The Hershey boys volleyball team protected its home court Tuesday, April 14, defeating Northern York 3–1 in a tight, hard-fought match defined by discipline, composure, and determination.

From the opening serve, the match felt like a battle. The first set featured long rallies and constant momentum swings, with neither team able to pull far ahead. Hershey eventually found its rhythm late, finishing strong to take the opening set 25–20 and set the tone for the night.

Northern York responded quickly in the second set. Picking up the pace and applying pressure at the net, Northern York edged out Hershey in one of the closest sets of the night, narrowly winning 26–25 to even the match.

With the score tied, the third set became a test of mental toughness. Hershey stayed composed during several back-and-forth rallies and managed to pull ahead by two points. The Trojans secured the set 26–24, reclaiming the lead and shifting momentum back to the home side.

The fourth set brought the highest pressure of the night. Both teams battled through long points, with Hershey maintaining a slim lead. Despite the tension, Hershey remained focused and avoided costly mistakes, eventually pushing ahead to 25–18.

On the final play, Northern York served with the match on the line. The ball sailed over the net — and just beyond the boundary line. Out of bounds.

The Hershey players erupted, jumping together in celebration as the crowd reacted to the hard-earned victory. After a match filled with intense rallies and momentum swings, Hershey emerged victorious, 3–1.

Junior Wyatt Wehler described the mindset he uses during high-pressure serving moments.

“I first take a deep breath and try to calm down. Then I motivate myself, telling myself that I’m gonna crush this ball and I’m gonna do a good serve. I tell myself that this is my game,” Wehler said.

After the game, Head Coach Nate Erdman also emphasized the mentality he wants his players to maintain in those same situations.

“I just want them to think about all their reps that we do during practice and to try to put in their perfect form and everything should go well,” Erdman said.

Despite the win, Erdman noted areas for improvement moving forward.

“More consistently, we tend to let them get the lead then get it back,” Erdman said, “and if we were more consistent, it wouldn’t have come so close.”