The next two nights of volleyball for the class 4A #14 Knoxville will give the Panthers their biggest tests of the season. Tonight, Knoxville heads to the Des Moines Christian Invitational to face two Little Hawkeye Conference teams in Pella Christian and Newton, Southeast Warren and class 3A #3 Des Moines Christian. If that is not tough enough, the Panthers will venture to the Waukee Invitational on Saturday to face the host Warriors, Gilbert and class 4A #2 ranked Indianola. Coach Mollie Keitges wants to play in these types of events to give her girls a challenge in non-conference and ready them for the regionals. She also knows that her seniors will not panic when adversity strikes, which shows well for the underclassmen.

Keitges: “That just shows a lot of growth and maturity for our older girls, and that shows a lot for the younger girls when they get into the rotation and it just shows when our older girls don’t panic and our babies don’t freak out either.”

Action from Des Moines Christian gets underway at 4:30, while the Waukee Invitational on Saturday starts at 8:30.