Fans could not have asked for two more exciting matches during the Class 1A Putnam County Regional semifinals on Wednesday in Granville.

Both matches were three-set thrillers.

No. 7-seeded Putnam County knocked off top seeded Henry-Senachwine 25-21, 16-25, 25-23 to start things off while No. 5 St. Bede went three rounds with No. 4 Orion, but fell 25-22, 22-25, 25-13.

The Panthers (21-15-1) will play the Chargers in the title match at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Putnam County def. Henry 25-21, 16-25, 25-23: After splitting the first two sets, the Panthers, whose defense was the difference, put the pressure on the Mallards.

The set went back and forth with a block from Chloe Parcher that briefly gave the Panthers the 7-6 lead, but Henry responded with Bryanna Anderson also getting a block to tie the match.

It looked as it the Mallards were going to pull ahead as Kennedy Holocker sent a shot into the net for the Panthers and then Henry’s Rachel Eckert served up an ace and Harper Schrock hit off Panther defenders for a 13-10 lead.

Putnam County once again fought back with several one-handed digs from Sarah Wiesbrock and Holocker.

A shot and then a quick punch over the net from Myah Richardson tied the set at 15, but the Mallards again pulled ahead 20-16 when Brooklynn Thompson mishit the ball, but it managed to fall in and then she had a big kill.

“We seem to play our best when we are down three or four,” PC coach Amy Bell said. “Tonight was no different. The girls gathered together and got the job done. I could not be prouder of the way they played and now we have a chance at a regional title on our home court.”

But the Panthers rallied one final time.

Britney Trinidad had a kill down the middle and then Henry was called for four hits to the set at 20.

With the score tied at 22, a mishit from Ella Pyszka managed to fall for the Panthers and then Richardson’s kill made it 24-22 before Henry sent a shot into the net as the Panthers wrapped up the win.

“Putnam County came out strong,” Henry coach Hope Vinson said. “Defensively, they were outstanding and that was the difference in the game tonight. Long, hard rallies that the defense kept alive and got the points for Putnam County.”

Putnam County was led by Wiesbrock with 33 digs, Richardson with 29 and Trinidad with 27, while Richardson added 14 kills and Trinidad had 18 assists.

Henry (29-6) was led by Taylor Frawley with 33 digs and Maya Johnson with 15, while Rachel Eckert had 14 digs and 27 assists and Schrock put down 14 kills.

Orion def. St. Bede 22-25, 25-22, 25-13: The Bruins took the opening set behind outstanding net play from Kijah Lucas and Hannah Waskowiak and big hitting from Waskowiak and Nelle Potthoff.

The second set was a carbon copy of the first set, but this time the set went to the Chargers led by big hitter Ellie Knupp.

But the third set belonged to the Chargers after St. Bede initially started off strong.

Waszkowiak picked up a kill, Kate Duncan got a block and Lucas and Hannah Heiberger combined for a block that gave the Bruins a 7-3 lead.

But after that it was all Chargers as they went on a 22-6 run to end the match. It started with a St. Bede net violation and then a cross court kill from Elli Mielke.

Knupp scored with a touch shot and after a mishit from the Bruins, the set was tied at 9. Mielke gave the Chargers the lead with a kill and then miscommunication from St. Bede and a shot on the line from Claire Haars made it 12-9 Orion.

Delaney Tapscott served an ace and then Mielke hit a shot off the St. Bede defense as the lead grew to 16-9.

“I thought our big hitters started to push the big girls from St. Bede back a bit in the third set,” Orion coach Sydney Adams said. “Once we got a couple we seemed to really be able to gear up and get some big shots.”

Another ace and tip shot from Khloe Nelson helped extended the Chargers’ lead to 22-11. Mallory Pronschinske drilled a kill for a commanding 23-13 advantage.

Sadie Appel used a tip shot and then Claire Haars finished off the Bruins with an ace for the decisive 25-13 third set victory.

“I think we got taken back by a few of their big shots,” St. Bede coach Nicole Trenka said. “We didn’t close the blocks as well in the third set as we did the first two sets. We just let them get too much of a lead in that third set. I thought our big hitters did a really nice job tonight, but we just fell short in that third set.”

St. Bede (18-12-1) was led by Waszkowiak with seven kills to go along with six from Potthoff. Lucas and Waszkowiak each had six blocks, Lily Bosnich had 15 digs and Ava Balestri had 16 assists.

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Members of the Putnam County girls volleyball team (from left) Myah Richardson, Alyvia Wachowiak, Ella Pyszka, Briitney Trinidad, Sara Wiesbrock and Kennedy Holocker react after upsetting Henry-Senachwine during the Class 1A Regional semifinal game on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 at Putnam County High School. (Scott Anderson)