The Panthers were about to enjoy their third pizza party of the season after junior Kylie Schnars was recognized as The Post-Journal Player of the Week.

But first, special guest Debbie Palmer — a longtime volleyball and softball coach at Panama — shared a few words with the team.

Palmer told the girls how proud she was of them because even though she coached many good Panthers teams, they never had the opportunity to play in the state Final Four.

She remembered the excitement of Panama winning the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D championship two years ago, and the despair of the Panthers losing in the final last year.

The Panama Central School volleyball team poses for a photo after winning the Class D Far West Regional last weekend, which earned it a berth in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship this weekend. The Lady Panthers left for Glens Falls this morning. The tournament begins Saturday and a champion will be crowned Sunday.

And she insisted that Hosier’s team has the talent and drive to win their second state title this weekend.

It’s an opinion no doubt shared by many.

The Panthers will leave early this morning for their third straight trip to the state Final Four at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.

Standing in the way of their second title in eastern New York will be a pair of Final Four newcomers — Section II Mayfield and Section IX Mount Academy — as well as defending champion Bainbridge-Guilford of Section IV, which beat Panama, 25-10, 25-14, 15-25, 25-12, in last year’s title match after the Panthers swept the Bobcats in pool play a day earlier.

“We really put it on them Saturday, then we went in on Sunday and didn’t attack the way we could,” Schnars said Wednesday. “We didn’t go at them. We weren’t blocking, hitting as hard or digging. We definitely have to do that.”

Panama’s Alexys Marsh makes a pass during the NYSPHSAA Class D Far West Regional against Cuba-Rushford last Saturday.

Both Panama and Bainbridge-Guilford return much of their talent from last year’s championship match.

The Bobcats, who beat Bishop Grimes, 25-9, 25-12, 25-18, last weekend to advance to Glens Falls, return senior captains Zamira Caldwell, Abigail Selfridge and Alexis Carr as well as sophomore Erica Selfridge.

“We have the film from last year and we have been watching that,” senior Alexys Marsh said. “They haven’t lost anyone. We definitely are going to step it up. We know we didn’t play our game.”

Despite losing setter Quinn Payne, middle blocker Gillian Figueroa and service specialist Elle Angeletti to graduation, Panama returns just as much firepower as Bainbridge-Guilford.

Senior Madalyn Bowen leads the Panthers with 225 kills, 206 digs and 248 serve receptions while her 183 service points are second on the team. Junior Natalie Angeletti is second in kills with 224 and blocks with 48 while her 36 aces are third on the team. Schnars is first in blocks (85) and third in kills (173).

Angeletti is tied with senior Maci Johnson for second in digs with 164 and Johnson is second in aces with 39.

“Maci Johnson is the unsung hero,” Hosier said. ” … I’ve told her, ‘You have to be in charge in the back row.'”

Sophomore Maddie Johnson has stepped in for Payne as the team’s setter and gotten better as the season has progressed. She is first in assists with 623 and also has 80 digs.

“Maddie’s done great. … She’s a sophomore setting for seniors who have been to states the last two years. That’s a lot of pressure,” Hosier said. “She’s been a godsend. She’s definitely had a lot more ups than downs.”

Before facing Bainbridge-Guilford in the third match of pool play Saturday morning, Panama will face Mount Academy at 9:30 a.m. and Mayfield about an hour later.

“It’s important to not go in there with the mindset that we are going to crush them,” Bowen said of the first two matches. “They are at states for a reason just like us. They are good teams so we have to keep the mindset that it’s not going to be a walk-through.”

Mount Academy is led by head coach Sandy Mancuso-Lopez. The Eagles are in their first year of existence and volleyball is the school’s first girls varsity sport. Mayfield is coached by Eileen Rovito. Mikayla Myers, Amy Laubenstein and Emily Mormando are senior co-captains for the Panthers.

“We need to be confident, but not too confident because you never know,” Marsh said. “We really need to just go out strong and stay strong. … If you let down and let the other team in, it can be hard.”

The top two records from Saturday’s pool play will battle in the best-of-five championship match Sunday morning at 10.

“Part of them would probably like to have three weak teams and to float through it,” Hosier said of her team, “but the competitive part of them wants to go back to face (Bainbridge-Guilford) and have a different outcome.”

NOTES: This is the 12th straight year the Final Four is being held in Glens Falls. … Class AA, which will play during the morning wave on Court 1, features Section VIII Long Beach, Section IX Pine Bush, Section II Shenendehowa and Section V Victor. … Class A, which will play on Court 1 in the afternoon wave, features Section VIII Wantagh, Section IX Cornwall, Section II Burnt Hills and Section VI Niagara-Wheatfield. … Class B, which will play on Court 2 during the morning wave, features Section XI Bayport-Blue Point, defending champion Section IV Owego, Section II Broadalbin-Perth and Section III Westhill. … Class C, which will play on Court 3 during the afternoon wave, features Section XI Mattituck, Section IX Millbrook, Section II Voorheesville and defending champion Section VI Portville. … The schedule for Sunday’s finals is: Class D, 10 a.m.; Classes AA and B, noon; Classes A and C, 2 p.m.