Fairbanks’ Jenay Kocsis (7) sets the ball for Brooklyn Kleiber’s (5) kill Saturday against the Columbus School for Girls. The Lady Panthers remained unbeaten with a 2-1 victory over the Unicorns during the championship match of the Panther Classic.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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The Cleveland Indians may have been “22 and through” after Friday night’s loss to the Kansas City Royals, but another streaking team kept things going Saturday afternoon.
The Fairbanks High School volleyball squad ran its record to 14-0 when it defeated Columbus School for Girls to defend its championship of the annual Panther Classic.
Fairbanks advanced to the title tilt with relative ease, beating Patriot Prep 25-4, 25-10 and turning back Ridgemont 25-11, 25-17 during pool play.
Things were a little more difficult against the Unicorns, as FHS’ 26-24, 21-25, 25-21 verdict would attest.
What made the championship victory all the more impressive is that it came without the services of senior libero Mikayla Mansfield.
She suffered an injury during the match against Ridgemont when she took an elbow to the side of the head.
Mansfield may be ready to play in a week, according to head coach Ed Marsman.
In the mean time, senior Hunter Johnson stepped into Mansfield’s role and played well.
“Hunter’s passes were very good and she only missed one serve,” said Marsman. “She hasn’t played a lot this season, but right before the final match, we told her that part of this team was on her shoulders.”
When a key component of a team goes down, it often has devastating results. Not so with the Lady Panthers.
“This did not mess up our chemistry,” said Marsman. “We often have a different person step up and today it was Hunter.”
The Lady Panthers played smart volleyball, usually being in key defensive positions at the right time. That was vital since CSG was led by a powerful hitter in Maryanne Boyle.
“CSG hits the ball big, especially her,” said Marsman. “She is much taller than anyone we have and that can create some match-up problems.”
The Lady Panthers (who will travel to Southeastern on Tuesday) overloaded the floor to Boyle’s right side.
“That ‘cut her in half” and took away her swing,” said Marsman.
The championship match was a see-saw battle, with neither team mounting anything in the way of a prolonged serving run.
The Unicorns held an early 6-4 lead during the opening game and maintained a two-and-three point margin for the next several minutes.
Fairbanks made a charge, sparked by a block from Brooklyn Kleiber, and took its first lead at 14-13 on a rejection from Kaidie Carstensen.
The set was briefly deadlocked at 18 on a CSG block.
Kelsey Thorbahn’s kill put FHS up 21-18 before kills from Boyle and Lauren Carmon returned a 23-21 margin to the Unicorns.
Kasey Carstensen’s kill pulled Fairbanks to within 23-22, but another slam from Boyle put the visitors one point away from victory.
A pair of Unicorn hitting errors, though, gave the Lady Panthers a 25-24 lead.
The winning point came for Fairbanks when a CSG block sailed out of bounds.
The ensuing set was a similar type of battle.
CSG got out to a 10-6 lead, but FHS was able to later tie the game at 16.
Kaidie Carstensen set up Megan King’s kill that deadlocked the score at 20.
A pair of FHS hitting miscues pushed the ‘Corns out to a 24-21 lead.
CSG’s Fiona McAlerney then tipped the ball over the net for the point that tied the match at one set apiece.
The final game featured more nerve-rattling tension.
The combatants swapped several lead changes, with neither able to take firm control of the action.
The Lady Panthers went on a brief run, sparked by Jenay Kocsis’ set for Kleiber’s kill that gave Fairbanks a 16-13 edge.
King’s rejection pushed the margin to four and an errant Unicorn serve later gave FHS a 19-14 lead.
The visitors kept up the fight and pulled to within 23-21 when a Panther block went out of play.
A Unicorn hitting error then put the Lady Panthers at set point.
Another CSG miscue ended the match and with it, came a championship trophy for the home team.
“This was one of our toughest matches of the season and it was very intense,” said Marsman. “A win like this gives us a lot of confidence.”
Panther stats during the title match were as follows:
-King: 14/14 attacks, seven kills, four blocks;
-Abbey Hubbs: 29/33 passing, 14/14 attacks, four kills;
-Kelsey Thorbahn: 13/14 serving, eight points, 39/43 passing, 31/37 attacks, 12 kills;
-Johnson: 9/10 serving, four points, 26/30 passing;
-Kas. Carstensen: 11/11 attacks, six kills;
-Kai. Carstensen: 35/36 setting, 14 assists, 23/24 attacks, 11 kills, five blocks;
-Kocsis: 15/15 serving, eight points, 48/48 setting, 20 assists;
-Gracie Tomblin: 13/14 serving, seven points, 26/31 passing.