Permenter Hopes Historic Stone Season Can Build

This season, Stone Memorial volleyball captured its first region title win since 2009 and while the Panthers season ended at sub-state, head coach Tori Permenter said she could not be any more proud of her team.

The longtime head coach said going into the season the team was surrounded by lingering questions about if they could be title contenders. She said this year’s team was plagued by inexperience, but their fiery spirit compensated.

“We lost a lot of people last year,” Permenter said. “And a lot of these girls I had on varsity, I only had two returners from the year previous. So, it was like all those girls who had been waiting their turn, had something to prove and I think that was the difference. Because they proved it. They proved everybody wrong.”

The Panthers finished the season with a 23-15 record and marks the third straight 20 win season for the Panthers. Permenter said while all of her teams play with a certain flair, the 2024 Panthers had another level of competitiveness.

“There was just girls on that team that would do anything than let a ball hit the ground,” Permenter said. “You can’t teach that drive and you can’t teach that willingness to win.”

This off-season the team will graduate just four seniors, which is an easier pill for Permenter to swallow than losing eight in 2023. Another development this season has been the emergence of Cumberland County’s volleyball team.

Under first year head coach Rodney Howard, the CCHS Jets were able to put together a 32 win season, over 25 more wins than the previous year. Permenter said having two more than solid volleyball programs in the city is exciting moving forward.

“I’m really proud of them as well,” Permenter said. “It was just a special feeling, us getting both to be in a sub-state game. Rewind seven or eight years ago, that was never an option. And now having this year, lord knows what we’re going to do next year.”