PCHS volleyball celebrates record-breaking season

PINCKNEYVILLE - The Panthers volleyball program held its Awards Banquet to honor a team of "firsts" on Monday at Red Hawk Country Club.

The Panthers celebrated success at all levels with the "three-headed monster" of coaches helping to build the program.

Coach Dwayne "Red" Epplin saw the most freshman wins in a season since he has coached, with a 15-4 record, 8-2 in conference.

Coach Chelsea Kellerman's JV squad matched the 15-4 record and went one better at 9-1 in conference.

Head Coach Cathy Kohnen, the SICA Class 2A Coach of the Year, saw the varsity roll to a 26 game win-streak on the way to a 34-4 record, the most wins in program history.

Kohnen's team also topped off a perfect 10-0 conference record, the first SIRR Mississippi Division title in history.

The last conference title came in 1987 in the Southwest Egyptian Conference.

The Panthers also won the Benton Invitational Tournament for the first time, won the team's second ever Regional title, and placed four team members on the 12-member All-Conference team - Kylee Kling, Emma Banach, Olivia Szczepanski and Elaine Shaneyfelt.

Several individual awards were also given out to team members during the banquet. The Defensive MVP was Kylee Kling, the Coaches' Award went to Megan Mayo, the Offensive MPV was Emma Banach, another Defensive MVP was Olivia Szczepanski, Highest Ace Percentage went to Sarah Breslin, Highest Kill Percentage went to Megan Breslin, Most Improved Player was Hallie Waggoner, Most Assists went to Elaine Shaneyfelt and the second Coaches' Award went to Alexis Hirsch.