Butler topples mighty Baldwin
Tornado earn 1st playoff victory vs. longtime power

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By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor

BUTLER TWP— The Butler girls volleyball team made history Wednesday night against a program that has plenty of it.
The Golden Tornado defeated Baldwin 3-1, securing their first WPIAL Class AAA playoff victory. Butler (11-4) is in the playoffs for only the second time in 10 years.
Butler's volleyball program dates back to 1976. By comparison, Baldwin (9-5) has won nine WPIAL championships, four state titles and reached the state tournament 23 times in the past 30 years.
Highlanders coach Lynda Scahill, who is in her 25th year, coached Butler coach Meghan Lucas when the latter was an outside hitter for a Pittsburgh club team years ago.
"This is special to begin with, but to defeat a traditional, powerful program like Baldwin's makes it incredible,"Lucas said. "I consider (Scahill) a mentor to me."
Butler will play the winner of tonight's North Allegheny-Hempfield match at a date, site and time to be determined.
The Tornado's first playoff win did not come easily. Butler won the match 25-23, 28-30, 25-20, 25-15.
"We didn't play well at the start of either of those first two games,"Lucas said. "We had to battle from behind."
Butler trailed the first game 20-16 before scoring eight of the next nine points to take a 24-21 advantage Middle hitter Abbie Druschel scored three points during that rally, including two kills. Marina Gracik added a dink and an ace.
The Tornado trailed the second game 12-5 and 24-21, rallied to come within game point three times, only to drop a 30-28 decision.
"It was tough losing that one, but winning the first game was the key because it took the pressure off,"senior middle hitter Becky Smith said.
Baldwin played without its starting setter and libero Wednesday. Junior setter Rachel Dindak sprained her ankle at the Pine-Richland Tournament Saturday and junior libero Sarah Malaskovitz was out with a concussion.
"We kept our poise in that second game, which we had to win,"Scahill said. "I'm pleased with the way the two setters we had in there played. Our kids did everything they were supposed to do.
"We couldn't finish off that first game. I thought we outplayed them there. It hurt not getting that one."
While the second game was tied on 15 occasions, Butler took control of games three and four. Consecutive aces by Stephanie Mock snapped a 3-3 tie in Game 3 and the Tornado never trailed again.
Butler scored the first five points of Game 4 and never trailed.
"We really wanted to finish off that second game to take control, but I told the girls afterward we had to win the next two to not let them build momentum,"Lucas said.
"Once we started reading their hitters better, we did a better job of blocking their shots."
The Tornado had a size advantage with 6-foot-2 Smith and four other girls — setter Amanda Huey, Rachel Doutt, Lyndsy Wittebort and Amanda Skidmore — standing 5-10.
Baldwin's tallest player was 5-9.
"To win this game, we knew we had to take control around the net and outplay them there,"Smith said. "We eventually did that and it turned the match in our favor."
Smith paced the Tornado with 14 kills. Brynn Maxwell added 12 kills while Druschel had eight kills and four blocks. Stephanie Mock had 20 digs.
In other WPIAL Class AAA playoff action, Seneca Valley posted a 3-0 win over Plum and advances to face the Upper St. Clair-Latrobe winner in the second round.