When the Whitehall girls volleyball team opens district play this week, expect to see an aggressive team that wants to get its offense in gear from the jump.

The Zephs enter the District 11 AAA playoffs as the eighth seed, drawing Parkland High School, the top seed, in the opening round. These two familiar foes will face one another on Oct. 24 at Liberty's Memorial Gymnasium to begin the march to Hershey.

The two teams just faced one another, with the Trojans winning the final regular season match in three games. With that loss still fresh in their minds, head coach Rob Gardner said it all begins defensively, stressing if they block better, pass better, and play better defense, that will allow them to run their offense. He said its imperative that they develop those habits defensively so they can make an effective play on the ball each possession.

"If we can run our offense, we'll do okay," said Gardner.

He knows the Trojans present a tough challenge. In both meetings this year the Zephs were swept. They have size all along the front court, and rarely beat themselves. They're experienced; they enter the tournament as the reigning Lehigh Valley Conference champs, and are owners of an undefeated record.

However, they'll prepare their slingshots and take a crack at these Goliaths.

The Zephs also have a good arsenal of offensive players led by Olivia Bobyak. Bobyak, a senior, led the team in total kills this season and is a force at the net defensively as well. Another player who can put it down is Rebecca Lutterschmidt. Gardner said that Lutterschmidt led the team in hitting average (attempts divided by kills) and hitting percentage.

Those two, along with Elizabeth Lynch will be counted on to get the offense rolling.

"I expect a lot out of them," said Gardner.

Additionally, the experience of these players should help them as the stakes get higher as districts open.

Gardner said they must avoid committing the same mistakes that plagued them in their last meeting. Gardner said they were often on their heels, and were mishitting a number of balls. He said they need to stay composed and make sure they don't let Parkland run off consecutive points, scrambling to get back in the game.

"If we're playing catch-up all the time, or panic hitting, we can't run our offense," said Gardner. "We're going to have to be able to hit the ball."

While Parkland possesses size, middle hitter Cristal Fernandez is extremely athletic and can reject some kill attempts. She proved that in their last meeting, registering a number of blocks against the Trojans. Still, that's one area Gardner is concerned about, since Parkland has the ability to hit over most blocks. It will be a key area once they take the floor.

Libero Kori Kohler will be looked upon to get the team into their offensive sets. Gardner said she'll be needed to pass the ball effectively to help them slay Goliath.