Northshore ends senior season with district sweep

Northshore volleyball players who have been on the program for four years played their final home match on Nov. 5. The 12th-seeded Panthers defeated district rival Fontainebleau, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20, to advance to the second round of the Division I state tournament.

Senior libero Gracie Schaff finished the match with 24 digs, the team high. The result allowed the five senior players on the roster to close out their careers in the Northshore gym without a loss in the postseason opener.

Schaff described the team's focus during the match as a collective effort to enjoy the moment while competing. "We made it a point to have so much fun and work as a team," she said. "I’ve just made so many connections, and it’s been so much fun."

The Panthers, who improved their record to 22-15, relied on an aggressive offensive approach to control the game. Sophomore Riley Porter recorded 14 kills and eight digs. Porter noted that the team played with high energy and avoided selfish play. "We really just played for our seniors," Porter said. "No one was selfish."

Coach Danny Davis adjusted the team's strategy after reviewing the previous meeting against Fontainebleau. He stated that the Panthers had given up too many free balls in that earlier contest. Davis aimed to force the Bulldogs into unfamiliar defensive positions by applying maximum pressure on every swing.

The first two sets followed a similar pattern. Northshore built leads after close starts, taking an 8-1 run in the first set to close it out at 25-16. In the second set, sophomore Braylin Lafontaine and junior Imari Marsalis recorded key blocks to end a long rally. Marsalis added a kill shortly after to secure the 25-17 win.

The third set remained competitive until the final minutes. Fontainebleau erased a 15-11 deficit to tie the score at 18, driven by senior Emma Hollowell. Northshore re-established the lead after a Fontainebleau attack error allowed senior Sarah Johnsen to block the ball. Porter and Johnsen finished the set with kills to bring the final score to 25-20.

Fontainebleau, which dropped to 17-19, struggled with consistency throughout the season due to injuries. Coach Kacie Mule noted that her team used three different starting middle blockers and faced numerous other health issues. "We just weren't consistent," Mule said. "In the end, Northshore came out and played better than us tonight."

Hollowell led the Bulldogs with 10 kills. Alyssa Howell recorded 16 digs, and Jillian Townsend added 14 digs. Sarah Hickman and Bella Kirsch contributed 14 and nine assists, respectively.

The Panthers will travel to face 6th-seeded Prairieville, who hold a 31-8 record, for the second-round match on Saturday.