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Red Lion, YAIAA volleyball sets sights on states


Red Lion girls' volleyball has crossed into new territory. The Lions earned their first district championship in program history Saturday, rallying all the way back after falling behind 2-0 to powerhouse Hempfield. The title capped what has been a whirlwind couple of weeks. 

Logan Dontell had her back wrapped in ice moments after winning a gold medal. The senior had tweaked her back in Game 1, but that didn't stop her from playing the rest of the match. 

"Our dream was to just get (the YAIAA championship) then a district title," Dontell said. "To have both of our biggest dreams come true, now the next step is states. Now we look forward to states.

"And I can't describe how I feel right now because I'm in so much pain I'm crying. But I'm so happy. I did this with my friends, and this was the year. This was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal." 

But now it's over. 

The postseason is a roller-coaster, and it starts all over again this week. 

READ MORE: Red Lion wins District 3 title in comeback fashion

READ MORE: Delone Catholic beats York Catholic for district title

Four YAIAA teams will face the same ordeal. Red Lion (Class 4A), York Suburban (3A), West York (3A) and Delone Catholic (2A) are each headed to the state volleyball tournament. Each program will need to hit the reset button on their season as first-round action begins Tuesday.

So regardless of what happened this week, gold medal or no medals, those four programs all face the same situation: They need to refocus.

It's a tough task, but the end is also in sight. If a team wins four straight matches, it will hoist a state championship trophy on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Richland High School in Johnstown.