Northwestern girls volleyball head coach Mike Maston didn’t think it could happen. It was an eye-opening experience at an inopportune time.

Thursday night, he watched his team struggle mightily in a District 11 Class 3A quarterfinal round game against fourth-seeded and host Pottsville, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16 at Martz Hall.

“We really weren’t that competitive,” said the second-year head coach. “We were making mistakes and doing silly things. We had the ball dropping in front of girls, and no one calling for it or going for it.

“Maybe it was playing there (at fabled Martz Hall), but I didn’t think we would come out flat. We had good practices leading up to the game and scrimmages against Blue Mountain and Marian Catholic.”

The Tigers ended their season with an overall 13-6 record, recording the most regular-season wins in school history. Northwestern also beat Pottsville, Notre Dame of Green Pond, Panther Valley, and Blue Mountain for the first time in the regular season.

The Tigers’ regular season victory over Pottsville came during a stretch that saw them win seven consecutive matchers. They also entered the postseason with some momentum, winning six of their final seven regular-season matches.

Despite the off night, the Tiger program made major strides during the season.

“We had a good season,” said Maston. “They definitely did a lot of good things this year. We will lose three senior starters, but we’ll have a number of starters back.

“We have a good sophomore class, and we have a number of girls who gained some experience.”

The Tigers will lose senior starters, and six seniors total, including opposite hitter Jenna Breininger, libero/defensive specialist Brooke Dwane, and outside hitter Avrie Zentz. Breininger, who recorded 503 career kills, and Dwane, who notched 1,014 career digs. Both of their marks are school records.

“Jenna was a lefty, and a big hitter,” stated Maston. “She was a dominant player, and all-around strong player. Brooke was very solid for us all year, and helped keep everyone together. Avrie also was a consistent player who will be missed.”

Maston believes this season can serve as a springboard toward a steady stream of success.

“We have a number of girls coming back,” he said. “They didn’t think it would end like this.

“We’ll get back to work soon and build from this.”

The first-round exit from the postseason was the third consecutive for Northwestern, which was knocked out by Southern Lehigh in each of the last two seasons.