The Whitehall girls volleyball team bounced back into the win column with a sweep of visiting Pottsville on Monday night.

After a rough week in which they dropped games to Skyline foes Nazareth, Emmaus and Parkland, Whitehall rode a balanced attack in defeating the Crimson Tide 25-19, 25-15, 25-17.

It started out a bit bumpy for the Zephyrs at home, trailing in the early stages of the first set against the Crimson Tide who were 5-3 coming into the match against Whitehall. The Zephyrs finally tied the match at 14 thanks to a cross court winner by Caitlin Kier.

After a service error that dropped them down a point, the Zephs began to assert themselves, staring with a block by Alyson Peters to put them up 17-15. From that point, they remained in control, getting some kills from Kristin Spengler and Kier to put them on the brink of victory. The final point was put down by Alix Buskirk who finished the match with five kills.

Buskirk, an outside hitter for the Zephyrs, was part of a front line that dominated at the net, with Spengler pounding 18 kills, while Kier added 10.

Buskirk said that they needed to put last week behind them and look ahead to this week in their push for a spot in the district playoffs. She said that it doesn’t get easier with a match against Allentown Central Catholic on Thursday, a team that “is technically sound,” so they’ll need to be ready once they hit the court.

“Everything about them is pretty solid, but if we play our game, we’ll have a chance,” said Buskirk.

Buskirk said there will be a lot riding on this week because they don’t want to worry about having to gain a playoff berth the following week when they play that trio of Nazareth, Emmaus and Parkland again.

“That’s why this week is so important,” she said. “This win starts us off really well for this week.”

The Zephyrs are currently 7-7 and will need to remain at .500 or better to earn a spot in the tourney. They have six games remaining and they must win three more matches.

“It’s manageable; it’s something we can do,” said head coach George Cowitch. “We just have to play with a little more intensity.

“That’s going to be the message to these kids. You have to take the next step.”

Cowitch said that Monday’s win demonstrated that they were excited about playing volleyball and having fun, something that’s been eluding them at times this season. With a young team, it’s still a learning process for a lot of the players, and this game they got back into that swing.

Still, Cowitch knows there’s room for improvement.

“We have to be more efficient on offense if we want to qualify for the district playoffs,” he said.

In the second game, Amelia Ballard stepped to the forefront down the stretch. She closed out the game with a rocket that kissed the edge of the W on the floor, sealing the win for the Zephs. Prior to that game winner, Amelia Ballard was on the service line as they reeled off five straight points to win the game, hitting two aces as well during that stretch. She finished the game with 14 assists, 12 digs and four aces.

In the third set, Whitehall’s service game was forcing the Crimson Tide into errors. Buskirk had an ace, two kills and a block in that final game. Pottsville made a run toward the end of the set, reeling off five consecutive points, but Meriam Deeb’s swat found open court, giving the Zephyrs the set and the match.

Buskirk felt she could have hit the ball a little better against Pottsville, especially when it came to passing. But the junior did contribute from the service line, registering four aces and had those swings for kills while in the front court.

It was all part of a good team effort that she hopes will propel them forward.

“This win really boosts our confidence and helps us out,” said Buskirk.