Welcoming in a nearby opponent to open the home campaign for the first time this season, the Powell Panther volleyball team started strong and responded to adversity following a second set loss to earn a 3-1 victory over Rocky Mountain on Thursday.

POWELL 3, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 1

(25-15, 21-25, 25-20, 25-13)

First game jitters didn’t slow down the Panthers (11-8-1 overall, 0-1 3A West) against the visiting 2A Grizz (13-6) as the hosts took a 10-6 lead and forced a timeout by the visitors.

Powell expanded on that lead, using strong defensive plays by Kaedenze Carter and Abigail Visocky to keep the ball alive and find a kill to force another Rocky timeout at 17-8.

Ava Brewer’s kill made it a double digit advantage at 22-12, and Powell finished with the 25-15 win.

“Having a home crowd is always super fun for the girls and I think it helped with our momentum, especially through the first set,” coach Anna Flitner said.

What went right in the first did not follow in the second, as Powell trailed 8-3 and called an early timeout.

The Panthers trailed by as many as eight at 16-8, before a small run capped by a Leah Graham ace made it 16-12 and forced a Rocky timeout.

The visitors extended the lead back to 19-12 before Powell again drew close thanks to a Carter kill to make it 21-18 and force another Rocky timeout.

Powell eventually tied it at 21 on a four hit call against the Grizz, but Rocky held off the Panther charge for a 25-21 second set win.

“I think it’s always important to not let down after winning a set and to keep momentum high because volleyball momentum can change in an instant and you always have to be ready for teams to come out strong after losing a set,” Flitner said.

Both teams fought for each point in the third set, before Powell started inching ahead with a 17-15 lead after a hit out by the Grizz.

That lead held and Powell expanded it late on an Autumn Kidd tip at the net to earn a 25-20 win.

The Panthers came out strong in the fourth set, building a 7-1 lead after a net violation by the Grizz and forcing a timeout.

Powell continued to capitalize on strong hitting and errors by the visitors, building a double digit advantage and cruising to a 25-13 win.

Carter led with 20 kills and tied for the team lead in digs at 15 alongside Kindyle Floy who added 11 kills of her own.

Brewer had 11 kills and tied for the team lead in blocks at two alongside Hali Hancock.

“I think that our hitters did a great job of putting the ball away against Rocky. I think that’s something we can continue to work on when we play against teams like Cody who has very strong blockers and defenders,” Flitner said.

Graham led in both assists and aces with 39 and four respectively.

TUESDAY NIGHT CLASH

The Panthers had the remainder of the weekend off from action, but will hit the court early again this week to take on a conference opponent.

That opponent comes in the form of the top team in the state, with the Panthers welcoming in the rival Cody Fillies (20-1 overall, 1-0 3A West) at 6 p.m. today (Tuesday).

“Cody is a fantastic team that we have the opportunity to play against,” Flitner said. “I’m hoping we can go out and work on maintaining our composure and mental state because it is a guarantee that Cody will do some great things. We just have to understand that we can do some great things too.”

POWELL 3, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 1

(25-15, 21-25, 25-20, 25-13)

Total blocks then solo blocks in ()

Kills — Kaedenze Carter 20, Kindyle Floy 11, Ava Brewer 11, Autumn Kidd 6, Leah Graham 3, Hali Hancock 2

Assists — Leah Graham 39, Kindyle Floy 5, Abigail Visocky 2, Kaedenze Carter 2, Autumn Kidd 1

Digs — Kaedenze Carter 15, Kindyle Floy 15, Ava Teten 10, Abigail Visocky 9, Leah Graham 8, Autumn Kidd 1, Ava Brewer 1, Hali Hancock 1

Blocks — Ava Brewer 2, Hali Hancock 2 (1), Autumn Kidd 1.5, Kaedenze Carter 1.5, Kindyle Floy 1, Leah Graham 1

Aces — Leah Graham 4, Abigail Visocky 2, Ava Teten 2, Kindyle Floy 1