The Hilliard Darby Panthers girls volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a 3-1 victory over Reynoldsburg on Aug. 18, giving the program a winning start to a year that carries high expectations.
Darby Athletics confirmed the result on X, posting that the Panthers took the match in four sets. Individual set scores and player statistics were not available.
As the Herald reported Tuesday, the Panthers unveiled their 2026 roster the day before the opener. The program welcomed newcomers Abi Stevens and Bryn Whitmer this spring, adding depth to a squad that won the Hilliard city title in September 2025 for the first time since 2017.
That breakthrough fueled offseason buzz, and the Darby Girls Volleyball account leaned into it on the morning of Aug. 18:
@darbygirlsvball: "Panther Nation there is nothing like Opening Day. Come out and support your 2026 Panthers."
The Panthers also debuted a new home-court atmosphere this season. Two days before the opener, the Hilliard Darby Athletic Boosters unveiled a Court Projection System featuring four premium projectors, full-court seamless video and integrated sound synced to every graphic. The boosters said the system is believed to be among the first of its kind in a Central Ohio high school. No district funds or tax dollars were spent on the project; the money came entirely from booster fundraising activities, the organization said.
The program posted its full 2026 regular-season schedule in late April.
