Panther Rilee Emmel, a senior, prepares to slam the ball during the Oct. 26 District 1A High Desert League Tournament in John Day, defeating the Adrian Antelopes.

The Prairie City Panthers volleyball team pushed the Joseph Eagles to four sets in their round one state playoff battle Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Joseph, the Eagles winning 25-18, 25-14, 19-25 and 25-18.

“The playoff match was a really exciting battle for our team,” said Prairie City head coach Jordan Bass. “They played hard, and a lot of things we have been working on all season came together.”

The Panthers earned the round one match after placing third at the District 1A High Desert League Tournament on Oct. 26, defeating the Adrian Antelopes.

Bass said the crowd of fans in the gym made for a loud competition, but she said, “I think it fed into our energy instead of taking away from it.”

“I made some in-game adjustments and the girls responded well,” she said. “It was really fun to watch them and see how determined they were to play their best.”

Prairie City claimed a victory in the third set with a serving run from Panther Shaine Madden, a senior.

“That really threw Joseph out of system and gave our girls the opportunity to get our offense going,” Bass said. “Even though we ended on a loss, this team worked really hard to get there and should be proud of the season we had.”

High Desert All-League honors for Prairie City

First team

Co-player of the year: Rilee Emmel, senior, outside hitter

Co-setter of the year: Katie Hire, junior

Second team

Emily Ennis, senior, setter

Hailee Wall, senior, middle blocker

Honorable mention

Shaine Madden, senior, libero

Samantha Workman, junior, middle blocker