Pana High School Volleyball continued its impressive start to the season Tuesday night, traveling to Maroa-Forsyth and coming away with a hard-fought 25-19, 14-25, 25-21 victory.
The Panthers entered the matchup with a perfect 9-0 record, while Maroa-Forsyth came in at 3-6, looking to turn its season around. What followed was a back-and-forth battle that lived up to the Game of the Week billing.
Pana came out firing in the opening set, establishing control early and never looking back. Phoenix Pope was a force in the middle, coming up with several kills while also finishing with 5 kills and 4 blocks on the night.
Behind her, Brooke Cox helped keep the Pana offense moving, recording an impressive 26 assists. On the defensive end, Rowan Lynch was everywhere, piling up 22 digs to keep rallies alive and provide Pana with a steady presence in the back row.
Maroa-Forsyth answered with plenty of firepower of its own. Jacy Ravenscraft was on fire offensively, coming up with several kills, while Claira Timmons provided plenty of power at the net as the Trojans battled to stay within striking distance.
Pana ultimately took the opening set 25-19.
The Trojans responded in a big way in the second set, flipping the momentum and taking advantage of opportunities throughout the frame. Maroa-Forsyth pulled away for a 25-14 win, forcing a decisive third set.
The third set featured exactly what fans hoped to see from a Game of the Week matchup — long rallies, big defensive plays and momentum swings on both sides. Neither team was willing to give an inch as the score stayed tight throughout the set.
In the end, Pana made the plays it needed to close things out, taking the third set 25-21 and securing the three-set victory.
With the win, Pana improves to 10-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, continuing its outstanding start to the season.
Final: Pana 2, Maroa-Forsyth 1
- Set 1: Pana 25, Maroa-Forsyth 19
- Set 2: Maroa-Forsyth 25, Pana 14
- Set 3: Pana 25, Maroa-Forsyth 21
Pana Leaders:
🏐 Brooke Cox: 26 assists
🏐 Rowan Lynch: 22 digs
🏐 Bella Bennett: 8 kills, 6 digs, 2 aces
🏐 Gemma Armstrong: 6 kills, 5 digs
🏐 Phoenix Pope: 5 kills, 4 blocks
🏐 Adi Blodgett: 5 kills, 5 digs
A perfect 9-0 team coming in, and now 10-0. Pana continues to roll.
