The Oswego and Oswego East girls volleyball teams played for the names on the back of their shirts while raising awareness and funds for the cause on the front during Tuesday’s Southwest Prairie Conference match at Oswego East.

The Panthers swept the Wolves 25-20, 25-18 but that result was just a slice of a great night where all the players, coaches and even officials wore mint green Volley for the Cure t-shirts. With raffles, an auction and a bake sale, they raised money for Phil’s Friends, which sends customized care packages, cards and ongoing prayers to those recently diagnosed with cancer.

The players chose someone to play for, and those names were listed above their number on the back of their respective jerseys. Oswego East senior Mia Stanley’s jersey said “Aunt Kelly.”

Her aunt was Kelly Stanley, the homecoming queen at Oswego in 1996. She ran cross country and was also a cheerleader, tragically dying after a two-year battle with cancer in 1997.

“My Aunt Kelly passed when she was my age now, so I never knew her, but from what I’ve heard, people say I remind them of her,” Mia Stanley said. “So that is someone I look up to and honor her name.”

Oswego East senior Maya Norlin played for her Aunt Brenda.

“She died seven or eight years ago,” Norlin said. “I remember she was a fierce person, always like, ‘You’re going to get this done!’ She would’ve been standing up yelling and screaming and stomping. She would’ve had a lot of fun tonight.”

The Panthers (16-9, 4-2) had a lot of fun, pulling ahead early in the first set, going up 9-4 on a kill from Hannah Herrick (10 kills, 12 digs). One of those kills made it 22-17 after a dynamite dig from Sara Giglio.

Certainly her late Nana would’ve said so. That’s who Giglio played for.

“I thought that was a big turning point for us when Hannah got that (kill),” she said. “My Nana is always kind of in the back of my mind. Every game I kind of play for her, because I know she would be proud of me, but today was definitely more leaning toward that because we were all representing [the fight against] cancer.”

The Wolves (11-14, 3-3) fell behind 7-2 in the second set, and coach Dina Beamon called a timeout. Her girls would rally to within two points on three occasions, but would not get any closer.

“I think that’s something we struggle with is getting in a hole in the game, but we do a good job of getting it back. It’s just usually not enough, and we fall short,” Wolves senior Kayli Pembroke said. “But we are a really strong team. I just think that was a rough game.”

Pembroke lost her grandfather to cancer five years ago, so she was playing for him.

“I was really close with my grandpa, so I’m really happy I was able to represent him,” she said, “It’s definitely motivation to play for someone, something bigger than myself. I love having a motivation when I’m on the court, because when things get hard and tough, I think of my grandpa and other teammates that I coach. It helps me.”

While the Wolves have dropped four of their last five, the Panthers have now won three straight.

“We talked about it coming over, being high energy, all gas, no brake right away, and they did that,” Panthers coach Gary Mosley said. “We watched film together, and we sit there and break film down together. We put the scouting report together, and the girls did everything we talked about. They played to the scouting report so well. I’m so proud, they’re so coachable. That’s on them.

“This day brings the best out of everybody. There’s a different bounce in everybody’s step on this day.”

It’s truly one of the most special days of the season.

“It’s just emotional when you walk in, because people don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes part,” Mosley said. “Parents do so much for this event, and then you walk in as a team and see it put together. What Oswego East has done with decorating and going the extra mile and all the fans and the shirts, it makes you realize that there is more to life than just volleyball.”