On Saturday, November 18th, the Warrior volleyball team played in the State Championship at the Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, PA. The Lady Warriors were hopeful to avenge their loss in the state finals from the previous season but ultimately came up short of the title.
The first set was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, with the end score being 25-20 ECC. The Warriors were hopeful that their nerves would be out of their systems going into the second set. Still, errors ultimately haunted WB, resulting in a score of 25-20 in favor of the opponents.
Going into the third set, there was no doubt that West Branch could battle the whole way back and win the game. The team had repeatedly dealt with going down 0-2, so the ladies kept their heads up. Unfortunately, hope wasn’t enough for the Warriors, and they couldn’t get anything going. The Lady Crusaders won the set 25-12, securing the victory and state title.
Although West Branch didn’t get to take home the gold, their season was undeniably awe-inspiring. Sophomore outside hitter Bella Koleno stated, “Being in the state finals two years in a row is such an honor, and we couldn’t have gotten there without the support from our coaches, teammates, and fans.”
Bella and her fellow underclassmen teammates will have more chances to carry on the tradition of excellence that the volleyball team exemplifies at West Branch. The Slam volleyball club will likely get started soon so the girls can return to work for the offseason.
The graduating seniors will go down as the most decorated class in Warrior volleyball history. They capped off their careers with six ICC championships, two District 6 titles, and two PIAA silver medals. This doesn’t even include the multiple in-season tournament wins, outstanding individual statistics, or records held. The “Fab Five” includes Marley Croyle, Katrina Cowder, Shianna Hoover, Brooklyn Myers, and Allison Shingledecker. The five girls hope their success can help motivate future Warrior athletes. They will forever be proud of their role in the WB athletic history book. Not only did they lead volleyball to be the school’s first-ever team sport in the state finals, but they did it twice!
