LaGrange opened the 2018 season by splitting two matches Saturday in the Richter Gym. The Panthers (1-1) lost 3-0 to Methodist, then bounced back to defeat Toccoa Falls 3-1.

"Our girls showed a lot of determination throughout the day. It's quite apparent that we have a lot of talent," said head coach Madison Machurek. "We need to dial in that talent and be a disciplined volleyball team. Once we control the amount of errors we are making, we will be able to battle with teams like Methodist. I want to thank our fans for creating a great atmosphere for our home opener. The crowd was phenomenal and brought a lot of energy to our play."

Methodist downed the Panthers 25-10, 25-21, and 25-22. Samantha James, Jazzlyn Keener, Mimi Loftus, and Yasmin Roper all had four kills for LC. Lauren Sanders added 10 assists, while Courtney Swafford had 16 digs.

The Panthers took a hard-fought match against Toccoa Falls, winning 25-20, 26-24, 21-25, and 29-27. James led the Panthers with 12 kills and added 10 digs to finish with a double-double. Paeton Robinson also had a double-double with 11 kills and 21 assists. Loftus added 10 kills, while Swafford had 14 digs.

The Panthers play in the Millsaps Invitational Tournament on Sept. 7-8.