Historic Night! Paulding Outlasts Tinora in Five-Set Thriller to Claim First Conference Title Since 1997
PAULDING – History was made Thursday, October 15, as the Paulding Lady Panthers battled through their toughest volleyball match of the season to defeat the Tinora Lady Rams in a thrilling five-set showdown, securing the outright Green Meadows Conference championship for the first time in nearly three decades.
The Lady Panthers demonstrated tremendous determination and resilience, overcoming a 2-1 deficit to claim the victory by scores of 25-20, 22-25, 16-25, 25-15 and 15-12.
The victory capped an undefeated 7-0 run through GMC competition and improved Paulding’s remarkable overall record to 21-1.
The championship marks a historic milestone for the program, as it is the Lady Panthers’ first conference volleyball title since 1997, when Paulding captured the Northwest Conference championship outright.
Thursday’s showdown proved to be a fitting championship battle, with both teams refusing to back down.
Paulding opened the match with a hard-fought 25-20 victory in the first set, but Tinora answered with consecutive wins of 25-22 and 25-16 to put the Lady Panthers on the brink of defeat.
The Lady Panthers regained their momentum in the fourth set, dominating the Rams 25-15 to force a decisive fifth set with the conference championship hanging in the balance.
With the pressure at its highest, Paulding delivered, securing the final set 15-12 to complete the comeback and ignite a championship celebration.
Kayde Kuckuck led Paulding’s offensive attack with a team-high 13 kills while adding nine digs and 13 receptions. Kayleigh Dunham was a dominant presence at the net, contributing 12 kills and a team-high six blocks.
Karli Breedlove turned in another strong all-around performance with nine kills, two service aces, two blocks and 14 receptions. Addison Arend also delivered nine kills while adding three blocks to strengthen the Panthers’ front line.
Estie Pease directed Paulding’s offense with an impressive 42 assists while contributing two kills, one ace, two blocks and three digs. Elliette Roughton added three kills and a block.
Defensively, Tori Schlatter continued to anchor the Lady Panthers’ back row, recording nine digs, three assists, an ace and a team-high 24 receptions. Libby Breier contributed four digs, 12 receptions and an ace, while Jayla Griffith added a service ace.
Tinora, which entered the contest with a 17-5 overall record and a 5-2 GMC mark, provided a formidable challenge throughout the evening.
Addison Dominique led the Lady Rams’ offensive attack with a match-high 20 kills while adding five digs and two blocks. Braleigh Addington followed with 18 kills, five digs, two service aces and a block.
Kallie Wells contributed nine kills and three digs, while Ella Schaublin directed Tinora’s offense with 43 assists. Schaublin also recorded 11 digs, two aces, two blocks and a kill.
Macy Behnfeldt helped anchor the Rams’ defense with 15 digs and four service aces, while Brooklynn Behnfeldt added 13 digs. Riley Baldwin contributed three aces, and Aubrey Hall added four digs and two aces.
Tinora also received defensive contributions from Kenzy Bacon with five digs, Teagan Billing with three digs and a block, Ava Kissner with two digs, and Katie Mills with four digs, three aces and a block.
Adding to the excitement was the tremendous support from Paulding’s fans and student section, who helped create an electric atmosphere for the historic championship match. The team expressed its appreciation for the enthusiastic crowd that showed up to cheer the Lady Panthers on to victory.
The JV Lady Panthers battled Tinora in two competitive sets but came up just short, falling 25-20 and 25-21. Despite the loss, Paulding’s junior varsity team finished its season with an impressive 20-2 overall record.
With a 21-1 record, an undefeated GMC championship season and a place in Paulding volleyball history secured, the Lady Panthers have given their community plenty to celebrate.
For the first time since 1997, the Paulding Lady Panthers are outright conference volleyball champions!