Font ResizeChances gone and went. Games booked. High school careers ended.
Rawleigh couldn't help but wonder what if.
The Gettysburg Lady Warrior volleyball team entered the District 3 Class AAA Tournament's Pool A as one of the expected -- as in, expected to leave with a berth into the quarterfinals.
But the Lady Warriors came up short, nervous tension besting the usually potent Gettysburg squad as it fell shy of securing a second-round entry with a 1-8 record in games against Red Lion, Warwick and Hempfield.
"I don't think it was even a lack of skill," said Rawleigh, who finished with 28 kills, eight blocks, six digs and three aces in three games. "It was just a lack of heart. It's kind of what it felt like."
Gettysburg head coach Travis Meckley would say otherwise, considering the Lady Warriors went into the postseason about as banged up as they've been all season.
Rawleigh began the first series against Red Lion -- which Gettysburg lost in three straight games, 25-20, 27-25, 27-25 -- with a massive wrap around her hip and left leg. The senior aggravated a hamstring injury during school hours, which prevented her from going into the postseason at full strength.
Lyssa White and Taylor Rudisill were also playing through injuries, though Rudisill only went one game. White, who worked through shoulder problems,
Yet, in a case that was evident from the get-go, that normally explosive Gettysburg offense wasn't present Tuesday night.
The Lady Warriors entered as co-champions in the Mid-Penn Colonial Division and had only two dual-match losses to their campaign all season.
Red Lion, meanwhile, was second in YAIAA Division I, behind only Spring Grove. It had to fight to get into Pool A in the first place, beating Cedar Cliff to secure its spot.
Hempfield, ranked in the state and winner of Pool A with a 7-2 record, was the Lancaster-Lebanon League champion and owner of a 13-0 overall record.
Warwick, second to the Knights in the L-L Section 1, was 9-5 -- but it was no slouch.
Rawleigh, a middle hitter that usually has the potential to change games with her defensive and offensive presence, was hampered by injury and didn't look 100 percent. Others were a bit timid as well
The Lady Lions raced out to an early 9-3 lead in Game 1 of their first series before Gettysburg would fight back, cutting the deficit to two points, 22-20, late in the set.
Three straight points by Red Lion would follow, though. And the Lady Lions continued with the narrow victories in Games 2 and 3.
"Red Lion had a really good team," Meckley said. "They weren't as powerful as the others, but that was our best chance of winning a match. We didn't have our best game."
White ended her night with 30 assists, and 14 digs while Maddie White added 21 digs and 11 kills. Katrina Oyler drummed up 44 assists and Bri Thomas followed with 17 kills.
After getting swept by the Lady Lions, Gettysburg needed a rebound against Warwick, who was the second-place team out of Pool A with a 6-3 record.
It didn't come.
Warwick was aided by its top outside hitter, Lauren Sproles (4 kills, 1 block), and middle hitter Greta Weidamoyer (5 kills), who directed much of the Lady Warriors' offense into another trajectory.
"I think we thought that we could play and beat Red Lion and Warwick," Rawleigh said. "I don't know if it was the fact that we took it too lightly or if we just weren't prepared in some other way. Regardless of what you know or don't know about a team, you need to go out and play your hardest. Tonight was not our best games by any means."
