All week long the Jordan-Elbridge girls volleyball team got a chance to keep on practicing and working, perhaps not getting a real chance to celebrate what it had just accomplished. By virtue of its comeback from a 2-0 deficit to beat Weedsport in five sets in the Class C final on Nov. 9 at Phoenix, the Eagles won the program’s first-ever Section III championship. More history was possible, though, and J-E went after it Saturday when it faced Section IV’s Tioga in the regional final at Candor High School and gave it quite a run, only to fall in four sets to the Tigers. Whether it was nerves or some other factor, the Eagles gave up the first four points of the match to Tioga, who went on to cruise 25-15 in the opening set. Again facing a deficit, J-E didn’t wait to rally, jumping out 16-10 in the second set. Though the Tigers got within 18-16, the Eagles put it away with a 7-1 run and evened the match with a 25-17 decision. The third set again had Tioga again work to the front and stay there by a 25-20 margin, meaning again J-E would need to win it in five sets to claim the regional title. Much of the fourth set belonged to the Eagles who went up 20-13, but just when it looked like it would go to a fifth the Tigers regained the serve and with a few timely surges pulled out the fourth set 25-23 to end it. J-E’s defense was outstanding all match. Claire Brown earned 16 digs, with Isabella Jay getting 12 digs and Brooke Chiaramonte put up 11 digs to go with her 10 assists. Helping Chiaramonte on the back line, Zoie Karcz had nine assists and six digs, plus five kills. Abby DelFavero led J-E with six kills, Brenna Tubbert getting five kills and three blocks as Madison Clochessy had four kills and Sydney Parsons two aces. Far different from J-E’s new experience in the state tournament was Westhill returning to its familiar surroundings, looking to go one step further than 2023 when it was beaten in the state Class B final. Meeting Section VII’s Beekmantown in the regional final at Saranac High School, the Warriors took just an hour to earn the regional title, winning the opening set 25-13 and then doing similar work in 25-14 second and third sets. Now it’s back to Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, where Westhill won state titles in 2018 and 2019 and lost the final a year ago to Lansing. Here the pool play among the remaining four Class B teams will get underway Saturday morning at 8 a.m. The top two teams advance to Sunday’s championship match at 11:30 a.m.