During the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference regular season finale, the Parkland High School boys volleyball team was taken to the wire against rival Emmaus back on May 4. The Trojans took care of the Green Hornets, but they had to work for it.

The next match, however, was a little different. Parkland was tested in each set, but came out on top nonetheless, defeating Emmaus in straight sets by scores 25-20, 25-21 and 25-20 in the District 11 Class 3A semifinal round Tuesday night at Catasauqua High School.

Head coach Scott Trumbauer felt that his team had success in many aspects of its games Tuesday.

“We served very well tonight and kept their offense out of their normal system,” said Trumbauer. “We also played well at the net, defensively, getting a lot of touches on their hitters.”

It was the fourth straight win in the postseason for the Trojans (18-4 overall) and ninth in the last 10 matches overall. They are playing their best volleyball at the right time of the year.

“The guys have been approaching each match with the right mindset and attitude, which goes a long way in their performance,” Trumbauer said. “We have been pushing ourselves at the right times and executing the specific things we want to do against each team we face.”

Top seed Parkland now advances to take on second-seeded Northampton in the championship match on Thursday night. The two teams met in the EPC final two weeks ago with the Trojans winning in four sets.

“Playing on the biggest stage in local high school volleyball is all the motivation they need,” said Trumbauer. “Knowing they are one of the top two teams in the area really helps push the guys to continue their high level of play. But if you ask the guys, they would say it is the chance to get another gold medal and a new jacket.”

Northampton will bring a different dynamic to the court, one that Trumbauer knows his team will have to work hard to control.

“They are really dynamic on offense, oftentimes running their hitters in different positions, confusing the defense,” Trumbauer said. “We will need to keep our eyes open when they have the ball and quickly react to their hitters.”

Matt Bauer led the Parkland attack with 10 kills and had three blocks and four digs. Chase Robbins tallied nine kills, 12 assists and seven digs. Lukas Dashukewich recorded seven kills and seven digs and Owen Rodgers added five kills. Will Stiles recorded 16 assists.