In four meetings this season, including a match at the Koller Classic Invitational, the Emmaus volleyball team put together its best set of the season against Parkland to open last week's District 11 Class AAA championship.

Yet it still wasn't enough.

The Hornets, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, held a 23-21 advantage on a Patrick Bryan kill set up by Robert Haag in the opening set.

The top-seeded Trojans, however, responded with the next five points to take the set, and eventually the match. Parkland earned its second consecutive district crown after downing Emmaus 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-23) last Thursday at Liberty High School.

"It was a lot more back and forth," head coach Ken Dunkle said. "We brought a lot more fight to this game than we did the last two times we met them this season. I'm really proud of the way my guys battled. We made them work for this match.

The largest advantage for any team in that first set was four points, a 15-11 lead for Parkland near the midway mark of the game. The Hornets responded with the next three points to get within 15-14, and Emmaus tied it up at 18 due in large part to a solid stretch from Austin Brauchle.

The momentum seemed to swing the Hornets' way when they took their first lead since it was 6-5 early with a block at the net from from Trevor McLean that made it 20-19.

But as soon as the Hornets started feeling a bit comfortable with that 23-21 lead, Parkland's Sean Lewis came up with two crucial points out of a timeout. Jake Heyer's service ace cemented the victory for the Trojans.

"We had a couple of unforced errors, and we gave it right back to them," Dunkle said.

By the time the second set rolled around, the Hornets may have taken a hit physically and emotionally after that intense initial game.

While the Hornets jumped out to another early 6-5 lead, Parkland pushed back and regained control with a 16-10 advtantage, capped by Andrew Hillman's service ace. Emmaus wasn't able to get within five points the rest of the way.

"I think it definitely took some wind out of the sails," Dunkle said. "Parkland is a tough team, and we knew we were going to have to battle every single point in order to win this."

Despite facing a two-set deficit, there was no quit in Emmaus.

The Hornets starred a 20-13 deficit late in the third set before pulling to within a point late at 24-23. Matt Kiser's kill, however, cemented the Trojans' sweep before the Hornets had an opportunity to hand Parkland its first-set loss in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC) play this season.

"We fought every game," Dunkle said. "I think we probably had more unforced errors than they did, and I think that's what set the tone for the whole thing. If we could have cleaned up a couple of those unforced errors, I think we could have definitely taken a set or two and potentially even beaten them."

Even with the loss, Emmaus' season remains alive in the upcoming PIAA tournament. The Hornets face Washington High School, District 12's first-place team, in the first round on Wednesday. Match time is 7:30 p.m. at High School of the Future in Philadelphia.