The Whitehall girls volleyball team recently finished a spirited 2018 campaign that featured the steady growth of a program on the rise.

As the season began, they were trying to fit all the pieces together, and that led to some early rough patches. Through their first six games they were 1-5. Over their next nine games they were 7-2. The final stretch of the season competing against fellow Skyline Division opponents was another rocky patch, but their earlier work laid the groundwork for a possible playoff spot.

They started to get more comfortable playing together and that translated to more wins as the season progressed.

That eventually led to a District XI 4A berth where they won the opener against Wyoming Valley West, but lost to top seed Emmaus in four sets. It was a highly competitive match with the Zephyrs winning set two and holding their own against the district’s top seed.

They finished the season 9-11.

Head coach Eric Budge said that the season produced a lot of positive things that they can build upon. He felt that their steady improvement was of special note, transforming from an early season question mark to a bona fide playoff contender.

They proved that by defeating Northampton on Oct. 8 in a spirited five-setter that basically opened the door to the playoffs.

“I thought they did really great,” said Budge.

He said that their appearance in the district playoffs was a big step in their maturation process.

“We looked like a totally different team from the beginning of the year,” he said.

As with every year, graduation takes its toll. They’ll lose Alyson Peters who was an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference second team all-star selection this season. She led the team in kills with 281 and blocks with 109.

They also lose Caitlin Kier who was a good all-around player her entire varsity career. Kier had 56 kills and 26 aces for the Zephs.

Aiyana Powenski also graduates. Powenski finished 2018 with 77 kills and 39 blocks.

All three of those players played an integral part in their success in 2018. Their impact can’t be demoted both in their skills sets and the intangibles.

“They really provided up with excellent leadership,” said Budge.

With Budge completing his first at the helm, he was pleased with how the girls accepted every challenge in an extremely tough league.

“I was really happy with how the program shaped up,” said Budge. “I had a lot of fun this year.”