This past weekend, the Panther Valley volleyball team went just 1-7 against much bigger schools in a high profile tournament hosted by the Pottsville Crimson Tide.

The Panthers have been challenging themselves like that throughout the season at weekend tournaments and it's safe to say that it's been paying off.Tuesday night, it didn't take long for Panther Valley to show Jim Thorpe what it gained from the weekend's tough competition. A strong defensive effort and impressive play from the service line helped the Panthers come away with a three-game sweep 25-11, 25-12, and 25-19."Our girls played in a really tough tournament at Pottsville over the weekend, and we only won one game, but we were really competitive, and we battled," said Panther Valley coach Nancy Filer. "We just came into tonight battle-tested, and I think that showed. We have a tough team and a young team that's getting better."It was evident from the first game that Panther Valley (13-1, 11-1) was determined to come away with the win. The Panthers jumped out to an 11-4 lead behind a strong start from front line hitters Rachelle Filer and Christina Dacey.Filer and Dacey each had three kills in the Panthers first 11 points. Panther Valley was simply dominant, and two Thorpe timeouts couldn't stop its momentum, as it took the first game 25-11.Defense was a factor in this one, as PV was able thwart any type of attack from the Olympians."We've been playing well as a team all year long, this is a true team," said Filer. "To play good defense, everyone has to be on the same page, and these girls love to play together."In the second game, freshman Jenna Dubosky showed that the future certainly looks bright at Panther Valley. The young gun stepped up to the service line with a 12-7 lead, and reeled off 12 straight points, including seven aces. Dubosky's serving helped extend the Panthers lead to 16, and they finished out the game 25-12."I just got in the groove up there, and honestly, I usually don't try and serve that hard, but I got a few over and then I gained confidence," said Dubosky. "My teammates did a great job of keeping my serving going to when I didn't get an ace. It was a good win tonight against a team that was looking to qualify for the playoffs tonight."In the third and final game of the night, the Olympians battled as they tied the game at 15-15, but the Panthers were just too strong. PV went on a five-point run after the tie and never trailed, sealing the victory with a 25-19 third game win.For Jim Thorpe, Jillian Peterson led the way with three kills and Alex McGinley had nine digs.BIG LEADS ... Panther Valley did a great job of getting out to big leads in all three games. PV got out to an 11-4 lead in game one, a 23-7 lead in game two, and a 14-7 lead in game three.POSTSEASON HOPES ... The Panthers have already qualified for the District 11 playoffs and Schuylkill League playoffs, but the Olympians are still one win away from a postseason berth. Jim Thorpe is 9-8 on the year with games left against Northwestern, Tamaqua, and Weatherly. The Olympians have defeated both Northwestern and Tamaqua already this season.