POTTSVILLE – Game on baby … Can you dig it?

There’s no doubt that newly crowned Schuylkill League girls’ volleyball champion Panther Valley can.

On Thursday at Martz Hall, the Panthers never seemed to crumble under pressure, never panicked, and never lost sight of their mission!

When junior Jenna Dubosky made a sensational play to save a volley at match point in the fourth set, it surely was the crowning moment for the Panthers — and it proved once again that they can really dig it.

With Panther Valley ahead 25-24 against a rallying Pottsville team, Dubosky came flying to her right near the net when a return seemed destined to hit the floor. Dubosky kept the play in progress, giving her team a chance to keep things rolling. Seconds later, Pottsville tried to return the ball, but it ended in a net error.

Game over! Match over! Championship over!

“Jenna is amazing,” gushed her teammate Emilee Kwaak following the Panthers, 25-15, 18-25, 25-20 and 26-24 victory. “That’s Jenna, she’s a beast on the court.”

For sure, the Panthers entered Martz Hall as the favorite based on the previous meeting when it dusted Pottsville in the same 3-1 manner. This one, however, was more intense, more pressure-packed, and with a lot more on the line.

“You know these kids are so amazing, they’ve worked so very hard to win this championship,’ said Panther Valley coach Nancy Filer. “We did beat them at our place, but this time things were a lot different.

“You’ve got a (league) championship on the line. The fans are screaming all over the place and it makes for a great atmosphere knowing what’s at stake.”

In other words, nerve wracking.

Surely there didn’t seem like any fraying in the first set for the Panthers. The eventual champions were in total control and rolled to a dominate 25-15 win. Impressive? Indeed.

Leading 10-9, the Panthers went on a run behind the terrific play of Dubosky, who had three kills and an ace to shoot in front 21-12, and never were truly contested.

“No. I wasn’t worried,” said Pottsville coach Marie Sherakas. “I think we were really nervous that first game. We had to rebound off of that. Give Panther Valley credit. They played strong that entire time. They played aggressively. They had us on our heels the entire time.”

Much to Pottsville’s credit, it didn’t fold tent, instead responding with an impressive win of its own in set two, 25-18.

The Tide got big plays from superb rookie Jules Plachko. A freshman, Plachko dug deep with some key kills looking more like a seasoned player, much better than her years indicate.

However the key was in the third set. And that may have been the deciding factor in the victory.

“Winning the third set was so, so important,” said Rachelle Filer, daughter of the head coach. “You know we just worked so hard to win this championship. I felt excited, never nervous. I just concentrated on what I had to do to help us win.”

Locked in a 19-19 tie, the Panthers sprung in front riding the big plays of Kwaak who came up with a pair of magnificent kills and the set-ender on a Filer block to win 25-20.

“To be honest, I never get nervous. That may sound funny,” said sophomore standout Erika Dubosky. “You have all that energy and it’s exciting, but I never did feel any nervousness.”

In the fourth set, the Panthers stood in front 11-7 before Pottsville answered to tie it. The momentum then swung back-and-forth tright up until the winning point lit up the Martz Hall scoreboard.

There was an unsureness when Pottsville went from being down 21-19 to grabbing a 22-21 lead. Panther Valley had to find grit and courage at this stage in the contest — and it did. There was a kill from Kwaak and then a monster kill off the windmill slam from Erika Dubosky to put their team front 23-22. The Tide answered to sneak in front, 24-23.

After a Pottsville serving error that tied the game, the Panthers were about to claw their way to the title. They got a bombastic kill from Oliva Dacey, which set the stage for the winning sequence, all ignited by Jenna Dubosky’s miraculous save.

“We came in here knowing we had to play our game,” said Dacey. “We didn’t want that last ball to touch the floor and Jenna made such an amazing save.

Game! Match! Championship!

HELPING HANDS … They may not have been at the top of the charts, but two sophomores came off the bench to play superbly for the Panthers as Alexis Cooper and Natalie White played key roles in helping their team capture the league title.

QUOTABLE … “These kids love to practice. They don’t want to go home,” said Nancy Filer about her team.

BY THE NUMBERS … Jenna Dubosky had 13 kills, Oliva Dacey 12, Erika Dubosky 10 and Emilee Kwaak nine for the Panthers. Sarah Zabroski and Jenna Dubosky spread the ball around flawlessly, picking up 25 and 19 assists respectively for PV. Filer led the way with 12 service points and Zabroski added nine. Jenna Dubosky had 12 digs; Erika Dubosky had 11, Kwaak had 10, and Dacey chipped in eight. For Pottsville, Plachko had 20 kills, while Payton Kleckner and Elizabeth Rakus added nine each.