ZANESVILLE — When the season began, Garaway’s volleyball team had dreams of being one of the final four teams standing.

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Pirates turned that dream into reality.

After defeating No. 6 Hiland in five sets Oct. 29 to claim a district championship, Garaway faced No. 7 Valley in front of a packed Winfield Memorial Gymnasium in Zanesville with a trip to the state semifinals on the line.

The Pirates wasted little time taking control, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before Valley responded in the third set. But Garaway refused to let the match slip away, closing out a 25-9, 25-15, 22-25, 25-16 victory to secure its place among the final four teams in Division VI.

How they got here | Garaway volleyball avenges regular-season losses, stuns No. 6 Hiland

“This is a feeling I’m unable to describe,” Garaway head coach Jessica Swartz said. “We wanted this when the season started, and today those girls made a dream come true.”

Two years ago, the Pirates reached the regional championship game but fell short of advancing. This time, senior Charlee Yoder was determined to make sure the experience ended differently.

“When we were on this court two years ago, we set a school record, but we were not satisfied with how it ended,” she said.

Garaway set the tone from the opening serve, dominating the first set 25-9 while limiting Valley to just three runs of two or more consecutive points.

“We prepared ourselves for this game insanely well,” Yoder said. “We knew Saturday afternoon games can throw off your routine, so we just came out with a lot of energy and made sure we wanted it more.”

Swartz knew entering the matchup that limiting Valley’s scoring runs would be critical against a team that had been nearly unbeatable throughout the season.

“We have to get three consecutive points as many times as possible,” she said. “We handled their serves well outside of one run in the third set, but we stuck to our game plan, and it paid off.”

Valley entered the regional championship having lost just one match and five sets all season. Its size and physicality presented a challenge, but Swartz and Yoder knew the Pirates couldn’t afford to be intimidated.

“They’re a physical team, and we knew we were going to have to be very strategic when we have the ball,” Swartz said.

“When you look at the record, you could be intimidated,” Yoder added. “But we couldn’t show that, and we came out wanting to win this game more than them.”

After cruising through the first two sets, Garaway faced its first real test when Valley battled back to take the third set 25-22. Despite the setback, Swartz knew her team needed to regain its momentum and finish the job.

“I knew we had to chip away at the deficit,” she said. “Then all of a sudden, I had a feeling of, if this just got close, maybe we can win this.

“The girls battled and took that into the final set, and it was huge for us.”

The Pirates responded in the fourth set, pulling away for a 25-16 victory to capture the regional championship and secure a historic trip to the state semifinals.

For Swartz, the accomplishment carries even greater meaning because of the senior class that helped lead Garaway to a place no team in program history had reached before.

“They mean a lot to me,” she said. “They’ve all battled together, and it means so much to see them accomplish this together.”

“We work so well together, and we all just have so much fun together,” Yoder added. “I love this team, and it’s been such a fun four years, and I’m glad it’s not over yet.”

Garaway will now turn its attention to the state semifinals Thursday, Nov. 12, in Springfield, where the Pirates will look to extend their historic postseason run.

But before getting back to work, Swartz and her players can celebrate an accomplishment that only four teams in their division get to experience each season.

“We are one of four,” Swartz said. “It’s an awesome feeling and something only four teams get to say every year, and this year we are one of them.”

Jshondel@usatodayco.com; X: @JacoBShondeL

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: 'We are one of four': Garaway volleyball advances to state seminals