Prairie City volleyball team falls on the road

Prairie City volleyball ended its season in a first-round playoff match against Central Christian on the road.

Jordan Bass, Panther volleyball head coach, said several fundamental breakdowns in the match contributed to Wednesday’s loss.

Bass said the team had too many hitting, serving and receiving errors throughout the match. The Panthers clawed their way back to win the third set but could not overcome the deficit.

She said it was great to see so many young players get valuable postseason experience and watch them perform under pressure.

Bass said three freshmen were on the floor, Reece Jabobs, Skylar McKay and Savannah Watterson, and they played exceptionally well.

According to Bass, the freshman trio primarily played on junior varsity, but they stepped up and contributed in the postseason.

McKay served 100% in Wednesday’s match, Bass said. Jacobs, who was the team’s setter on the JV squad, played a huge role in the Lady Panthers’ success at the district tourney.

For her part, Watterson stepped in for an injured player in the playoff game on Wednesday and added four aces and four kills in the last two sets of the match.

Bass said middle blockers Jaycee Winegar and Brooke Teel, both sophomores who lost their freshman season to the pandemic, learned quickly and contributed this season.

The Lady Panthers have the majority of their squad returning next year.

“We have lots of young talent and a few older girls that have great potential to lead a winning team,” Bass said.

Going forward, Bass said, the goal is to get the team plenty of competition so they are prepared to face challenging opponents in league and postseason play.

“They have incredible potential and a passion for volleyball,” she said of her returnees. “That is really exciting.”

Grant Union football loses first playoff gameWeston-McEwen handed the Pros a 28-26 loss on the road Friday, Oct. 29, in the squad’s first playoff game.

Jason Miller, Grant Union’s football coach, told the Eagle the team played hard.

According to Miller, his team would have won the game if the Pros converted a 2-point try or had one less turnover.

“We played tougher than ever this year,” Miller said. “We just ran out of gas.”

Miller said Umatilla had a bench stacked with 50 players, while the Prospectors had 16.

On Friday, Grant Union will go on the road to face Lakeview in the state playoffs.