New interim head coach and Jaynee Crockett and volunteer assistant Casey Kennedy were present on the Montezuma-Cortez bench during the Panthers’ volleyball match against Durango on Tuesday.

But junior Danielle McDonald was not.

Instead, McDonald was back on the court in her first game of the season after dealing with a nagging shoulder injury.

And her impact was immediately felt on the front line.

McDonald and senior Kristin Pierce challenged Durango at the net, slamming down spikes and blocking the Demons’ attempts throughout the evening.

After trailing 1-8 in Game 1, multiple Pierce kills propelled a Panthers comeback to even the score at 13.

M-CHS and Durango battled back-and-forth into extra points, but Durango senior Sarah Waller hammered in three consecutive kills late in the game, and Durango won, 26-24.

McDonald and Pierce battled with Waller and Durango senior Lia Henriksen for blocks and spikes through Games 2 and 3, but Durango eliminated the mistakes they’d made in game one to escape with game two, 25-20, and cruised to a 25-14 victory in the third to sweep the match, 3-0.

The Panthers have over a week to regroup and get acclimated to a new coaching staff and the return of McDonald, with their next contest scheduled at Montrose on Friday, Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m.