However, even as the pressure built, their confidence remained. Each game throughout that first-set slide was close, and they never lost trust in their ability to turn things around. One win turned into four in their next five, with their second closing surge helping the Bulldogs advance to state quarters.

Through both sets, Game 6 onward saw the pair go10-3, roaring back on two separate occasions to win in straight sets, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4. Ryder Fink, Ezra Paulhamus and Saul Hensler combined for a singles sweep alongside the duo, as Jersey Shore defeated District 3 runner-up Pequea Valley, 4-1, in the first round of states.

With the win, the Bulldogs (19-0) are now set to face District 7 champ Quaker Valley (13-2) in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Hershey Racquet Club. Facing a program from a district that’s consistently strong in tennis, head coach Seth Hensler didn’t know what to expect going in Tuesday, but his guys assured on their way to their 19th straight win.

“It was a match the whole way through,” said Shore head coach Seth Hensler following the win. “In the beginning, doubles was down, and they started coming back. Then, we dropped the second set of No. 3 singles, but it all worked out. They dug deep, and they just kept played the same game they’ve played all season.”

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Luke Sarge of Jersey Shore returns a shot as he and his team mate Abe Paulhamus play against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.

That latter observation was especially true when it came to Paulhamus and Sarge. While their initial surge directed the momentum their way, Pequea Valley’s Nick Donlen and Owen Fisher weren’t about to let them run away with it.

After narrowing the gap to 4-3 in the first, the duos traded games, with the only two lead changes being ties at 5-5 and 6-6. But despite the back-and-forth nature of the set, the tiebreaker that followed was anything but.

Strong serves from both Bulldogs, coupled with a powerful forehand return from Paulhamus, got the Pequea Valley duo off balance, as the Shore pair quickly got out to a 3-0 lead. And when the Braves responded with an overhead spike to narrow the gap to two, the Bulldogs kept up the pressure, speedrunning their way to a 7-1 win.

“We just kept it away from the net person,” said Paulhamus on the keys to gaining control.

“We just had to play it simple,” said Sarge. “They were bringing some heat with their serves and returns, so we just made sure we got the ball in and waited them out until they made a mistake.”

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Luke Sarge of Jersey Shore wait for the point to start as he and his team mate Abe Paulhamus (background) play against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.

Even with that momentum boost, it certainly wasn’t over. Donlen and Fisher needed just three games to take a second-set lead, and they went into Game 8 needing just two wins to claim a set.

All the while, the match surrounding them grew dicey. Though Fink and Ezra Paulhamus had already won, the Braves had taken Doubles Court 2, and Don Feister had forced a split against Shore’s Saul Hensler on Singles Court 3.

None of those factors mattered to Paulhamus and Sarge, however. They stayed focused on the task at hand, and one last surge propelled them to a match-sealing victory, as they won three games in a row to close it out in straight sets.

“It was just a big relief,” said Sarge on sealing the deal. “To be honest, I didn’t want to know Saul’s scores because I didn’t want to be nervous. But I knew we had it when Abe and I won, and I was just like, ‘We got it. We got it done. We did what we needed to do.'”

“They just locked it in,” said Hensler on the pair. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so focused, and they just kept taking it one ball at a time.”

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Ezra Paulhamus of Jersey Shore serves against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.

The win still wouldn’t have been possible without the assured play of Shore’s trustworthy singles core.

After seeing an early 4-1 lead cut to two, Paulhamus proceeded to win eight games in a row to secure the team’s first point with a 6-2, 6-0 win. And though Fink dropped his first game of team postseason after winning 43 in a row, it came within a gentlemen’s sweep that saw him win 6-0, 6-1.

Fink faced an opponent in Nolan Stoltzfus that was able to hang with him in numerous long volleys and force multiple tense points. But in practically every case, the two-time District 4 singles champion found an answer, baffling Pequea Valley fans in the process.

“I normally just tell myself to not let the ball bounce twice and just run into it no matter what,” said Fink when discussing his success on long volleys and in tense moments. “I think I played pretty well. I just tried to come to it and play my playstyle like I normally do.”

With the match in hand, Saul Hensler provided additional assurance and positives to the affair, breaking off multiple runs to win his third-set tiebreaker, 10-6, to cap off a tense, three-set battle.

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Ryder Fink of Jersey Shore returns a shot against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.

After trading the first four points, two points in a row gave him a 4-2 lead, and three later in the set upped it to 9-4. His win clinched yet another singles sweep for the Bulldogs, a theme that’s become a staple for this year’s esteemed squad.

“I’ve been able to rely on my singles a lot this season, and today, they just prove that again,” said Coach Hensler.

Now, the focus shifts to what lies ahead. Friday’s quarterfinal is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Hershey Racquet Club. Like Tuesday’s match, it’s hard to gauge what to expect, but the Bulldogs are excited for the challenge, nonetheless.

“We don’t really know what to expect, so I think we’re just going to stay positive, try our best to read our opponents when we start playing them and figure out what works,” said Sarge. “Just play smart. That’s the goal.”

“We’ll just go into it and try our best like we normally do,” emphasized Fink.

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Ryder Fink of Jersey Shore returns a shot against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.

PIAA CLASS AA FIRST ROUND

Jersey Shore 4, Pequea Valley 1

SINGLES

Ryder Fink (JS) def. Nolan Stoltzfus (PV), 6-1, 6-0. 2. Ezra Paulhamus (JS) def. Jack Feister (PV), 6-2, 6-0. 3. Saul Hensler (JS) def. Don Feister (PV), 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.

DOUBLES

Abram Paulhamus/Luke Sarge (JS) def. Nick Donlen/Owen Fisher (PV), 7-6 (7-1), 6-4. 2. Carrson Hollinger/Hudson Fisher (PV) def. Dillon Harsanyi/Dylan Hensler (JS), 6-3, 6-3.

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Ezra Paulhamus of Jersey Shore returns a shot against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.

DAVE KENNEDY/For the Express Ryder Fink of Jersey Shore returns a shot against Pequea Valley at the Central PA Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs won 4-1.