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| Written by Gene Morris | |||
| Wednesday, 21 October 2009 08:00 | |||
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Resilient. That word captures the way the Paola High School volleyball fought its way to the Frontier League tournament title Saturday. Trailing 10-18 to Gardner-Edgerton in the third game of the championship match, even some of the most optimistic Paola fans had to be thinking the mountain was too steep to climb. Not Paola. Not coach Michelle Abshire. The deficit was seven points (13-20) when senior Allison Wood stepped to the service line for the Panthers.  While the numbers were daunting (Paola needed to score 12 points before Gardner-Edgerton scored five), there was no denying the Panthers on this afternoon. Paola wanted a 2009 Frontier League volleyball champions hanging from a banner in the gymnasium and they went out and got it. Senior Hillary Watrous drilled a kill at 14-20. The comeback started innocently enough. Paola was still down six. Gardner-Edgerton had no reason to be alarmed — yet. Junior Kelli Cullor and Watrous teamed up for a block at 15-20. Senior Kayla Offutt lowered the boom on a kill at 16-20. League volleyball fans were getting ready to see a highlight reel from Offutt. Gardner-Edgerton called a timeout to slow things down. No chance. Offutt blasted another kill at 17-20. She fired one off two blockers at 18-20 and nailed another at 20-20. Wood served nine consecutive points, taking Paola from a seven-point deficit (13-20) to a two point lead (22-20). Offutt had another kill for a sideout at 23-21. Watrous moved it to game-point with another kill and Paola won it 25-22 to win the match in three games, capturing the league tournament.  “I am so proud of you girls,” Paola coach Michelle Abshire said. “You could have looked at the score and given up. “You fought. You played hard,” she said. “Honestly, this is one of my proudest coaching moments. You didn’t give up and really battled hard.” Paola defeated Gardner-Edgerton in the first game 26-24. The Panthers trailed 10-22 in the second game and lost 14-25. Down 12-20 in the third game, Paola kept fighting and put a string of nine service in a row together from Wood to take the lead and eventually come back for the league title. “Allison is one of the best servers our program has ever seen,” Abshire said. “I am so glad she stepped up and showed that in the last game.” Paola went 4-1 on the day, improving to 25-12. It is the first time the Panthers have won the league tournament, which was created in 2006. “I think they came out wanting to win the league tournament and they were not going to be denied,” Abshire said. “I think we learned some things about ourselves today. One, the Panthers never give up.” It was an emotionally draining day on the Panthers, who were crying and smiling at the same time. “That was just crazy,” Briana Mueller said of the comeback. Paola took on the challenge point by point, Watrous said, simply by believing in each other. “We played through it as a team,” she said. “Everyone stepped up.” When the seniors come back for class reunions, they will always have a banner hanging in the gymnasium to remind them of this day. “It is pretty special,” Wood said. “We are the first Paola team to win the league tournament.” Offutt couldn’t hold back the tears, hugging each of her senior teammates after the emotional win. “I have to say these girls are the coolest,” she said. “I can’t believe I get to graduate with this group of girls.” Paola opened with a straight set win against Louisburg in pool play, finishing strong by taking five of the last six points for a 25-22 victory. The Panthers won the second game 25-17. It took just two games for Paola to make it 2-0 on the day, defeating De Soto by scores of 25-15 and 25-16. While they lost the third match, the Panthers made the Ottawa Cyclones earn it. Both games were long. Paola fell in two games, 29-31 and 26-28. Paola won its pool, despite a three-way tie. The Panthers got a rematch with the Spring Hill Broncos, who defeated them in their home tournament to win the invitational. Paola took the first game 25-19 and got quite a battle from Spring Hill in the second game before grinding out a 31-29 win to take the match. Playing for the Frontier League tournament champion Paola Panther volleyball team are Kelli Cullor, Elizabeth Edwards, Kristen Engbroten, Melanie Golubski, Courtney Johnson, Briana Mueller, Mallorie Nelson, Kayla Offutt, Jeri Stephens, Hillary Watrous and Allison Wood. Megan Brown is the team manager. Paola is coached by Michelle Abshire with assisting coaches Joni Reed and Robin Branine.
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