However, even as that Viking cushion grew to four entering set point, the Eagles stayed composed and kept playing their game. They used a one-point-at-a-time mindset to work that cushion down to three, two, one and zero before taking their third lead of the set, closing it on a 7-1, set-sealing run and carrying that momentum forward.

Senior Leah Bryan combined for a match-high 22 kills alongside a combined 17 from Emily Smith and Kendall Gavlock. Fellow seniors Casey Angelloti and Nora Eppley were constantly there to either set up those kills or dominate from the service line, as Bald Eagle put together a controlled, 3-0 win behind set scores of 25-11, 27-25 and 25-21 to propel itself into the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals in front of its home crowd on Tuesday night.

The victory served as the Eagles’ third straight postseason sweep and second win at the state level in three seasons, their first since 2023. They now stand one win away from their deepest playoff run since 2018, the most recent year to see them earn a state title.

“I’m super excited to keep playing,” said Eppley when discussing the run. “I want to keep my season going as long as I possibly can, and I think this is the team to do it with.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Leah Bryan (4) performs a kill during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

“The second set was definitely tough but a lot of it was our errors. We just needed to figure out how to clean it up on our side of the court,” said head coach Taylor Giedroc on the win. “Once we did, just like the first and third set, we played cleanly and put the ball down. We just played amazing, and they couldn’t really respond to our big hitters.”

With their backs against the wall, trailing 24-20 in the second, Bald Eagle channeled the dominance that propelled it to a seamless first-set victory.

Angelotti set up Smith for a kill to end a 2-0 run for the Vikings, get the ball rolling and set herself up at the service line. Then, with the help of three kills from Bryan, she’d post four straight service points, four of her nine on the set and 16 on the night, to give her team the lead at 25-24.

While a service error would tie it back up at 25-25, the Eagles kept firing away. A Hopewell return that bounced off the net was met with a straight-down spike from Smith to re-establish their lead and set them up at set point.

And on the longest volley of the night, Bald Eagle stayed composed on numerous kill attempts from the Vikings, working patiently to set up its set sealer before the Angelloti-Bryan connection that had shined all night shined again. Angelotti set the ball up behind her, and Bryan dropped the hammer with a kill right in the middle of Hopewell’s line of defense, upping the team’s lead to 2-0.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Nora Eppley (19) performs a return during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

In a tumultuous set that could’ve been a turning point for the match, the Eagles never got demotivated or timid, staying calm while remaining aggressive on the attack. That mental strength has served them well throughout the postseason, a big reason they’ll be playing again this Saturday.

“Play calm, play smart, get out of our heads,” said Smith on the mindset late in the set. “We just have to do what we have to do. We’ve got to score how we know how to score.”

“I always remind them that we’ve been there before and whatever point it is, that’s the one we need to get. We need to go point-by-point,” said Giedroc on the message through three late timeouts through the second set. “Just stay confident and swing big. We didn’t get timid or anything like that, and we were able to close it out.”

Following that run, Bald Eagle Area would never trail again.

Hopewell hung around through the third set, tying it up twice early and cutting its deficit to 23-21 late after the Eagles led by as many as eight. But a service error from the Vikings gave Bald Eagle the ball back on match point, and it’d finish the job, as Harlee Witherite brushed the net for the match-sealing ace.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area volleyball celebrates its set-sealing point in the second set during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

It was a set that encapsulated the overall match well, featuring a fast start from the Eagles, a strong response from Hopewell and a composed conclusion in response for Bald Eagle. More notably, it captured the team’s flexibility in getting contributions across the board.

Bryan was a constant spark plug for BEA’s offense, most notably logging ten of her 22 kills through the second set. Smith left her mark as the left outside hitter, posting seven of her 11 kills through the second and proving impactful at the service line with four service points and two aces through the third alone. And Gavlock logged four of her six kills on the night through the third.

“I know that I can swing big because my team’s got me covered if I get blocked,” said Bryan when discussing her performance. “I also have great people setting me up like Nora (Eppley) and Casey (Angelotti). I feel like Nora and I connected really well tonight, which is amazing because she’s my best friend.”

At setter, Angelotti posted a match-high 29 assists while also leading the team in service points (16) and aces (4), proving particularly potent from the service line through the first and second. And at libero, Eppley handled numerous kill attempts from Hopewell while proving impactful offensively as well, finishing second on the team in assists with nine and breaking off six of her nine service points through a first set where the Eagles set the tone.

All in all, it was another well-rounded, controlled win for Bald Eagle Area on the grand stage, as it now stands three wins away from its first state title since 2018. The next step in that quest will come against District 10 champ Corry on Saturday, who’s coming off a sweep of its own against Waynesburg Central and notably made last year’s final.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Kinsey Clark (9) performs a return during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

“We’ve just got to stay up, confident and positive,” said Smith on the mindset heading into Saturday.

“I’m excited to win; I think we can go all the way,” said Eppley.

The time and location for Saturday’s match have yet to be determined.

PIAA CLASS AA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS (FIRST ROUND)

Bald Eagle Area 3, Hopewell 0

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area volleyball celebrates a point during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

(25-11, 27-25, 25-21)

Bald Eagle Area points: Casey Angelotti 16, Nora Eppley 8, Emily Clark 6, Kinsey Clark 5, Leah Bryan 3, Harlee Witherite 1. Bald Eagle Area kills: Leah Bryan 22, Emily Smith 11, Kendall Gavlock 6, Addelyn Fisher 3, Rory Gilham 1. Bald Eagle Area assists: Casey Angelotti 29, Nora Eppley 10. Bald Eagle Area aces: Casey Angelotti 4, Emily Smith 3, Nora Eppley 2, Kinsey Clark 1, Harlee Witherite 1. Bald Eagle Area blocks: Leah Bryan 2, Addelyn Fisher 2, Rory Gilham 1, Casey Angelotti 1.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Casey Angelloti, far left, Addelyn Fisher, middle, and Leah Bryan, far right, celebrate a point during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Kendall Gavlock (18) performs a kill during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area volleyball celebrates a point during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's Emily Smith (16) performs a return during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area volleyball celebrates a point during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area volleyball huddles up after its second-set victory during a PIAA Class AA playoff match against Hopewell on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles won, 3-0, to advance to Saturday's quarterfinal.