Lady Panthers sweep the weekend

After facing a loss earlier this season against Lusk (1-4, 4-16 overall), the Saratoga Lady Panthers (3-2, 10-7 overall) caught the Tigers in their net on Saturday at home (25-8, 28-26, 25-19). The match was the second three set win of the weekend, as the Panthers beat the Burns Broncs (1-4, 4-14 overall) on Friday (25-18, 25-18, 25-20).

Though winning in the home gym is exciting, head coach Shayley Love said the Burns game was, to her, better. "I felt like Friday night was a very consistent game," Love said. "The girls did some really great things at the net as far as placing the ball." Love added that the blocking had improved as well. The Lady Panthers have beat the Broncs both times they have seen them this year, winning in three sets each time.

Haley Soles and Meredith Lincoln each had seven kills against the Broncs, and four aces came from Kylie Theesfeld. The number of digs indicate a powerful defense, with high stats from Theesfeld, Soles, Shaelee Hamann and Alicia Zaragoza. Mati Love brought 15 assists to the match.

Love attributes the improvement of the team to focusing on finding the weak spots of the other team and "eliminating errors on our side of the floor.

"I think we were focused and came out with composure and played consistently from beginning to end," Love said. According to Love, when the team went to Lusk for the first game against the Tigers this season, the netters "didn't have their mental focus." Now, Love proudly reported, all around the court the players were contributing, which ultimately led to a win.

Soles grabbed 10 kills in the match against the Tigers, with Sierra Schutte right behind her with nine. The team rallied 62 digs against Lusk, with 18 coming from Soles and 10 each from Hamann and Theesfeld. M. Love provided 26 assists.

"Right now, as far as our conference goes, it should bump us into second or third place after this weekend," Love said. "I don't want to say that regionals is solidified, but it's more so now than it was before." Love hopes the team will go into regionals in second place, adding that a win against Pine Bluffs (5-0, 11-7 overall) on Oct. 24 will help the team out. In the upcoming matches against Southeast-a team in the 2A conference with Saratoga-the Panthers face a team they have not yet seen.

"Anything is possible at this point in the season," Love said.

The Saratoga Lady Panthers will play Hanna-Elk Mountain-Medicine Bow on Friday at home beginning at 4 p.m. Those attending the Friday game are encouraged to wear pink for breast cancer awareness. On Saturday, the netters are off to Yoder for a match against Southeast (2-2, 13-5 overall) beginning at 1 p.m.

 

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