11 assists, 51 ball handling,

Karen Sorokach was named Player of the Match at Belleview.

(Originally published in the October 12, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)