POTTSVILLE - Dispatched but not discouraged, Panther Valley's upstart girls volleyball team had the huge assignment of trying to take down pregame favorite Blue Mountain here Thursday evening in Martz Hall.

At stake was the Schuylkill League volleyball championship. It was also a rematch for both teams, as the Eagles posted a sweep when the clubs met earlier this season. Once again, Blue Mountain had the firepower, exploiting the middle of the Panthers defense, to sweep the match 3-0.Led by the sensational effort of junior Jerienne Abercrombie, the Eagles posted a 25-17 win in the first set, staved off a late charge from the Panthers in set two, and clinched the school's first-ever league championship."This was such a great effort, and it's all about the players," said Blue Mountain head coach Nick Marrongelle after winning set two, 25-21, and the final set, 25-14. "You know, they gave us a great game, I've got all the respect for their team … We needed to stay focused, and forget about the first time we played. This was for the league championship."Nancy Filer, Panther Valley's mentor, echoed her counterparts' sentiments."We weren't afraid, and I thought we battled very hard," Filer said. "They're a good team, and we're good too."Panther Valley dug itself a hole in the opening set, giving up an 8-0 run after taking a 6-3 lead. But unabashed, the Panthers settled into a comfort zone, closing the gap to within three (14-11) while riding the standout play of Richelle Filer, Jenna Dubosky and Christina Dacey. In the end, the Eagles' front line came to the fore to take set one."I knew we were in for a hard battle, the way they showed us in the second set," said Marrongelle.Set two was a doozie. Falling behind 19-7, the Panthers started a comeback, first with a six-point run - getting two kills from Filer and one each from Emilee Kwaak and Danielle Hudicka. When Blue Mountain surged to a 22-15 lead, Panther Valley had another answer. Dubosky spurred the rally with a pair of kills and, even though they watched Blue Mountain go ahead 24-20, Dubosky and Sarah Zabroski added kill points before the Eagles landed the final point."I thought we made a great run," said coach Filer of set two. "We were still in it. That was a nice rally that we had there."The momentum never fully shifted in Panther Valley's corner, even after forging a 10-10 tie early in set three. Blue Mountain turned to Abercrombie to carry the team to the third and final-set victory. The middle hitter had a whopping eight kills in the final 13 points, enabling her team to lock-down a league championship.ONWARD ...Panther Valley won a divisional title, and will now move on to the District 11 Class AA playoffs. The Panthers should be the top seed in the four-team bracket.FANDOM ...A spirited Panther Valley student body arrived by fan bus and never let down, cheering until the final point was scored.SUITED UP ...Panther Valley athletic director Kristin Black donned her schools colors - gold and black - for the championship tilt.