LAKE HAVASU CITY — The Panthers got their first ever varsity win, courtesy of unforced errors by the Lady Tigers.

David Bell/News-Herald Photo. Telesis’ Claudia Castaneda (33) makes the pass while teammate Courtney Freeman (42) looks on during the second game of the match against Dolan Springs Mt. Tipton, at the Lake Havasu City Community Center, Tuesday. The visiting Lady Panthers defeated the Lady Tigers, 23-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 15-9.

Dolan Springs Mt. Tipton defeated Lake Havasu City Telesis, 23-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 15-9, at the Lake Havasu City Community Center, Tuesday.

“We have a tendency to wait until the last minute,” said Mt. Tipton head coach Donna Wickerd. “I think the girls might like to be underdogs.”

The Panthers were decidedly the underdogs to win the match following the first two games. Telesis came out strong behind the service of Victoria Guzman and the front row attack of Claudia Castaneda, Courtney Freeman and Paytne Hinger to take a two games to zero lead.

That allowed Telesis head coach Darren Carson to go the bench and get playing time for the other Lady Tigers. But instead of rolling over, the Lady Panthers started to attack on their own and built a 9-0 lead, to cruise to the third game victory.

“We lost momentum, we dug a hole we couldn’t get out of and I take responsibility for that,” Carson said. “But you have to give Mt. Tipton credit; they kept fighting to take the win.”

Unforced errors — players hitting or going under the net and serves out of bounds — sent the lady Tigers to a fourth game defeat and set up the rubber game of the match.

The teams traded the first few points then the Panthers’ Ana Martinez went on a six point service run to build an 8-2 lead that Mt. Tipton never surrendered. Ariana Nelson served out the final five Panthers points for the match win.

“We played down (in a Sept. 22 five-game match loss) to Peoria Desert Point and we played down here tonight,” Carson said. “We’re still learning and getting better, but we have to close it out when we have that lead.”

Telesis gets right back into action tonight, playing Kingman Academy in Kingman. Then returns home for a doubleheader against Glendale Desert Heights Thursday, at the LHS Community Center.

For more photos from the Telesis-Mt. Tipton match, click here: http://www.instantimagegallery.com/iig/c/769