The Lady Panthers ended an incredible season with a tough loss in the state championship game to Little River. However, the Panthers still improved from last year's third-place finish with a stellar second-place finish. 

The Centralia Panthers came out of pool play 3-0 and earned the opportunity to play the Clifton-Clyde Eagles in the semi-finals, a team the Panthers had beaten three times this year. The Panthers beat them for the fourth time this year in straight sets: 25-22 and 25-15. This also extended a winning streak against the Eagles up to nine straight wins, dating back to 2019.

The Panthers, with the win, would then take on the also undefeated in tournament play team, Little River. Little River had won the last two straight championships and was searching for a three-peat. 

Little River got to an early 7-1 start against the Panthers, forcing Centralia to call an early time-out. However, the Redskins would proceed to take the next five out of six points, making it 12-2, to force Centralia to yet again use another time-out. The closest the Lady Panthers would make it in the first set was 21-14, still being down by seven. The Redskins would secure the first set 25-18, with Arika Feldman leading the set in kills with seven against the Panthers. 

The second set would once again start quickly for Little River, going up 9-3. Centralia was once forced to take a timeout and would force Little River to use a time-out as Centralia made it just within four, 10-6. The second set early on was competitive, but Little River would eventually go on to score fifteen out of the next twenty-four points, winning set two 25-14. 

Little River truly outplayed the net in the match against Centralia, with outstanding coordination constantly from the front unit, always bringing up a successful double or triple block. 

Despite losing in the championship (25-18, 25-14), the Panthers have a lot to hold their head up high for, last season, they placed third in class 1A Division 1, beating Clifton-Clyde, but this year they managed an impressive runner-up finish. 

Centralia ends the season 38-8 on the overall, finishing 4-1 in the state tournament, and Little River finishes the season 40-6, going 4-0 in the state tournament. 

The Lady Panthers will graduate Tatum Kramer, Oen Deters, Isabell Haverkamp, Kinzey Niehues, and Marissa Broxterman for this state runner-up team. 

Centralia will still have a great future to look forward to as they will look to return a dangerous group of great-hitting sophomores. Hayden Kramer finished with 34 total kills during the state tournament, Malayna Becker finished with over 22 kills during the state tournament, Josie Haverkamp had a lot of success with 31 total kills to help the team, and lastly, as well the sophomore Tava Gibbs finished with more than 17 kills during the state tournament (STATS NOT APPROXIMATE). 

The Lady Panthers will return a great unit going into 2025 and will be one to keep your eye on in class 1A once again.