PBL volleyball improves to 10-1 with win over Dwight


PBL's Baylee Cosgrove spikes the ball.

PBL’s Baylee Cosgrove spikes the ball.

PAXTON – The Paxton-Buckley-Loda varsity volleyball team won 25-7, 25-15 over Dwight on Thursday to improve to an overall record of 10-1.

“It was a nice team win,” PBL head coach Lindsay Stalowy said.

The Panthers’ win on Thursday followed a 25-16, 25-8 victory at Dwight the previous Tuesday.

“I’m happy that we were able to play just as well as we did on Tuesday night,” Stalowy said. “Sometimes, when you see the same opponent in the same week, opponents get better or we get better. I’m happy that we were able to play consistently on Tuesday and tonight because I think we played well both nights.”

It was the fourth straight week in which PBL faced a Sangamon Valley Conference opponent in a home-and-away doubleheader.

“We’re getting used to that schedule,” Stalowy said.

The Panthers remain undefeated in the SVC and will play two more conference doubleheaders.

They will face Watseka at home on Tuesday, April 13, and on the road on Thursday, April 15, before concluding the season at Clifton Central on Tuesday, April 20, and at home against the Comets on Thursday, April 22.

“We are expecting that Watseka will be our biggest challenge, followed by Clifton Central,” Stalowy said. “We’ll see what happens next week. We’re looking forward to it.”

Prior to continuing its SVC schedule, PBL will host a triangular competition with Unity and Decatur St. Teresa on Saturday.

 “They’re going to be really tough,” Stalowy said. “We’re looking forward to seeing some non-conference opponents as well.”

Makenna Klann – who finished with 18 assists, five digs and three aces — recorded an ace to extend PBL’s lead to 2-0 in the first set of Thursday’s match. After Dwight sided out, Baylee Cosgrove – who finished the match with two kills, three digs and two aces – recorded a kill and an ace to extend the lead to 5-1.

Addison Oyer – who finished with six kills, one dig and one ace – recorded a kill to make the score 7-1. A couple of aces by Makayla Klann – who finished with 10 digs, two aces and two assists – extended PBL’s lead to 10-3 as the Panthers further extended it to 12-3 with Makayla on the serving block.

A kill by Oyer made the score 16-4 before kills by Anna Wesslund – who finished with one kill and one dig – and Jasmine Miles – who finished with four kills, two digs and two aces – extended PBL’s lead to 20-5. After Dwight recorded a sideout, Miles recorded a kill and an ace and Hannah Schwarz – who finished with five kills – added a kill to help the Panthers extend their lead to 24-6.

The two teams traded sideouts en route to PBL ending the set with a 25-7 win.

The Panthers started the second set with a 4-0 lead thanks in part to an ace by Makenna Klann and a kill by Bailey Bruns, who finished with one kill and one assist. Following a Trojan sideout, two kills by Schwarz and a kill by Oyer helped PBL extend its lead to 8-1.

An ace by Makayla Klann made the score 10-2 as the Panthers would extend their lead to 17-6, with a Miles ace resulting in the 17th point. A kill by Oyer made the score 19-11 before Kendra Johnson – who finished with one kill and one ace – extended the lead to 20-11.

After a sideout by Dwight, two kills by Brooke Walder – who finished with two kills and four digs – helped the Panthers extend their lead to 23-12. They scored two of the next five points to clinch the match.

Emma Steiner finished the match with one kill while Maci Kingren had two digs and Abigail Teske and Carly Mutchmore each had one dig.

“It looks like everybody was involved tonight, as they should be,” Stalowy said. “They all did a good job hitting and serving wise. I was very pleased with that.”

The PBL junior varsity team won 25-17, 25-8 over Dwight.

PBL def. Dwight 25-7, 25-15

At Paxton

For PBL (10-1, 8-0), kills: Addison Oyer 6, Hannah Schwarz 5, Jasmine Miles 4, Baylee Cosgrove 2, Brooke Walder 2, Kendra Johnson, Anna Wesslund, Bailey Bruns, Emma Steiner; aces: Makenna Klann 3, Makayla Klann 2, Miles 2, Cosgrove 2, Oyer, Johnson; digs: Makayla Klann 10, Makenna Klann 5, Walder 4, Cosgrove 3, Miles 2, Maci Kingren 2, Oyer, Abigail Teske, Carly Mutchmore, Wesslund; assists: Makenna Klann 18, Makayla Klann 2, Bruns.