After a rough stretch, Panther volleyball has returned to its winning ways.

Powell High School took down Buffalo in a home match on Saturday, winning in three sets. The set scores were 25-19, 25-20 and 26-24.

“The girls played great together and kept their energy up throughout the match,” head coach Tasha Miller said. “It is exciting to see the girls finally starting to click with each other on the court.”

Offensively, Rose Graft and Addy Thorington led the way with six kills apiece. Seniors Paije Johnson and Mattie Larsen followed close behind with four each. Graft also led the team in service aces with four, followed by Maddie Campbell and Madi Fields with two apiece.

On the defensive side, Thorington and Ashlyn Shorb each had four blocks. Campbell’s 10 digs were a team-high, and Graft had the second-most with 6.

This impressive showing came just four days after the Panthers’ three-set defeat against Cody. Against CHS, Powell’s leaders were Graft with seven kills, Campbell with 20 digs and Thorington and Shorb with four blocks each.

While PHS lost that match, the team’s cohesion in the loss showed a glimpse of how well the team can mesh.

“We didn’t beat Cody, but the girls competed and we definitely improved on our game from the first time we went against them,” Miller said. “I hope that connection continues to grow throughout the season, because it is such a big part of volleyball.”

Following the weekend win, Powell is now 3-5 overall. This week, the Panthers play host to Red Lodge tonight (Tuesday) and then to Worland on Thursday.