Taking over a championship program can be a daunting task for any new coach.

But don’t tell that to Emilie Baker, who has guided the Panther Valley volleyball team to 7-0 record, and a tournament championship, in her first month in charge of the program.

Leaving her position as head coach at Tamaqua, Baker replaced long-time Panther coach Nancy Filer. After 19 seasons in charge of the Panther program, Filer retired following last season’s highly successful campaign that saw the Panthers capture their third straight District 11 title and their first-ever Schuylkill League championship.

Baker, a former first team All-State selection as a player at Pottsville Nativity High School, knew the expectations would be high this season, but her familiarity with several of the Panther Valley players helped make the transition a smooth one.

“Last winter, I was an assistant coach for the 209 Fusion Volleyball Club,” said Baker. “I coached the Panther Valley girls who were on the roster, so when I got the PV job, I was a little nervous, but also very excited. I also think the girls seeing my face helped us to be immediately comfortable with each other.”

Baker has brought her own coaching style to Panther Valley. Her philosophy for the game, schooled as a player at Nativity High School and DeSales University, where she continued her playing career, is predicated on a strong perimeter defense, and peak physical conditioning.

“I love the opportunity to coach girls who have the same amount of passion for the game as I do, and that’s what we have here at Panther Valley,” she said. “They are very coachable, and want to get better every day.

“Our drills stress defense and conditioning, which definitely contribute to our strong offensive game, too.”

Baker brought her two assistants, Christa Evanko and Chris Hartung, with her from Tamaqua. The chemistry between coaches and the 11 returning players clicked immediately, but that’s not to say an unbeaten early season record has always been a smooth ride.

“I’m tough on my team when I have to be when we’re not playing well.” said Baker. “We have high expectations for being successful in our league, our district and making a run in the states, which is another level of competition you don’t often see during the regular season.”

When it comes to the pressure of taking over a highly successful program at Panther Valley, Baker accepts the challenge and the pressure that comes with it.

“I want to be in this kind of atmosphere,” Baker said. “At Nativity, we made states three years in a row, and I love that high level of volleyball. I know there’s a lot of weight on my shoulders here, and that if we don’t meet expectations, I could be a target for criticism.

“But I have confidence in my kids to perform well. Their parents are on board with how I coach. I’ve told them that I’m the one who’s in the gym with their kids every day, so I know who should get playing time.”

Although she has set lofty long-term goals for the Panthers, Baker knows that every point, every game, and every match is important, and that attitude absorbed by her players will take care of where they want to go.

“We take no one for granted,” she said.

At the same time, Baker’s main focus is on the Panthers showing continued improvement.

“We want to focus on playing our side of the net, and taking care of our business,” she said.

If that happens, the Panthers early-season success under Baker could lead to continued postseason success down the line.

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TO BE CONTINUED … On Sept. 11, a varsity field hockey game between Northern Lehigh at Northwestern was suspended in the middle of play due to weather. The Tigers were holding onto a 1-0 lead over the Bulldogs when time was called with 3:09 left in the first half. The game will resume play on tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

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FOUR SCORE … After not seeing any area soccer or field hockey players score four goals in a game through the first two weeks of the season, a pair of players accomplished that feat in a three-day span last week.

In an 8-0 Jim Thorpe girls’ soccer victory over Weatherly on Sept. 14, the Olympians’ Lauren LeKites exploded with four goals. Palmerton’s Carissa Fallon followed that up a few days later with four goals in the Blue Bombers’ 7-1 win over Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg.

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TIP OF THE HAT … Several local athletes posted hat tricks in the last week. Sophia Boyle and Emma Kuczynski of the Tamaqua girls’ soccer team; Ashley Marchessault of the Lehighton girls’ soccer team; and Carter Strauss of the Lehighton boys’ soccer team, all had three-goal games in the last week. Boyle’s three goals sparked the Blue Raiders to a 7-0 win over North Schuylkill, while Kuczynski’s came in a 3-1 victory over Nativity. Marchessault’s three propelled the Indians to a 6-1 win over Nativity. Meanwhile, Strauss posted three goals in a 5-0 win over North Schuylkill.

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FRONT-RUNNER … Reagan Pender is picking up where she left off in last year’s postseason. Northern Lehigh’s defending District 11 champion, Pender finished first in her lone multi-team Colonial League meet of the week, and then added a second-place finish over the weekend at the DeSales Invitational, where hundreds of harriers compete.

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MILESTONE … Lehighton’s Alyssa Frey reached a volleyball milestone. A sophomore, Frey recorded 10 assists during Monday’s match with Marian, giving her 500 career assists.