Lady Panthers make history for first ever state appearance
Mcentire praises team for tough effort vs. defending state champion Mansfield in opening round match-up at state
MANSFIELD — The PPRD journey on the court led the Magnet Cove Lady Panthers to the 2022 Class 2A State Volleyball Tournament appearance under the direction of head coach Donica Mcentire.
The Lady Panthers finished the 2Acentral Conference tournament fourth, which earned them the No. 4 spot to qualify and compete in the 2A state volleyball championships hosted in Mansfield this week. In the opening round, the Lady Pantherstook on their biggest and toughest challenge of the season—facing the overall No. 1 seed and defending 2Astate champion Mansfield.
Despite the Lady Panthers falling short 3-0 in sets, Mcentire was proud of the development her team grasped throughout the 2022 volleyball season. The Lady Panthers brought a competitive play to the court in their first state tournament appearance to make history in the volleyball program at Magnet Cove. Mcentire stated, “I thought the girls improved and competed hard—mansfield is a tough team to play as the reigning state champs—overall it was a good experience for the girls.” The Lady Panthers performed productively throughout the 2022 volleyball season. Magnet
Cove picked up key victories such as sweeping sets against Jacksonville Lighthouse, Nevada, and Mineral Springs. Although the team faced adversity throughout their volleyball journey this season, Mcentire was able to utilize her former player abilities to guide the Lady Panthers to the postseason and finish the year successful.now that the Lady Panthers have become a postseason contender, they’re ready to create some more noise on the court for another run at state in 2023.
“I thought the girls improved and competed hard— Mansfield is a tough team to play as the reigning state champs—overall it was a good experience for the girls....” —Donica Mcentire Magnet Cove Head Volleyball Coach