The Tri-Valley Bulldogs have made history by advancing to their first state championship game after a hard-fought victory over the Linville Hill Warriors on Tuesday night. The match, held at Cocalico High School, concluded with the Bulldogs triumphing in four sets, 25-22, 26-24, 4-25, 25-20. This victory is particularly significant as it marks the first time this season that Linville Hill, previously undefeated with a record of 22-0, faced defeat.
Tri-Valley’s head coach, Courtney Schreib, acknowledged the challenge of competing against an undefeated team. “It’s scary going up against an undefeated team,” she stated. “However, we also knew that we could kind of maybe use that to our advantage if we got in their head because they haven’t had to fight this season yet.” This mindset proved crucial as the Bulldogs approached the match after a convincing quarterfinal win against Faith Christian.
The Bulldogs quickly established dominance in the first set, overcoming early ties at 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 to pull ahead with a remarkable eight-point run, leading 11-3. Although Linville Hill managed to tie the game at 15-15 and 16-16, Tri-Valley responded with resilience. They regained the lead at 19-19 and clinched the set 25-22, driven by junior Faith Melocheck, who led with nine kills in that set. By the end of the match, Melocheck recorded a total of 23 kills, 11 digs, and one block assist.
The second set showcased a thrilling back-and-forth battle, featuring an astounding 19 ties. After trailing 18-17, Tri-Valley found momentum, winning four consecutive points to take a 21-18 lead. Despite Linville Hill’s efforts to rally back, including tying the game at 24-24, a poor serve from the Warriors combined with a decisive kill from Liv Lupole secured the set for the Bulldogs at 26-24, granting them a 2-0 match lead.
In a surprising turn in the third set, Tri-Valley struggled to score. After initially leading, they fell victim to a 14-point run by Linville Hill, who dominated with a score of 25-4. Coach Schreib emphasized the importance of mental resilience, saying, “We took the time between the third and fourth set just to say some prayers and to calm ourselves and settle ourselves down.”
That mental reset proved effective as the Bulldogs entered the fourth set. Although Linville Hill maintained a lead early on, Tri-Valley refused to let them build a substantial advantage. After tying the game at 14-14, the Bulldogs surged forward, propelled by Lupole’s serving, winning seven straight points to establish a lead of 21-14. Linville Hill fought valiantly, narrowing the gap to 22-18, but a final knuckleball serve from Callie Melocheck sealed the match for Tri-Valley, sending them to the PIAA Class 1A State Championship.
Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will face the District 10 champion, Maplewood High School, on Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg. Maplewood enters the championship with a solid record of 22-2 this season. Despite the nerves that may accompany the final, the Bulldogs are brimming with excitement. “I am so excited and it’s just an amazing feeling,” said Lupole as the team prepares for this landmark game set to start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
