Semifinal: Little River def. Centralia 25-17, 25-13

Centralia got off to a solid start with a 3-2 lead, but the Redskins would score four straight. The Panthers would hang around with a deficit of two to four points until Little River got a five-point lead at 14-9 to force the Centralia timeout. The Panthers battled to get it back to a three-point deficit and kept it around there until the end of the set when the Redskins extended their largest lead to six points at 22-16. The reigning champs were able to put away the Panthers to win the first set 25-17.

The start of the second set was all Redskins with an 8-1 lead including seven straight points. Their lead would continue to grow to get it to 13-4. Centralia was able to get their most consecutive points with four to get back within five, but they were unable to get any closer than that as Little River got hot late to win set two 25-13.

Consolation: Centralia def. Cliton-Clyde 25-11, 25-20

What Little River did to Centralia in the second set is what the Panthers did to Clifton-Clyde in the first set of the third-place match. The Panthers got out to a 13-2 lead including a stretch of seven in a row, and they never looked back. Their largest lead was 14 points at 18-4, and Centralia would win by that margin 25-11.

In the second set, the Eagles and Panthers traded points until Clifton-Clyde was able to break through with a run that gave them a 10-5 lead. Centralia battled back to get it 16-16 which was the first tie since 1-1. The teams would be tied at 17-17, 18-18, and 19-19 with Centralia getting their first lead of the set at 19-18. The Panthers then ran away with five straight points to go up 24-19 with the final being 25-20.

It was another fantastic season of volleyball for the Centralia Panthers in 2023 after missing out at state last year. The Panthers graduate one senior and that is libero Tori Kuckelman who has been a big reason why this team had so much success. She made some spectacular digs and showed great leadership.

The Panthers finish third place with a final overall record of 32-14.