Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Mabank’s Lindsey Cope serves against Malakoff in the second game of the Lady Panthers’ opening day of matches.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kalli Smith of Mabank goes up at the net for a kill during the Aug. 13 match hosting Malakoff, which Mabank won.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff’s Cameryn Cheek (right) digs against Mabank Aug. 13, following her Lady Tigers’ game against Palestine.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Avery Austin of Malakoff intently watches the ball before passing on to another Lady Tiger in  Aug. 13 action.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Khilyn Wilkinson passes the ball to a Mabank teammate Aug. 13 against Malakoff, which her Lady Panthers won in four sets.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Taniya Fuller of Malakoff surges to the net to challenge Palestine players during Malakoff’s Aug. 13 match in Mabank.

MABANK–The Mabank Lady Panthers volleyball team opened their regular season Aug. 13 with a dual match against Palestine and Malakoff, winning both in four sets. The Lady Panthers then picked up two more wins at the Wimberley tournament, held over the weekend of Aug. 17.
Following the 3-1 win over Palestine, the Lady Panthers faced the Malakoff Lady Tigers, who had just lost to Palestine, 3-1. The nightcap in Mabank saw the Lady Panthers take a 3-1 first-set lead behind Lindsey Cope’s serves. Malakoff tied the first set at 4 then took a 5-4 lead on a Maycee Summerhill ace. Later, a Kai Hudson kill for Mabank tied the first set at 8, yet Malakoff roared out to a 16-9 lead.
A Khilyn Wilkinson ace got the Lady Panthers within 21-20, but an Avery Austin ace allowed Malakoff to lead 23-20, and eventually the Lady Tigers prevailed in the first set, 25-20, behind more Austin aces (culminating that set with three in a row).
Austin started the second set with yet another ace. Later, a Hudson kill gave Mabank a 4-3 second-set lead. The Lady Panthers went up 7-3 on a Madisyn Roberts kill. Jewell Hager tacked on another Lady Panther kill for their eighth point of the second set.
The Mabank lead kept creeping up to 18-5 until Malakoff’s Taniya Fuller’s kill cut it to 18-6. However, two straight Kendal Woods aces ended the second set, handing Mabank a 25-7 set victory.
Mabank’s Roberts rained aces in the third set, helping the Lady Panthers lead 7-0. A Kylee James of Malakoff kill reduced Mabank’s third-set lead to 9-5. Hudson picked up kills later in the set to propel Mabank to a 25-18 third-set win.
In the fourth and final set, Mabank fell behind 3-1 then tied the set at 4. The Lady Panthers went ahead 8-4 with Hudson serving. When Mabank led 11-5, Malakoff called timeout. The Lady Tigers got within 12-7 afterward, but Mabank won the fourth set (and the match) 25-11.