Currently ranked as the No. 1 team in the Northern Section Division VII, the Maxwell Panthers have played against larger schools all season long, and the competition has paid off as they picked up Mid-Valley League victories over CORE Butte, and more notably, first place Hamilton City.
While the Panthers had a close match against the Lynx in Chico on October 11, emerging 25-23, 25-20, 25-22 in straight sets, the 25-16, 20-25, 25-20, 25-21 win over the Braves at home last Thursday was far more impressive given that entering the match Hamilton was unbeaten in MVL play.
However, the Braves’ record made no impression on the Panthers, who came out strong at the service line in the first set, which kept Hamilton out of system.
Yet, as the match moved into the second set, Maxwell lost some of the consistency it showed initially, and as a result, the Braves prevailed.
Despite a fast start in the third set, the wheels fell off midway as the Panthers saw an eight-point advantage dissipate.
But service by Kennidy Moss and Shelby Dunlap kept it close, and set the stage for Sydnee Wilson, who served back-to-back aces for the win.
The final set was a back and forth affair, but once again, Maxwell’s serving made the difference.
This time it was Bailee Haywood heating up from the stripe and bringing the Panthers back from four points down to regain the lead.
From that point on, Maxwell never relinquished its advantage and sealed the victory with another Wilson ace for match point.
While it may not have always been pretty, Coach Ashley Krug was understandably pleased with the evening’s result.
“We were inconsistent tonight, but our team stepped it up for sure,” Krug said. “Still, you can’t really complain too much when you beat the only undefeated team in the league.”
For the Panthers, Emma Hendrix had a big night finishing with 15 kills, 11 assists, and eight blocks, while in the back row, Bailee Haywood turned in another stalwart performance with 22 digs and 23 service receptions.
Also pitching in was Fatima Cano, who tallied eight kills and six blocks, along with Moss, who made 19 service receptions and served seven aces.
Maxwell (18-7, 5-3) led off this week on Tuesday at home against Biggs. They will close out the regular season tonight in Los Molinos. ■