Nov 6, 2024 By Jim Downey 3 min read

The Southmoreland girls had never advanced to the PIAA volleyball playoffs in program history, let alone win a match.

Well, the Lady Scots can scratch that off the list now after rallying to defeat North Star, 3-2, in the opening round of the PIAA Class AA volleyball playoffs.

Southmoreland (17-5) will play Cathedral Prep on Saturday in the quarterfinals. Cathedral Prep upended WPIAL champion Quaker Valley, 3-2, by the scores 27-25, 21-25, 15-25, 33-31 and 15-11.

“The girls were confident and went into tonight’s game with a strong sense of purpose. They looked focused and prepared, and were able to bounce back when down a few points in the match,” said Southmoreland first-year coach Michelle Pergar.

Southmoreland’s focus was evident after the visitors won the opening set, 25-18.

North Star rallied to tie the match by taking the second set, 25-18.

The Lady Scots regained the lead by winning the third set, 26-24, but North Star responded by knotting the match with a 25-22 victory.

Southmoreland then secured the win with a 15-6 victory in the final set.

“They had trained hard for this moment, and their excitement to prove themselves seemed to energize them, as well as the rowdy fans from their school. They fed off their fans’ shouts and snide comments. They wanted to prove they were the stronger team, and they did,” said Pergar.

Pergar has commented throughout the season the closeness her squad possesses, and how they rely on one other.

“The turning points for the games were any time they got loud on the court for each other. Big digs, blocks, aces, kills, anything at a pivotal moment can give them a surge of energy to play harder,” said Pergar.

Southmoreland entered the playoffs on the heels of back-to-back straight-sets losses in the WPIAL playoffs.

“The two losses were a learning experience for them. They became thirsty to extend their season, and knew that each of them would impact the flow of the game in a positive or negative manner,” explained Pergar. “Playing for each other became a must, and these girls pulled off another upset to keep their streak of upsetting the higher seed going.

“We’re pegged as the underdogs always and we, as a team, know that and come in and look to dominate. They did just that.”

Pergar added, “Confidence, grit, and hustle strengthen their performance on the court.”

Taylor Doppelheuer once again was a dominant force at the net for Southmoreland with 20 kills and three blocks. Zoey Welling (23 assists, 2 aces, 4 digs, 2 blocks) and Riley Puckey (17 assists, 8 kills, 9 digs) set up the offense and played solid defense.

Ainsley Martin finished with a team-high 17 digs. Makayla Etling had a solid all-around performance with nine kills, eight digs and three blocks. Ava Bradley and Morgan Riddle both finished with two kills and two blocks.