Lady Panthers sweep Ashdown in volleyball action on Thursday

The Magnolia Lady Panther volleyball team opened its home season at Panther Arena Thursday, with a three-game sweep of the Ashdown Lady Panthers.

Following a short scrimmage between the Lady Panther junior varsity team and Ashdown's junior varsity and 9th graders, the Magnolia Lady Panthers took the court.

In the first game, the Lady Panthers fell behind mostly due to several service errors, and the game looked as if it might go to Ashdown.

That was before Taylor Yates stepped up to the service line and changed the nature and momentum of the game. She served several aces along with accurate and hard serves that combined with better play from the blockers and hitters on the front line to push Magnolia into a lead they never relinquished.

They won the game by a score of 25-16. Offensively, Kandyse Flanigan had four kills, and Yates had four assists to go along with her five service aces.

In the second game, although the score was identical at 25-16, the Lady Panthers pretty much controlled the game from the onset, and Ashdown was never really in it.

Flanigan again led the way offensively with four kills and also contributed to the win with three service aces. Yates had five assists. Defensively for Magnolia, Alex Whaley led with four digs.

After losing the first two games, Ashdown came out hard in Game 3 and took an early lead that looked as if it would hold.

After a timeout by Coach Candi Bailey, Magnolia stiffened its defense, and slowly began to gain ground on Ashdown.

Even at that, Ashdown was close to reaching the 25 point margin needed for the win that would extend the match to at least four games.

Then, in what was almost a mirror of Game 1, Raylee May stepped to the service line for the Magnolia Lady Panthers and served several aces and hard serves for six straight points that pulled Magnolia ahead by 24-23.

Magnolia lost the next point which allowed Ashdown to tie the game at 24-24, but scored the next two points to win by 26-24 for the sweep.

Offensively Jamestasia Smith had three kills, Katherine Pletcher had three assists, and May three service aces in the game.

On defense, Pletcher had three digs to go with her assists, and Kennedy Kuykendall had three digs as well.

Magnolia will be back in action Saturday in Little Rock for the Spikefest Classic.

The Lady Panthers make their next appearance at Panther Arena on Monday when the varsity and junior varsity teams take on Arkansas High, beginning at 5 p.m.

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