GREENCASTLE — The Greencastle-Antrim girls volleyball team has reached uncharted territory, and it took a victory over a familiar opponent to get there.

The Blue Devils met up with fellow Mid Penn Colonial Division foe Big Spring on Tuesday night in G-A’s gym in a District 3 Class 3A semifinal match and produced a tense 3-1 victory in front of a packed house.

Morgan Rennekamp

The win not only puts Greencastle into the PIAA Tournament, but it’s the first time the Blue Devils (18-2) have ever reached a District 3 championship match in the sport. Better yet, they will play that final on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in their home gym against defending champion Middletown (18-0), a 3-0 winner (25-11, 25-17, 25-15) over Garden Spot in the other semifinal.

“We were expecting it to be a close match; they are a really solid team,” G-A coach Madee Goodwin said. “One big thing is, we didn’t let them go on any really long runs, except for that 4-0 start.”

It is the Blue Devils’ third win this year over the Bulldogs (15-4), who will play at Garden Spot for third place and a PIAA berth on Thursday. It was 3-2 the first time, then 3-0, and then Tuesday’s 3-1 win.

Big Spring coach Samantha Webber said, “We have a great competition against them and they have a great team. I thought our girls put up a good fight.”

Greencastle, with starter Wren Roberts done for the season with an ankle injury, has had to make some adjustments in the playoffs to cover for her absence. Tuesday, Morgan Rennekamp used her larger role to shine.

Rennekamp had 5 of her 11 kills in Game 4, including scoring 4 of the last 6 points and the match-winner.

Jordyn Wagner

“I think in that game we did a better job of finding the hitters who were hitting the ball well,” Rennekamp said. “My confidence got better as the match went on, and it was really cool to score that last point.”

In Game 1, the Bulldogs got their fans into the match quickly, jumping to a 4-0 lead. G-A tied it at 6-6 and neither team led by more than 2 points until very late. Big Spring took a 21-19 lead on a tip by Kira Eisenberg, but Jordyn Wagner came alive for the Blue Devils, scoring a kill and then serving for 4 straight points — 2 of them aces — in a 25-23 win.

Greencastle led most of the way in Game 2, but never by more than 3 points until late. A block kill by Abby Dyson brought the Bulldogs to within 21-19, but Kylie Kerns had a kill and followed with an ace, and the final point came on a thunderous kill from Abby Eagler at the end of a long rally to cap a 25-21 win.

It looked like more of the same in Game 3 — G-A led most of the way, but never by vary many points. Things looked really good when a serve by Wagner caught the net, rolled over it and rolled off a Big Spring player’s shoulder to the floor and a 21-16 lead.

But the Bulldogs scored 9 of the next 11 points to earn a 25-23 verdict and stay alive, with a kill by Eisenberg finishing it off.

“I don’t think we played any different in the last game; I just think we got our nerves out,” Eagler said.

In Game 4, Dyson made a solid block on a kill attempt by Eagler to get her team within 15-14, and two points later, Eagler had to leave the court for some treatment. But while she was out, the Blue Devils went from a 17-14 advantage to 21-15, and then closed it out, 25-16.

Webber said, “We played well in the first three games — we played them tough until the end. It seemed like in Game 4, some calls and some tough plays didn’t go our way.”

“We try to instill in them that no matter what happens on the last point, we have to move on from that,” Goodwin said. “I think that helps calm the nerves.

“(Rennekamp) is normally a back-up, but we need some girls to give us a little more with Roberts not out there, and Morgan’s so versatile. I think by the fourth game, her confidence was much higher.”

Eagler said, “We’re the first Greencastle team to make it to the finals, and we’re already in states, so we’re going to have some fun Thursday. The pressure is off.”

NOTES: Eagler hit .304 on her 19 kills (19-for-46) … The Blue Devils made 11 service errors, but countered with 15 aces … G-A had only 4 receiving errors

Greencastle statistics: Kills — Abby Eagler 19, Kylie Kerns 12, Morgan Rennekamp 11, Alaina Garling 5, Emma Pool 5. Blocks — Pool 4, Jordyn Wagner 3, Rennekamp 2. Service points — Wagner 12, Kinzee Hudson 11, Garling 7, Morgan Kline 6, Eagler 6. Aces — Wagner 5, Hudson 5, Eagler 2, Kerns 2. Digs — Eagler 15, Kline 14, Hudson 12, Kerns 12, Garling 6. Assists — Garling 26, Kerns 22.

Big Spring statistics: Kills — Kira Eisenberg 16, Abby Dyson 11, Laylah Chestnut 8. Digs — Lindsey Motter 28, Eisenberg 19. Assists — Chestnut 42. Aces — Eisenberg 2.