The Pekin Panthers’ volleyball season came to an end Monday night with a 3-1 loss to Winfield-Mt. Union in the Class 1A Region 2 first round, falling 20-25, 25-16, 22-25, 22-25.
The match featured tight competition throughout, with three of the four sets decided by five points or less.
Set-by-Set Battle
Winfield-Mt. Union took control early in the opening set, building leads of 8-3 and 17-10 before Pekin rallied to tie the match at 18-18. The Wolves regained momentum down the stretch, however, closing on a 7-2 run to take the set 25-20.
The Panthers responded emphatically in the second set, breaking open a 7-7 tie with strong play to build a 19-10 advantage. Pekin cruised from there, winning 25-16 to even the match at one set apiece.
Set three proved pivotal as Pekin fell behind 10-1 early. The Panthers clawed back to tie the set at 16-16 and stayed within striking distance, trailing just 21-20 late. Winfield-Mt. Union held on, taking the set 25-22 to regain the match lead.
The fourth set saw Pekin jump ahead 11-5, but the Wolves battled back to tie at 15-15. The set remained close throughout, with the teams tied again at 19-19 before Winfield-Mt. Union finished strong, winning 25-22 to close out the match.
Statistical Leaders
Carlie Gambell paced the Panthers with 25 assists while also contributing eight kills. Three Pekin hitters—Gambell, Paislee Coleman, and Taylor Moore—each recorded eight kills to lead the offensive attack. Reece Brisby added six kills, while Mya Glick and Katelynn Schultz chipped in four apiece. The Panthers committed 22 kill errors in the match.
Defensively, Payten Coleman led Pekin with 16 digs, while Paislee Coleman added 14 and Brisby contributed nine. Paislee Coleman also anchored the net defense with three blocks, while Gambell and Brisby each recorded two blocks. Moore added one block.
Brisby served effectively with four aces, helping Pekin post a 79.8% serving efficiency for the match.
Seniors Say Goodbye
The loss marks the end of high school volleyball careers for seniors Payten Coleman and Katelynn Schultz. Coleman led the team defensively in her final match with 16 digs, while Schultz contributed four kills.
Winfield-Mt. Union advanced to face fourth-ranked Holy Trinity Catholic on Wednesday, October 22nd, but fell in straight sets to end their season as well.
The Panthers will look to build on this season’s experience as they prepare for the future, with several key contributors returning to continue developing the program.
