A Bonney Lake Panther volleyball team that spent most of the 2011 campaign undefeated and on top of the South Puget Sound League 3A world had its season come to an early demise during the weekend’s West Central District tournament at Auburn Mountainview High School.

A less-than-full-strength Bonney Lake bunch suffered a setback to Camas Friday afternoon and was eliminated from state consideration when it lost to Peninsula Saturday morning in heartbreaking fashion.

The injury bug bit Bonney Lake hard during the last two weeks of the regular season.

After barely claiming second place in the SPSL 3A standings with an 8-2 league mark, Bonney Lake staggered its way through subdistrict play.

By Saturday, when it faced an improving Peninsula contingent, Bonney Lake did not have much left in its emotional tank, as it had been swept by Camas the day before, having lost a discouraging third set 32-30.

Something extraordinary happened in that celebrated third set with Camas though, as the ailing black cats seemed to arch their backs and make a statement.

Even though BLHS did not emerge victorious in that do-or-die third set, the wounded Panthers staged a courageous swan song. They did so with half the squad hobbled with illness and injuries.

Saturday, Bonney Lake tangled with the Seahawks, losing the first two sets 25-18 and 25-17. With its back to the wall once more, the struggling Panthers scratched and clawed their way back for a 25-23 victory in the third set.  It was all for naught, as Peninsula overwhelmed the Bonney Lake gang in the fourth set 25-10.