By Fred Kroner
The eighth-grade St. Joseph Panthers volleyball team gained a split in its last two matches.
On Thursday (Feb. 2), St. Joseph lost at home to Cissna Park, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19.
“We gained a nice lead in the third set, but Cissna’s balanced attack was too much for us down the stretch,” St. Joseph coach Abby McDonald said. “It was a great match to once again to show areas we need to continue to grow and improve.
“Matches like this are so important to the future growth of this team.”
Two days earlier, on Tuesday (Jan. 31), the Panthers swept Prairieview Ogden, 25-16, 25-17.
The St. Joseph eighth-graders have an 8-3 record and will return to action on Wednesday (Feb. 8) at Champaign St. Matthew.
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The St. Joseph seventh-graders also split their last two matches, winning at Prairieview Ogden, 25-16, 25-17, but losing at home to Cissna Park, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19.
“We worked hard to battle back from a 7-2 deficit in the second set where Raegan Wheatley served three straight points (one ace) to finish out the set,” seventh-grade coach Jill Lubinski said. “Tough loss to a well-balanced Cissna Park team.
“This was a learning experience for us to be able to see the importance of focus and mental toughness during a match.”
St. Joseph also faced an additional obstacle in the match at PVO.
“I’m proud of our team’s solid performance in a packed and loud venue,” Lubinski said.
