POTTSVILLE - Sydney Clouser seems like the glue of the Panther Valley volleyball team.

The Panther's libero is only a junior, and has already broken the school record for digs. According to Panthers' head coach Nancy Filer, she has well over 600 and counting."When your back line is on target, everything else flows. When she's on fire, she really helps us win."The libero doesn't really get the 'hoo-raw' because she doesn't get the kills, but we're changing that, and she's making it change that you realize who gave you that pass - and the girls are excited for her."Things weren't sticking for the Panthers during the early stages of the District 11 championship against Minersville.Panther Valley had its backs to the wall when Clouser came up to serve late in the second set. The Panthers were trailing 24-21 and had already dropped the first set to the Miners.But with the Panthers facing a possible two-set deficit, Clouser delivered.The junior had a phenomenal, perhaps season-changing sequence, for PV. Clouser ripped off five-straight service points and added three digs during the Panthers' five-point rally. The set fittingly ended on a Clouser ace.With momentum on its side, the Panthers reeled off victories in the next two sets to clinch the district title."I knew I had to prove to my team that I can do it and we could do it," said Clousr of the exciting rally. "I gave them hope and stayed positive. Getting those last five points, we became a team again."Clouser displayed her well-rounded skill set on Tuesday as she finished the championship match with 18 digs, nine service points, and two back line kills. She didn't always intend to be PV's libero- but now she's thriving in the role."My freshman year, I was an all-around player," she said. "Sophomore year, I finally realized that's what I'm good at and I love passing. I've been playing volleyball since fourth grade. My dream during freshman year was to even get into the "500 club"."I wouldn't have even guessed that I would break the school record as a junior. It feels amazing and I wouldn't be able to do it without my amazing teammates."The program's new all-time leader in digs helped "dig" the Panthers out of a brief hole against Minersville.She has a lot of volleyball left, and she won't be stopping anytime soon."Once we click, we click," said Clouser. "It might take a while, but once it's there, it's going to be there for a while."We worked so hard for this. To earn a district championship feels amazing, especially for our seniors who played their hearts out."Filer plans to honor Clouser during the first Panthers' home game of the 2017 season."We didn't celebrate it," said Filer. "I believe her time will come and we will focus on her then. First game next year we will pat her on the back and tell her good job."For now, however, Clouser, Filer and the Panthers are enjoying their extended 2016 season.