It was a close loss to Bethlehem Academy in the 2011 quarterfinals that was the catalyst to Win-E-Mac’s 25-23, 19-25, 19-25, 25-18, 15-11 victory over Nevis.

The youthful Patriots, with just two seniors on the roster, came into Thursday’s match brimming with confidence, knowing they could succeed in a state tournament atmosphere.

“We have a lot of young players but we have some great leaders in Korbyn Ross [20 kills] and Shelby Kaster [19 kills],” Win-E-Mac coach Lynette Kaster said. “This year, we finally got a draw we liked. We knew that Nevis is a great team, but we also knew we could get in their heads.”

JIM PAULSEN