Philipsburg-Osceola girls’ volleyball eyes state title run after perfect season
Philipsburg-Osceola has had its fair share of success in volleyball. The program made an appearance in the PIAA state tournament in 2013 after winning the District 6 title, but lost in the first round.
So when the final point was scored in the team’s 25-23, 25-18, 30-32, 25-16 win over Bald Eagle Area on Tuesday and the Mountaineers clinched the District 6 Class 2A title and their appearance in the state tournament in seven years, Philipsburg-Osceola’s players couldn’t help but feel excited.
“It’s really exciting,” junior Kalista Butler said. “We’ve all been playing together for a really long time and we didn’t even know if we were going to have a season. That makes it even more exciting, just to be there and have fans in the gym, and just be playing.”
Now the team will go to the tournament in search of a state title after an 18-0 season that included three victories over Bald Eagle Area, a Mountain League and District 6 Class 2A title.
All of which were goals Butler thought were possible, but not necessarily probable.
“I knew we had that capability,” Butler said, “but I didn’t know if we’d be able to go 18-0. That’s a hard thing to do and it’s just crazy that we did it.”
The Mountaineers’ wait for a return to the state tournament wasn’t for a lack of talent or coaching, rather an indication of the level of team’s they played year in and year out.
Philipsburg-Osceola head coach Dave Eckberg said the level of competition they face on a yearly basis has put them in a position to find success this season.
“It speaks to the quality of volleyball here in central Pennsylvania,” he said. “Bald Eagle has done such a great job and Tyrone has done a great job of getting that program up and Penns Valley (has done a great job). I think it just speaks to the quality of volleyball we have. We’re happy to be where we’re at. It took us some time to get here again, but that’s just because everyone pushes each other so much more these days. The depth of the league is so much better than it was 10-15 years ago.”
Playing teams as talented as Bald Eagle, which won the 2018 PIAA Class 2A state championship, has been a grind for the Mountaineers. They play programs like the Eagles, Tyrone and others who know their team inside and out.
They know their rotations, they know their strengths, they know their weaknesses and they know how they want to play.
Now that the Mountaineers are beyond those teams, they can travel into uncharted territory. They will face teams that don’t know anything about them. That will give the team a chance for a fresh start.
“It’s like a clean state,” Eckberg said. “Our season starts now. We don’t know the teams we’re playing and they don’t know us. Bald Eagle, they know our rotations inside just like we know theirs. I think this is going to alleviate a little bit of that pressure. We just get to go play some hard volleyball. Maybe take some chances, try some new things, and let the best team win.”
Not having the same level of strategy could open the door for Philipsburg-Osceola. It could put the team in a position to go out and play its best without having to overthink everything.
Of course, that does come with some drawbacks.
If the Mountaineers’ opponents don’t know much about them, it stands to reason that they won’t know much about their opponents, either. While that can allow them to play more freely, it does come with its disadvantages.
“I always find it helpful if we scout the team out and watch their film and know their tendencies,” freshman Reese Hazelton said. “So then we can prepare better for our matches.”
With or without those scouting reports, P-O is moving in the right direction. The team’s roster is young and hungry to achieve its goals.
With youth, however, comes inexperience.
The girls on the team have plenty of experience playing, but didn’t all have extensive time playing together. That could lead to chemistry and communication issues, especially early in the season.
Eckberg saw some of those issues early in the team’s undefeated campaign, but said they soon dissipated and gave way to a cohesive unit.
“I think we knew that other teams were going to be experiencing the same things so I guess it kind of leveled the playing field for everybody,” he said. “It took us a little time to find our stride, but once we did we kept feeding them more and more to challenge them with some new things because we knew we were going to need it when we started to move into district playoffs and beyond. We had to be a better team — and a different team — each time we played, for example, Bald Eagle.”
That growth should continue for the Mountaineers. As they continue playing together, their chemistry will only improve and allow them to fully maximize their talents. Eckberg now sees a team that started the season playing well, but is hitting its stride at the right time.
Building and carrying their strong play forward could pay massive dividends in the state tournament.
“These last few weeks I thought we improved with ball control, defense has gotten better at digging balls against some really good hitters” he said. “I still think we’re improving. There’s still some things to polish up obviously, but I think we’re still on the upswing.”
The win over Bald Eagle in the district tournament included added importance because of the Eagles’ success. Eckberg said he respects Bald Eagle head coach Larry Campbell and all he’s accomplished, and the rival coach has expressed similar sentiments. For the Mounaineer head coach, it wasn’t about the rivalry, but rather the success of the program his team beat.
Eckberg’s players enjoyed the title after taking down an elite program like the Eagles in the District 6 title game and ending their rivals’ 82-match Mountain League winning streak earlier in the season, saying it added to their special season.
“We’ve been getting beaten by them for a while and that rivalry has always been there,” Butler said. “To come out on top this year, it’s very special.”
Yes, the Mountaineers have taken down their rivals three times and earned the District 6 title and a state tournament appearance — one that will begin Saturday against Maplewood in the quarterfinals — to go with it. But they’re not done. They want more, and they believe they’re in a position to get it.
“I hope we win states,” Hazelton said. “I think we can do it.”
Centre County teams’ PIAA quarterfinal matchups
Boys’ soccer
State College vs. Seneca Valley at noon Saturday (Class 4A)
Girls’ volleyball
Philipsburg-Osceola at Maplewood at 1 p.m. Saturday (Class 2A)
Bellefonte at Franklin Regional at noon Saturday (Class 3A)
State College at Hempfield at noon Saturday (Class 4A)
