Her tip over the net found the floor, past the outstretched arms of several diving Commodore Perry players and lifted Eisenhower to a 15-8 win in the fifth set on the Lady Panthers’ home floor.

With that, they put an exclamation point on just how far they have come this season with a 3-2 (14-25, 25-15, 25-23, 19-25, 15-8) win in the first round of the District 10 Class A playoffs.

“I didn’t know it was the final point until I started looking around,” she said.

It’s easy to understand why, in what was a tight, back and forth match the whole way through.

Eisenhower’s Cameran Edwards gets set to serve during Tuesday’s playoff match at Commodore Perry. Edwards had a huge gamewith 10 kills, helping the Lady Knights to a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Eisenhower (8-7), like they have done all season, battled, battled and then battled some more.

They came back from a rough first set to win the next two and then, when it seemed as if the Lady Panthers (8-9) had all the momentum, came out and dominated the fifth and deciding game.

“These guys knew exactly what to expect in the fifth game,” said Eisenhower coach Scott Olson. “They came out and played their game and did what they wanted to do. We weren’t worried at all.”

Not even after a first game in which the playoff nerves were showing, and Commodore Perry rode the hitting of Tabatha Clevenger and Kendra Harper to a win.

“It’s just looking for the next point,” Weber explained. “So after that first set we just start over.”

Eisenhower’s Kiara Weber (9) battles with Commodore Perry’s Kendra Harper (5) at the net during their first round Class A playoff match. Weber came up with some big kills, none more important than the final point in the fifth and deciding game.

Added Olson, who said nerves may have played a role: “I think they were trying to be a little too perfect.”

The second game was completely different.

Tess Morningstar came out and had a pair of kills and Currie Hultman another, as the Lady Knights jumped out to a 4-0 lead, prompting a CP timeout.

It didn’t matter.

The set was absolutely all Eisenhower. Cameran Edwards had back-to-back kills as the lead swelled to 12-6, and aces from Catrina Edwards and Weber helped put the finishing touches on a 25-15 win, on the strength of excellent passing by setter Caroline Hishman.

Eisenhower’s Tess Morningstar goes up and over the net.

The third game saw Eisenhower jump out to a 9-2 lead on the strength of kills by Edwards and Morningstar.

Commodore Perry came roaring back, however, ultimately tying the match at 17-all on a kill by Grace Jones.

“This team plays a completely different style of volleyball then what we’re used to,” Olson said of Commodore Perry. “They don’t really attack. They play defense and let you make mistakes. We made a bunch tonight, but we overcame them.”

Olson questioned the score when it became 21-20, but to no avail. It ultimately didn’t cost EHS, as they were able to close it out, 25-23.

“We had a little drama in the third game with the score and a couple of calls go against us I wasn’t sure were right,” Olson added. “But we just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”

Eisenhower's Currie Hultman goes up for one of her 16 kills.

It was Commodore Perry’s turn in the see-saw battle to get off to a hot start in the fourth, as EHS was forced to call a timeout, trailing 10-4.

They got as close as 16-15 on an ace by Catrina Edwards, but the Lady Panthers closed on a 9-4 run to end the set, sending it to the deciding fifth.

Their was no panic by the Lady Knights, as back-to-back kills by Cameran Edwards made it 10-4, prompting a CP timeout. Weber’s kill made it 11-6, and a pair of put-aways by Hultman and an ace by Morningstar made it 14-8 before Weber closed out the biggest win for Eisenhower volleyball in recent memory.

“We were bad last year, but we really brought it together and we’ve worked really hard for what we’ve got,” Weber said.

Added Olson: “I think it’s monstrous. It’s been, I don’t know how many years since Eisenhower’s won a playoff game.”

Eisenhower’s Catrina Edwards serves up one of her three aces during the third set against Commodore Perry.

Hultman (16 kills, 11 digs, 6 aces), Hishman (31 assists, 12 digs), Weber (5 kills, 15 digs, 2 aces), Morningstar (2 aces, 7 kills), Cameran Edwards (10 kills, 5 digs, 3 assists) and Catrina Edwards (3 aces, 6 digs) led the way.

Their reward for the signature win is Cochranton, state-ranked the entire season and ready to make another deep playoff run of their own, in the quarterfinals on Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

But the Lady Knights will be ready.

“We have the monster next, but we’ll be ready and do our best,” Olson said.