The Lady Warriors volleyball team traveled to Shanksville to play Berlin on Tuesday, November 4th, for the first round of the PIAA playoffs. No stranger to the spotlight or the Mountaineers, the Lady Warriors brought experience and strategy with them. Sadly, they fell in a 5-set thriller to a good Berlin Brothersvalley team. The two schools have forged quite a rivalry over the last three years, with Tuesday being another classic from the 2 ICC powerhouses.

This match was worthy of state finals, with blows back and forth on both sides. Berlin won the first set 15-25 in a dominant fashion, taking initiative in the first set, showing the Warriors that they came to play. The Warriors responded, pulling away in a close second set, finishing 25-23, ending on an impressive kill by Haley Woodling. Going into the third set, Berlin won handily 25-11. The fourth set was just as hard-fought as the second set. The score was back and forth up until the final point; the Warriors barely scraped by with a win, 30-28. The 5th set was close and ended up finishing 15-9 in favor of Berlin in the hard-fought bout. 

Athletic Director Davey Williamson had this to say about the match and the Lady Warriors as a whole: “The Lady Warrior volleyball team was defeated by Berlin in a 5 set thriller last night in the first round of PIAA play.  The Lady Warriors wrapped up a great season last night.  Congrats on a great year to the team, Coach Trude, Coach Neidrick, Coach Koleno, and Coach Peterson.

A special congrats to the senior group of players.  They will leave West Branch as undoubtedly one of the most decorated groups of student-athletes to ever walk the hallways at West Branch, with 3 ICC championships, 4 D6 championships, 2 PIAA State runner-up finishes, 1 PIAA Elite 8 finish, 1 PIAA Sweet 16 finish, and multiple regular-season tournament titles.