The Canadore Lady Panthers volleyball team stayed above .500 (3-2) by splitting a pair of weekend games , dropping a 3-1 contest to the Fanshawe Falcons before rallying from two sets down to win a thrilling five-set match against the Niagara Knights, Saturday.
Against Fanshawe, the Lady Panthers' slow starts and inconsistent play throughout the match opened the door for Fanshawe to take the win.
Fourth-year head coach Joey Rainer was disappointed with the loss,
Our inability to focus early in the match was our downfall tonight and it is definitely something we need to improve on moving forward, he said.
The Panthers men's team also lost 3-0 to the Falcons.
Saturday, after dropping the opening sets 25-8 and 25-14, the match looked to be out of reach. However, led offensively by third-year left side Kristin Verkuyl, and the strong net play of middle Mackenzie Golka, the Panthers battled back to win the third and fourth sets both by 25-21 scores.
The Panthers then jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the deciding set and won 15-10 to take the match.
I'm extremely proud of how the girls battled back and this win feels great," said Golka.
Rainer was pleased with the overall performance of his club.
The ladies showed a great deal of courage tonight," he said. "The girls are starting to realize just how good they can be and if we continue to work hard, their potential has no limits."
On the men's side, the Panthers won the opening set 25-22, before the Niagara Knights proved to be too much in winning the next three 25-16, 25-17 and 25-23.
The Panthers were led by rookie right side Colin Henderson with eight kills, two aces and a stuff block.
The Panthers host the Sheridan Bruins Nov. 20 and the Humber Hawks Nov. 21. The women play at 6 p. m., followed by the men at 8 p. m. at the Education Centre Gymnasium.
