Mirror Photo: Tim Weight Hollidaysburg’s Addi Basenback (right) blocks against Central Mountain on Wednesday.

WINGATE — When a match goes through five sets, even the smallest mistakes can add up quickly. These errors may increase even faster in the fifth set.

On Wednesday night, the Hollidaysburg girls volleyball team committed three offensive errors and a service error in the fifth set, and the No. 2 seed Lady Tigers fell to top-seeded Central Mountain, 26-28, 25-20, 25-20, 20-25 . , 15-8, in the District 6 Class 3A championship at the Bald Eagle Area High School Gymnasium.

This was the second year in a row that their season came to a halt in a district championship game that went the distance.

“Unforced mistakes all night long,” Hollidaysburg coach Brandon Stitt said. “We were able to get them out of the system and they kept the ball in play. They played a great match. “They gave us the ball and let us make mistakes and we put the ball in play.”

Hollidaysburg kept the five sets close until an attack error sparked a match-deciding 6-0 run that ended with a kill each from Cora Myers and Katelyn Bowman.

Initially, the Lady Tigers were in a 20-14 hole in the first set, but Emily Clapper’s kill on a service ace from Kenzi McLanahan helped start a 7-2 run that tied the opening stanza at 22-all.

A Clapper kill followed by a Central Mountain attack error gave the Lady Tigers the opening set.

The Lady Wildcats reversed that momentum by going on a 7-1 run in the second period on a pair of scores from Gabrielle Beaubrun and Kylie Rauch, which helped them take a 21-12 lead.

“(Beaubrun) is an outstanding player,” CM coach Chip McCann said. “Our girls know she is outstanding, and if they have any chance to get the ball to her, they do it. He will not do the same thing every time and make mistakes. “And it encourages the setter to pass the ball to the other girls.”

Hollidaysburg pulled within four to one after a pair of aces from Nora Stanek, but that was the closest the Lady Tigers got before losing the second set.

After overcoming some early upsets, Central Mountain went on a 6-0 run as Olivia Sorgen and Rauch recorded a pair of finishes to give the Lady Wildcats a 14-11 lead.

Hollidaysburg fought back into the tie, but a double-contact violation by the Lady Tigers thwarted the rally.

“Receiving serve, serving deep, making them chase balls instead of playing towards them,” McCann said. “When it looked like we were having trouble, we would throw a free ball to a girl standing somewhere.

“It was a great high school volleyball game. Hats off to Hollidaysburg; “It’s a good program.”

In the fourth set, Hollidaysburg took control and took a 20-12 lead with two aces and a score from Cierra Shoop as Addi Basenbeck finished with a 12-2 burst.

Central Mountain pulled back to pull within two, but Shoop and Delayni Baird combined for a block to force the fifth frame.

Hollidaysburg will graduate three seniors from Shoop, Clapper and Kaitlyn Lenhart. Stitt is proud of what he’s accomplished.

In a year that saw plenty of turnover for the Lady Tigers, they finished the 2024 season with a 17-4 record and the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference East Division title.

Having completed his first season as head coach, Stitt now turns his attention to next season.

“Hopefully next year the third time will be the charm and we can figure out how to win this game because it’s tough for us right now,” he said. “We have to spend the next year learning how to be in those pressure moments, how to finish, how to perform when the pressure is on. “We will go there, and I will take them there.”