Mathews outlasts Charles City to put damper on Senior Night

Charles City’s Endya Johnson (left) and Aalaya King (right) both have their eyes on the ball as they prepare to send it back over the net.

Robb Johnson photo

Charles City’s Lady Panthers entered Tuesday night’s contest looking to improve their team record in wins against a Mathews Blue Devils team that they’ve battled with near evenly over the past few years. But on this occasion, the hosts couldn’t string together the plays when they needed them.

Charles City fell 12-25, 18-25, 15-25 in the Senior Night contest, concluding the home slate for the hosts.

After a rough first set, Charles City played evenly with the visitors in the next frame. Lady Panther Endya Johnson aced three consecutive serves, tying the game at seven apiece. After Aalaya King’s for the Lady Panthers knotted the game at 10 all, Mathews began to pull away slowly, scoring twice for every point the Lady Panthers could score to capture the second set.

In the third frame, Charles City musted every ounce of energy to stay in the game. A Cheyenne Christian dig once again helped the Lady Panthers tie Mathews at 12 all. But the emotions and energy faded from the hosts, as Mathews orchestrated a 13-3 run to close out the contest.

After the game, Charles City Lady Panthers Head Coach Lillani Adkins spoke about the record-breaking season and the work of the team.

“I am proud of what they have accomplished,” she commented. “They have improved so much over the years, and they continued to trust and believe in themselves.”

The Lady Panthers will more than likely enter a rebuild mode for the future, as six of their 10 players will graduate this year. Charles City falls to 6-13 on the season.