(October 16th, 2014)-HICKSVILLE: It was a tough draw for the Lady Panthers.
Traveling to Hicksville for their first round of sectionals action, the Stryker girls knew their opponent would be a tough one. The Lady Aces came into the match boasting a 17-5 record for their regular season, and the atmosphere on their home court was sure to be electric.
Indeed it was, and the home court advantage proved even more difficult to fight through than usual for the Panthers. Right away, they struggled, losing the first set 11-25. Putting game 1 out of their collective mind, the Lady Panthers put everything they had into game 2. Their effort was noble, yet they still fell short 21-25 for the set. In one last comeback attempt, Stryker tried to rally late in the third set. It wasn’t quite enough, however, as they dropped the set 15-25, effectively ending their season.
With 4 kills, sophomore Brooke Whitlock played respectably in her first appearance in tournament play for the Panthers. Teammate Allie Frisbie set things in motion for Stryker with 8 kills to go along with her 1 ace. Audra Rupp also contributed an ace to the team’s effort, also making 2 kills. Fellow Lady Panther Brittany Breier added 3 kills in the loss as well.