Mirror photo by Tim Waite Hollidaysburg’s Adi Basenbach (right) goes up to the blocks during Wednesday’s game against Central Mountain.
WINGATE — When matches go into five sets, even small mistakes can add up quickly. For the fifth set, those errors can accumulate even faster.
On Wednesday night, the Hollidaysburg girls volleyball team made three attack errors and one service error in the fifth set, as the second-seeded Lady Tigers defeated top-seeded Central Mountain 26-28, 25-20. , lost 25-20, 20-25. , 15-8, in the District 6 Class 3A championship at the Bald Eagle District High School gymnasium.
This halted the season for the second straight year of distance play in the district title match.
“There were unforced errors all night,” Hollidaysburg coach Brandon Stitt said. “We were able to get them out of their system and they kept the ball in play. They played a great game because they kept giving us the ball and kept making us make mistakes. , we played towards it.”
Hollidaysburg held it close in the fifth set until an attacking error sparked a 6-0 game-clinching run that ended with Cora Myers and Caitlin Bowman each finishing with one kill.
Early on, the Lady Tigers found themselves in a 20-14 hole in the first set, but Emily Clapper got a kill on Kenji McClanahan’s ace and started a 7-2 run, ending the first match with a 22 lead. So it was a tie.
A kill by Clapper followed by an attack error by Central Mountain gave the Lady Tigers the lead in the first set.
The Lady Wildcats, led in part by a pair of kills from Gabrielle Beaubrun and Kylee Rausch, went on a 7-1 run in the second to help flip the momentum and take a 21-12 lead. did.
“(Beaublanc) is a phenomenal player,” CM coach Chip McCann said. “Our girls know she’s phenomenal and any chance they get to get the ball to her, they definitely do it. She’s not going to make mistakes by doing the same thing over and over again. She encourages the setter to pass the ball to the other girls.”
Hollidaysburg got within four points on Nora Stanek’s two aces, but the Lady Tigers fell just short of dropping the second set.
After overcoming some early troubles, Central Mountain continued its 6-0 run with two finishes from Olivia Sorgen and Rauch to give the Lady Wildcats a 14-11 lead.
Hollidaysburg tied the score, but a double contact violation by the Lady Tigers thwarted the rally.
“Serve-receive, serve deep and let them chase the ball instead of playing to it,” McCann said. “When there seemed to be a problem, it was when I sent a free ball to the girl standing there.
“It was a great high school volleyball game. Hats off to Hollidaysburg. They’re a good program.”
In the fourth set, Hollidaysburg took control, exploding to 12-2 on a finish from Addi Basenbeck and jumping out to a 20-12 lead on two aces and a kill from Sierra Shoop.
Central Mountain came back to close to two points, but Shupe and Delaney Baird combined to make a block and steal the fifth slot.
Hollidaysburg will graduate three seniors in Shoop, Clapper and Caitlin Lenhart. Stitt is proud of what they accomplished.
The Lady Tigers had a year with a lot of depth, finishing the 2024 season with a 17-4 record and the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference East Division championship.
Stitt has completed his first season as head coach and is now turning his focus to next season.
“Hopefully the third time next year will be the charm. It’s difficult for us at the moment so we’ll find a way to win this game,” he said. “We have to learn next year how to deal with those moments of pressure, how to finish, how to perform when the pressure is on. I’ll get there, and I’ll take them there.”
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