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EBENSBURG -- Tuesday was one of the few times during Bishop Carroll's campaign where the Huskies were matched, if not topped, in height.
The Huskies, whose top three hitters Emily Olienyk (6-foot), Adison Myers (5-foot-10) and Olivia Gregg (5-foot-9) create big presences at the net, faced a Serra Catholic team boasting very similar attributes.
Nonetheless, the Bishop Carroll trio combined to pound down 32 kills as the Huskies defeated the District 7 runner-up Eagles in straight sets (25-16, 25-22, 25-17) in a PIAA Class 1A first round matchup.
"We watched a lot of films and we knew they were taller, but it's definitely a different experience to play than to watch," said Gregg, who totaled a match-high 18 kills and 17 digs.
"It was a challenge facing height like ours, but I honestly want to say we were ready. We practiced really hard and we prepared for them."
Bishop Carroll produced a solid all-around performance to earn its ninth consecutive victory, all coming via sweep, and its 13th win in the last 15 matches.
The Huskies, who have now matched their previous appearance in the PIAA playoffs (2019) with a quarterfinal berth, will face District 5 champion Berlin Brothersvalley on Saturday.
"We know what it will take to keep going," Gregg said. "We're going to get back in the gym and work hard."
Myers and Olienyk each tallied seven kills for the Lady Huskies, while Grace Blake added three to go along with 10 digs. Lily Straight dished out 38 assists.
"We're very excited to be where we are," Bishop Carroll coach Kate Patrick said. "The girls are playing well. Right now, it's a one day at a time mindset. We're ready to push forward and see what we can do."
Bishop Carroll needed a big push to regain the momentum of the match in the second frame.
Following a win in the opening set, Bishop Carroll fell behind 17-10 after a Serra Catholic six-point run, forcing a Huskies timeout.
"We were obviously down, and we needed to get a couple points and get our heads back into it," Patrick said. "We weren't playing Bishop Carroll volleyball during that stretch.
"I told them there was still time left in the set to get some momentum. I said to have confidence, and nothing drops that mentality."
The Lady Huskies responded, tallying five points in a row courtesy of four consecutive kills from Gregg and one from Strait to cut the deficit to 17-15.
A Myers ace and another kill by Gregg completed the comeback and tied the score at 21-all.
Myers then tallied another ace to put the Huskies in front 22-21. After Serra Catholic evened the score, Bishop Carroll grabbed the final three points to take set two.
"We knew we couldn't play down just because we won the opening set," Myers said. "We definitely brought the energy up after that timeout."
Bishop Carroll was also able to capitalize on multiple hitting errors by the Eagles, who totaled six during the back half of set two.
"We did struggle a little bit offensively," Serra Catholic coach Keith Trahan said. "I like at the end of the day, we're scrappy, we're skilled, but when push comes to shove, we've got to score more points in those key stretches. Being a little more offensive-minded would have made a big difference there."
The teams battled with six ties to begin set three. Serra Catholic built a 12-9 lead at the midpoint after two out of bounds hits by the Huskies.
Myers then tallied back-to-back kills and Gregg notched a pair of aces to put Bishop Carroll back in front 14-12.
After the Eagles cut the deficit back to one, Myers went to the serving line and rattled off five straight points, capping the 9-1 run with two straight aces to give the Huskies a lead.
Olienyk finished off the sweep with five points in a row for the Huskies.
SERVICE POINTS
Serra Catholic: Ridilla 5, Kessler 5, Carper 4, Morgart 3, Jacomen 3, Koval 2, Bell 1.
Bishop Carroll: Olienyk 13, Gregg 10, Myers 5, Blake 3, Smith 3, Strait 3.
Records: Serra Catholic (17-3); Bishop Carroll (16-5).