SCHUYLKILL HAVEN – Power and finesse. It’s the best way to describe this youthful - and surging - Panther Valley volleyball team.

Emily Hannis has her team geared up at just the right time of the season, just as the home stretch starts to come into focus.

Using the splendid and terrific play of Morgan Orsulak, Jaelynn Browdy and the finesse work of Jessica Hackash and Caroline Breslin, this group scored a huge knockout punch over fellow Schuylkill League Division I rival Blue Mountain on the latter’s home floor in three sets, 25-17, 28-26 and 25-19 on Tuesday.

The sweep was an emphatic statement, along with reversing a previous loss to the Eagles, 3-2, on Sept. 4.

Panther Valley, which has now won five in a row, all in straight sets, just about locked up the second-place division spot improving to 9-2, dropping Blue Mountain to 7-4, while Pottsville keeps the top spot 11-0. Three teams from each division qualify for the league playoffs, which get underway Oct. 14.

The most defining moment in this encounter figured heavily on the superb one-two duo of Orsulak and Browdy. They were money when things got sticky in a tense second set. Orsulak was smooth as butter seeking out her teammate Browdy, as the sophomore used her power and strength to pick up points whenever things got close.

“We work well together,” said Orsulak, the outside hitter/setter, who is a junior. “We have a feel for one and other… I know where she is on the court.”

Orsulak used a soft assist as Browdy positioned herself behind her teammate, and when she received the pass, wham, she slammed home a point. They combined for 27 kills and six digs – three apiece.

“We’re such a young team, and they play so well together,” Hannis offered. “We communicate so well. They’re very strong players. You can see the team work, and it’s all because of unselfish play.”

And if that duo wasn’t setting each other up, Hackash was nibbling here and there in playing a big role in her team’s win.

“We came out strong, and then we kind of go through the motions,” Hannis explained. “But this was such an important (win) for us, for the leagues.”

Panther Valley buried the Eagles in a hurry, blazing in front 20-9 in the opening set. During that stretch run it had five aces, and was never seriously threatened despite the presence of Blue Mountain’s pair of towers along the net in Jaedyn Bartholomew and Zoe Leibensperger. But undaunted, the Panthers soared on the leaping abilities of Orsulak and Hackash to breeze past the Eagles.

“It was a little nerve-wracking in the beginning,” Browdy said. “But once we got that first set, I could feel all of us getting confidence.”

Blue Mountain pressured the Panthers in the second set, with the home club kept swatting away, trying to engage the net with a standout effort from rising freshman Isabella Grasso. There were 17 ties in this lengthy battle. When Panther Valley looked settled in taking a 24-21, it sat on set point. However, the Eagles dug in, clawing in front with a four-point run.

But, Panther Valley had an answer. On the brink of seeing the match get tied 1-1, the Panthers regained their balance, with Browdy, Orsulak and Hackash stepping up to tie the set and before Browdy had two straight kills to seal the set and put Panther Valley up 2-0.

That second set victory lifted the Panthers. They broke free from a 10-9 lead, rallied around Hackash and Emma Dacey in serve, and bolted to a 21-14 advantage in the third set. Although Blue Mountain got close at 22-18, the Panthers were not giving sway, and quickly put things to bed 25-19.

“I don’t think we played bad, they just played better,” said Blue Mountain coach Gregg Gergely. “They lost their Libero (Caroline Breslin) to injury (in the first match) and that was the difference this time.”

Breslin surely had her moments, and was a key to the turnaround in coming up with 12 digs and three assists.

“(Caroline) was a very big part of this win,” Hannis offered. “She did a great job, and we don’t get the win without her play.”

GREAT NET PLAY… Both teams had plenty of jousting, and strong efforts at the net. The difference? Panther Valley’s quickness, its ability to elevate, and strength. PV was very heady in its attack, too.

NUMBERS… Browdy carved out 10 kills, three aces and three digs. Orsulak had one ace, 17 kills and 13 assists, and Breslin tallied three aces and 12 digs. Bartholomew had 10 kills, 16 digs and one block, while Gasso had 11 kills and seven digs.

QUOTABLE… “My Libero, she’s all over the court… she does everything she possibly can do,” Hannis said of Breslin, a junior.

WINNERS ... Panther Valley also won the JV match, 2-1, after dropping the first set.

Panther Vy. 25 28 25

Blue Mtn. 17 26 19

Stat leaders: Panther Valley - Jaelynn Browdy 1 ace, 10 kills, 3 digs; Morgan Orsulak 13 assists, 3 digs, 17 kills, 1 ace; Caroline Breslin 3 aces, 12 digs.