GARDNER — It’s safe to say the PikeView volleyball team has exceeded expectations in 2007. After all, the Panthers are still playing.

“We did a whole lot better than what I expected,” first-year PikeView coach Steve Compton said. “Going into it, we really just wanted to improve all year long and the girls were just really great.

“They were just wanting to learn and wanting to do well and it’s easy to coach girls that are like that. We exceeded our expectations this year.”

PikeView finished second in the Region III, Section 2 tournament earlier this week, defeating Mount View and Westside before losing to Wyoming East in four games.

That performance put the Panthers into today’s Region III tournament at Summers County in Hinton. The Panthers will play the host team Bobcats at 2 p.m., a team that has already beaten PikeView twice this season.

“They’re just a well-coached team and a really good team,” Compton said. “They get where they need to be and they move well on the floor.

“In order for us to beat them we have to play our best game and hope for a few breaks. A team like that you can’t give them any free points. You can’t give them nothing.”

Compton, who recently retired from the Army, is coaching the volleyball team simply because there was no one else to do it.

“I just volunteered because they didn’t have a coach,” said Compton, who helped coached girls basketball and softball last year. “I played one season of volleyball when I was in the Army recreationally.

“What I know about volleyball I learned over the summer, knowing I was going into it. Other coaches and the officials were pretty helpful this year, giving me ideas and sharing things with me and helping me out.”

PikeView, which will enter this game with a sub-.500 record, is led by big hitters in Trista Thomas and Amber Dickerson, along with setter Laken Coburn. Alyssa Wiley is the Panthers’ libero, while Jessica Howell, Erin Hatcher, Sasha Pendleton and Katelyn Cook rotate wherever needed on the front and back rows.

All will have to be at their best against the Bobcats. The winner of their match will play the survivor of Saturday’s second match between Wyoming East and Independence for the Region III title.

“Summers County is really a good team,” Compton said. “I’m not sure where they’re ranked in the state, but they don’t make mistakes, and I think they finished second in the Coalfield Conference.

“We’ve played them twice this year and they defeated us both times. They’re a real strong team, they’re strong at the net and they’ve got a good power game. From what I understand, they’re one of the better teams in southern West Virginia.”

It’s been a while since PikeView has been successful in volleyball. Compton said the Panthers made it to the regionals when the school was founded in the early-90s.

They’re back, and glad to be there.

“They didn’t fare well at all last year,” Compton said. “The expectations this year was to establish a volleyball program and build on that.

“We’ve exceeded our expectations. The girls really have been great this year. They’ve put a lot of work into the season.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

bwoodson@bdtonline.com