By Jack Walker
Staff Writer
By all accounts the 2009 volleyball season will go down as one of the best in Van Alstyne history. The list of accomplishments for this team is lengthy.
Tournament championships in two of the three events they entered and a runner-up position in the third.
A 32 win season and a top 20 ranking for most of the latter part of the season.
A playoff berth after six years setting on the sidelines when the post-season dance had started.
In her third year at the helm of the Lady Panthers, coach Jana Milner started the season with seven seniors on her team and in one of our first meetings she outlined her main goal would be to reach the playoffs.
That goal and the team's two wins over her alma mater, Paris North Lamar, would probably be her best memories from this season.
The team gave early notice that they would be a tough opponent as they claimed the tournament title at the Tri-County tournament in Pottsboro. They beat the host school, Princeton en route to the crown. Emily Gentle, who had signed a letter of intent with UT Arlington prior to the start of the season, was named the most valuable player of that tournament.
After easy wins over Savoy, Community and Gunter, the team traveled to the Royse City tournament.
With wins over Lakeview Centennial, a 5-A school, and class 4-A Greenville and Royse City, the team beat district rival Paris to come away with that tourney title. Gentle and Lexie McMakin were named to the all-tournament team.
After beating a tough Whitesboro team at home, Van Alstyne finished up its tournament schedule with a second place finish in the Whitesboro tournament as they lost to Sherman. The second win in that tournament was the team's 20th on the year.
After beating Gainesville on the road, Van Alstyne lost to Aubrey in the final non-district match of the season and they would go into league play with an impressive 23-4 record.
District 10-3A play began at North Lamar and the Lady Panthers let an apparent victory slip away in the deciding fifth set.
After coming back two times in the match, Van Alstyne had an 8-1 lead in the fifth before a Lamar rally claimed the comeback win. Anna was dispatched easily in the Lady Panthers home opener but Paris would prove to be too tough to handle.
Traveling to Commerce to take on the state's sixth ranked class 3-A team, it was a determined group that got off the bus.
The Lady Panthers soundly outplayed the Lady Tigers, getting an upset win that leveled their district record at 2-2.
Unfortunately they could not sustain that level as they dropped on October 9th match at Bonham to end the first trip through the district at 2-3.
The team got some payback as North Lamar paid a visit to Van Alstyne and the Lady Panthers swept the visitors to atone for that disappointing loss in the district opener. Anna was no match for the Lady Panthers as they completed the sweep to earn victory number 30 for the year.
That set up two big matches against Paris on the road and Commerce at home. With post season spots on the line, the Lady Panthers fell to both schools setting up a must-win situation in the final district game against Bonham. The Lady Warriors,
North Lamar and Van Alstyne all had a shot at third place and the Lady Panthers win over Bonham sent them into a play-in game against North Lamar for that final post-season berth.
The teams met at Dodd City and it was no contest as Van Alstyne pounded Lamar in three games to claim that long-awaited playoff spot.
They drew a tough opponent in the opener as the District 9-3A runner-up Argyle Lady Eagles swept Van Alstyne 3-0 in a match at Lovejoy High School bringing down the curtain on the Lady Panther season. Argyle made it to the regional finals before losing to Texarkana Pleasant Grove.
Emily Gentle was selected as Hitter of the Year, earning first -team all district honors along with Lexie McMakin and Chandler Henson. Cami Hebert and Cassie Deaver were picked for the second-team. Gentle later earned all-state honors and was selected to the all-Texomaland team.