MANHEIM, Pa. — The Lower Dauphin Falcons boys volleyball team once again punched their ticket to their third straight state final.
The Falcons matched up again with Exeter in the state playoffs and after dropping set one, flipped a switch with their championship DNA.
Senior Digby Althoff came off the bench and sparked the energy within the Falcons. Led by their record-setting senior Will Sierer, the Falcons stayed calm and let the game come to them, beating Exeter in four sets.
Kyler Holland and Arun Gopinath had some big-time spikes and kills as well to propel the Falcons. Lower Dauphin stays undefeated at a perfect 22-0 on the season, and one more win would put them to new heights the school has never seen before as the first team to three-peat in any sport.
"Nerves got to the best of our guys; I said to them, 'let's get this one.' Don't worry about anything else but this second set," said head coach Dave Machamer. "They believe in each other, they trust each other, and they're going to play for each other; they're not playing just to play, they're playing for the seniors that they love and respect and they love being together.
The Falcons' final test comes Saturday against Cochranton at Penn State University. Match time is set for 11 a.m.
On the 3A side, the Cumberland Valley Eagles season ended at the hands of Parkland. The Eagles kept it close all three sets as both undefeated teams came in with something to prove. The Eagles season was no where near a disappointment, capturing their second ever District III title this season.