(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next edition’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from April 25, 1981).

By Bob Flexer

Sports Staff Writer

BETHLEHEM - “When this team gets this momentum, they just go,” beamed Panther Valley’s head volleyball coach Anita Herman after the Pantherettes captured their first District XI girls volleyball championship at Freedom on Saturday.

It wasn’t easy for the Pantherettes, however, as they won the first round match only to lose in the second round to drop into the loser’s bracket.

For most teams, dropping into the loser’s bracket could mean the beginning of the end, but for Panther Valley it could have been a blessing in disguise.

After beating Pottsville in the first round by scores of 15-4 and 15-3, the Pantherettes ran into Easton and got knocked off two straight. The Panther girls lost the first game 15-11 in the best-of-three series and stumbled in the second, this time by a 15-10 score.

Easton jumped ahead 6-0 in the second game before the Panther girls got on the board. Leading 6-1, Easton ran off the next eight points to take a 14-1 lead, before the Pantherettes made a late run, only to come up short.

“We didn’t come all this way to lose, just think about the seams on the ball,” Herman told her team after the loss. “I told them they wouldn’t have to look at another volleyball again if they lost,” she added.

The girls decided they wanted to look at a volleyball again, and that spelled trouble for the rest of the teams entered.

First up for Panther Valley, who carried a 19-3 record into the match, was Allen who came in at 10-7. Instead of playing a best-of-three series, district officials decided to play one 21-point game to save time when the second round of the loser’s bracket started.

The Pantherettes had no trouble with Allen as they breezed to an easy 21-9 win.

The match was tied at one, before PV ran off eight in a row to take a commanding lead. Allen came back to cut the Pantherettes’ lead to 11-6, but PV ran the score back up to 18-7 ending Allen’s hopes for a comeback.

Up next was Emmaus, who carried a 10-8 record into the match. Panther Valley jumped to a quick 1-0 lead as Mary Paluck served an ace. Emmaus came back to tie it at 3-3 and 5-5, before running off six straight to take an 11-5 lead.

But back came the Pantherettes. They pulled to within one on a Patti Matika spike and tied it a short time later. It didn’t stay tied for long, however, as PV continued to roll on, and took a 20-11 lead before Emmaus could stop the flurry.

Emmaus added four more points, but PV came out on top, 21-16. After trailing at one point by an 11-5 score, the Pantherettes ran off 15 straight points.

This set up a rematch with Easton, who had lost the championship bracket final to powerhouse Bethlehem Catholic in three tough games. Easton may have been down after the hard-fought battle, or Panther Valley might have been sky high.

Whatever the case was, the Red Rovers never had a chance as Panther Valley exploded for a 21-9 win and a spot in the finals.

The Pantherettes jumped out to a 12-0 lead and before Easton knew what happened, Nancy O’Donnell aced a serve to make it 14-1. The score went to 15-5 and 18-8 before the Pantherettes ended it with Mary Paluck serving.

That win set up the big one, or in this case the big three. Enter Bethlehem Catholic, undefeated on the year and East Penn League champions.

The Golden Hawks were well-rested, having to play only two matches during the day compared to Panther Valley’s four. If Becahi took the two-out-of-three series, they would win the title. If they lost, a 21-point playoff game would be needed to decide the issue, since PV had already lost one match during the day.

The Pantherettes survived some early difficulty in the first game to take the series 15-11, 15-11 and the 21-point title game, 21-12.

The Panther girls fell behind 5-0 in the first game before scoring, and were trailing 9-2 before they got it going. They outscored Becahi 9-2 and it was tied at 11.

Matika gave them their first lead as she tapped the ball over the net, catching the Golden Hawks off guard. The Pantherettes went up 14-11 and won it on a Matika spike.

Game two was just the opposite of the first game as Panther Valley jumped ahead and hung on at the end for the win.

The Pantherettes foiled many attempts by Becahi to come back, as the Golden Hawks couldn’t control the serve. Leading 9-4, the Pantherettes’ Gina Uher and Matika collided trying to save their serve which they lost, but it didn’t matter as Becahi gave it right back to them.

With Mary Paluck serving, PV increased its lead to 12-4, as Matika ended the run with a spike. Becahi came back with four points of their own, before PV countered with two to take a 14-8 lead. Becahi pulled within 14-11, but Panther Valley ended it a short time later as the Pantherettes had forced the title game.

The title game opened with Panther Valley on fire, as they jumped to a 5-0 lead behind spikes by Mary Paluck, Joanne Paluck and Uher. But Becahi came roaring back to tie it and take a 7-6 lead.

Panther Valley wouldn’t die, and following a spike by Matika, they went up 10-8. After Becahi added a point, the Pantherettes made the big run of the game, as Uher and Mary Paluck took charge.

Uher did the serving and Paluck added a pair of spikes to give PV a 15-9 lead.

After the Golden Hawks added two, the Pantherettes ran off five more with O’Donnell doing the serving, as PV was within one point of the title.

After Becahi came up with one, Mary Paluck served the winning point and Panther Valley had won its first district volleyball title in the five-year history of the program.

Panther Valley will now advance to the state finals on May 1 and 2 at Shippensburg State College.