Panthers prevail in five games

Mead showed why it is heavily favored to win another Greater Spokane League volleyball championship and challenge for a 4A state championship.

Similarly, Mt. Spokane displayed why it will be a difficult matchup among the league’s 3A teams, if not the early favorite.

Mead overcame some stagnant stretches and scrappy Mt. Spokane, taking an exhilarating league opener 25-23, 20-25, 25-11, 26-28, 15-10 before a crowd estimated at 800 at Mt. Spokane on Tuesday night.

Panthers junior outside hitter Kuulei Zalopany had back-to-back aces for the final two points in the taut match.

“They have so many offensive tools,” Mt. Spokane coach John Reid said of the Panthers. “Their whole game is great, let’s face it.

“Firepower is a big beast, especially in this game, and they have a lot of it. I liked how we made some adjustments and fought back.”

At the center of Mead’s attack was senior 6-foot-5 middle hitter Alexis Olgard. She had another typically dominating match, finishing with a match-high 25 kills, seven blocks, 15 digs and three aces. While most of her kills didn’t take much time to find the floor, she displayed her agility with a variety of tips, chips and dumps.

What will make Mead the beast Reid talked about is the fact that several Panthers can hurt an opponent. Kaely Kight had 12 kills and Zalopany had 10.

Rare will be the moment that Mead’s defense doesn’t dig up most balls. Four Panthers finished in double digits for digs, led by Zalopany’s 18.

Olgard was impressed with her teammates.

“We passed well and we serve received, and that’s what we needed to do,” Olgard said. “All of them have matured very nicely and they’re good players. They know what to do and what to prepare for.”

A pair of sophomore outside hitters led the Wildcats. Annie Arnzen had a team-high 18 kills and Ixchelle Oleson added 13.

“They’re a good team,” Olgard said of the Wildcats. “We knew they were good, but we prepared well in practice.”

Mead, which never led by more than two points in the first game, got the game winner on a chip by senior outside hitter Chelsey Pangborn.

The Wildcats were at their best in the second and fourth games. In the second, Mt. Spokane closed out with a 4-1 run, capped when Arnzen stuffed an over feed.

Mead trailed 23-20 in the fourth game, but rallied to tie it at 23-all. After six hard-fought points, the Wildcats’ senior setter Mary Konis dove to put a fist on a ball near the sideline, propelling it just enough to find an open area beyond Mead’s back row. A dink by Arnzen moments later pushed the match to five.

Mead coach Judy Kight wasn’t surprised by the marathon opener.

“They have a lot of good hitters and we knew they’d be one of the top challenges we had this season,” Kight said.