By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

WEST NORRITON -- It was "Eagles Night" when Bishop Shanahan played Exeter in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA volleyball tournament Tuesday night.

The Shanahan Eagles faced the Exeter Eagles at Norristown High -- where the teams are also nicknamed the Eagles. The court had an Eagle painted in the center circle and the teams had to turn on Eagle Drive to reach the gym. But, the aquiline evening could only be a success for one group of Eagles and that group was Shanahan.

The District 1 champions posted a 3-1 win to advance to the state tournament, which starts with quarterfinals pool play on Friday at Central York High. The

Eagles won the first game 25-21 and dropped the second 20-25. They rebounded with a 25-18 victory in the third game and then secured their berth at York by winning the fourth game 25-13.

"We came out strong in the first game," said Shanahan's powerful senior hitter Emily Carlin. "Our coaches did a great job of scouting. We knew where all their hitters were going to put the ball and we knew what their setter would do."

In the second game, the Eagles once again exhibited their annoying tendency of hitting a flat spot -- a tendency that frequently rears its ugly head in game two. With the score knotted at 17-17, Shanahan lost focus and that allowed Exeter to produce a 7-1 run that virtually put the game out of reach for ther locals.

"In the second game, our passing fell apart," said Carlin. "We were making our setter Katie Pisano run all over the place."

Pisano said, "We just couldn't get our passing going in the second game. In the third game, I felt sure we'd be able to pull it out. In the later part of the third game and in the fourth game, we were able to attack their lines. And, their middle back was playing really deep so Emily was able to get rolls and put the ball down."

The Eagles moved through a good chunk of the fourth game with their trademark "Shanahan Volleyball" still AWOL. Then, Carlin stepped up.

The senior leader set the pace with four kills down the stretch as Shanahan outscored its opponent from Berks County 10-5 to take a 2-1 advantage in games. Carlin continued to be a dominant force in the fourth game -- not only at the net but all over the court. She concluded the match with a five-point, two-ace service run.

"I was really pleased with the way Emily stepped up as a leader," said Shanahan coach Greg Ashman, whose team is now 21-1. "She just puts the team on her shoulders and says -- let's go. She was a leader by the way she played."

Exeter, the Berks County League Division I champion and fourth-place team from District 3, finished its season with a 17-7 record.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Shanahan went far in the state tournament," said Exeter coach Jason Grove. "They're the best team we played all year."