ELMIRA – Once again, Pine Bush met Horseheads on the volleyball court for the Regional Championship and the chance to go to the state finals. This year it was in Elmira, just down the road from Horseheads itself. That filled the gym at the South Side High School with an emotional crowd that gave the Horseheads girls a lot of support. However, it must be said, there were some stalwarts from Pine Bush High School there too, who'd made the three hour trip up Route 17, and, though comparatively few in number, they made plenty of noise.

This has become an annual event now, the meetings of these two Route 17 Volleyball powers. Last year, it produced an epic five-set battle at SUNY New Paltz, won by Pine Bush.

However, Horseheads has lost some seniors from that team, and this year's is younger — a good team, no question about that, and well-coached. But the Lady Bushmen are in their prime, firing on all cylinders, and taking no prisoners.

Frank Sobiack, Pine Bush coach, said after this game, "When Megan Lesczynski and Nicolette Gebhardt take over, they are unstoppable. They become 'Megolette!'"

Aided by Megan Maisonet, Katie Ryan, Lyndsay Fairchild, and really, the rest of the team, the two Pine Bush seniors led Pine Bush to a three-set sweep of Horseheads that was clinical and crushing.

In the first game, the Horseheads girls played well, teaming up to block Lesczynski several times and pulling out some great recoveries. From 3-3 to 11-13, they stayed close, as Pine Bush exhibited a touch of nervousness, but then Pine Bush pulled away to a 4 point lead, built on that, and held on to win 25-20. Lesczynski, seeing the effort that was being made to block her, turned to little soft pushes and positional shots instead of her trademark power shots.

Horseheads started the second game with a determination to level things up. For the first 20 points they did well, producing come great rallies and recoveries and setting up some good kills. But Pine Bush recovered from being down 9-5 to tie it at 10-10, and then moved out to a 19-12 lead, winning it 20-14.

Down by two, Horseheads did their best in the third game, grabbed an early lead of 4-1, but soon surrendered that, and never got close again as the Lady Bushmen, spurred by tremendous play from Lesczynski and Gebhardt, ran up an eight point lead and then held on to win comfortably at 25-19.

After the game, Nicolette Gebhardt said, "I was a bit surprised that we swept them. I thought it would be at least four games. We beat them once before in tournament play this season, and I thought they would have made more changes."

Looking at the season, she said, "This team has really come together. We are playing as a unit, everyone is really playing for each other, and it has been working well." Next weekend, the Lady Bushmen go to the state finals for the second year in a row. The Final Four will meet at Glens Falls, Saturday, November 21, for Round Robin Pool Play. On Sunday, November 22, at 2 p.m., will be the Championship game.