The Alba-Golden Lady Panthers scored a 3-0 match sweep of the visiting Como-Pickton Lady Eagles last Friday. Games one and two were close throughout, but the Lady Panthers dominated in the final game. The match was scored 26-24, 25-19, 25-16.   

Playing attacking volleyball comes with its own risks. Against a defensive-minded Como-Pickton squad, the Lady Panthers were on the attack all night. However, a sizable number of overcooked kill attempts – 15 mis-hits in game one – brought the initial game down to a close finish. 

Strong early net play by Crimson Bryant and Kalli Wright established the tempo for Alba-Golden. Fittingly, it was a Wright and Bryant who scored the last points of game one, a kill and a drop shot, respectively.

Game two contrasted markedly with game one. Long volleys featured in the second game with Como-Pickton holding the early advantage. The Lady Panthers were down 7-14 early. 

Two kill shots from a soaring Cacie Lennon seemed to give the home side a surge of adrenalin. They steadily climbed back into the game, knotting the score at 18.  Two aces by Autumn Whitten secured game two for Alba-Golden. 

The Lady Panthers came out in game three focused and full of energy.  They quickly built a 15-6 lead with all hands contributing to the effort. It was excellent team volleyball. Whitten, Wright and Lennon continued their strong play, with Abby Hallman and Hope Wiley making excellent contributions in the backcourt.    

The next opportunity to catch the Lady Panthers is Friday at 4:30 as they host a strong Quinlan Boles team.