Moose storm past the Panthers

PALMER -- The last two matches the Palmer Moose have played in the Region III tournament have been against the Skyview Panthers. Fortunately for the Moose, the 2003 tourney had a different result than 2002.

The Moose stormed past the Panthers 3-0 (25-11, 26-6, 25-12) during first round action of the 2003 Region III championship tournament at Colony High School on Thursday.

Last season the Panthers upset the favored Moose 3-2 in a thrilling championship match.

"They lost a lot of good people," Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said of the Panthers.

The Panthers took multiple hits to the roster, losing all-conference selections Jenny Carpenter, who now plays collegiately for Alaska Anchorage, and Laurel Creel, who transferred to Wasilla.

There was little thought of the match going to a fourth game, let alone to a fifth frame, this time around as the Moose made quick work of the Panthers.

Behind the hitting of senior Jessie Macknicki, Palmer led Skyview for a comfortable sum during virtually the entire match.

Macknicki led the Moose with 10 kills.

The most important factor for Palmer came before the match even started. After the final region standings were released, the Moose were deadlocked in a tie with Kodiak. After attempting to use six different tiebreakers to separate the two clubs, Palmer won a coin toss.

The coin toss win gave Palmer the second seed from the north and a first-round date with Skyview.

Kodiak was given the third seed and played Homer in the first round on the opposite side of the bracket.

"We got on the opposite side of the bracket of Colony and Kodiak," Reynolds said. "As scary as Colony is, Kodiak is capable of beating anyone."

The Palmer win also sets up a date with Valley foe Wasilla. The match also sets Reynolds against his former longtime assistant Marge Johnson, who is now at the helm of Wasilla volleyball.

"I coached with Marge for a long time and the girls know her and like her," Reynolds said. "It should be good."

Results from Friday's Palmer-Wasilla match, as well as Saturday's championship match will be available in Tuesday's edition of the Frontiersman.