Getting to state final, not revenge, on Garnet Valley’s mind

CONCORD — A year ago, Garnet Valley was one point from making a return trip to the PIAA Class 4A volleyball championship game.

After squandering a two-set lead against North Allegheny in the semifinals, the Jaguars had match point in the fifth set, but could not put it away. The Tigers rallied for a 20-18 victory to take the match, 3-2, and then went on to beat Bishop Shanahan in three sets to win their fourth state title in program history.

“It hurt a little bit to win the first two sets and then lose the next three,” senior outside hitter Emma Rokosky said. “We don’t plan on letting that happen again.”

The Jaguars have a chance to avenge that loss when they take on North Allegheny in the Class 4A semifinals Tuesday night at Big Spring High School in Newville Tuesday evening (5 p.m.).

Revenge, though, is not foremost on Garnet Valley’s mind.

“For us, it’s about getting to the finals again, going as far as we can,” said All-Delco setter Rachel Cain said, who is headed to East Stroudsburg.

The last time the Jags (20-3) reached the state final it worked out pretty well. Garnet Valley upset heavily favored Parkland, 3-2, in 2016 to win the first Class 4A title in school history. Getting back to the championship match has been the goal from Day One.

“I feel we belong in the state championship,” Rokosky said. “We did last year, too. We just came up a little bit short at the end. Yeah, we’re playing the same team again, but we’re not going to focus on who we’re playing, it’s about playing our game. It’s what we do on our side of the net that matters.”

The loss to North Allegheny did serve as a teaching moment for the Jags. Among the valuable lessons they learned was to stay on point, not get overconfident and put teams away when they have the opportunity.

“After we won those first two sets I remember saying, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re actually going to win this,’” senior outside hitter Ally Hartney said. “After that third set they kind of rocked our boat and we felt like we had to win that next set and it got into our heads a little bit. After the first two sets we were like, ‘Oh, we have this, we’re going to the state final.’ We can’t be thinking that tomorrow.”

The undefeated Tigers (21-0) are the No. 1 Class 4A team in the state in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association poll. North Allegheny is riding a 45-match winning streak and has only dropped three sets this season and nine in the last two years. Shaler, Seneca Valley and State College are the only teams to take a set from the Tigers this season.

No team has taken the Tigers to five sets this season, and Garnet Valley and Upper St. Clair were the only teams to do it a year ago. North Allegheny lost five key members from that team, including first-team all-state selections Erin Carmody (libero) and Kayla Dikins (middle hitter) as well as outside hitter Mika Logan. Carmody is playing at Division II Pitt-Johnstown, while Dinkins (Tulane) and Logan (Eastern Kentucky) are playing on the Division I level.

A lot of teams would experience a drop off with losses like that, but not North Allegheny. Setter Abby Miller was a first-team all-state selection last year as a sophomore. Her sister, Paige, fellow outside hitter Avery Tuman and defensive specialist Allena Carmody, all earned third-team WPIAL honors last season

“All of those girls who are back are very good,” Garnet Valley coach Greg Wood said. “Avery Tuman, Abby Miller and Paige Miller, who are just fantastic, are back and they’re going to be good for the next several years. Anna Sprys might be one the of the best hitters in the state. Losing Kayla and Mika is big, but they are absolutely loaded again this year. We’re going to have to play our best to get to where we want to go.”

The Jags want to take one more bus ride, this time to Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg to take on the winner of the other semifinal match between Bishop Shanahan and Parkland, the third- and fourth-ranked teams, respectively, in the PVCA Class 4A poll.

“It’s about going to finals,” Hartney said. “It doesn’t matter what team we play, it’s about getting to the state final. That’s the goal. It’s not about revenge.”