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The "glass shoe" still fits the Catoctin High volleyball team, which advanced to the Class 1A State Championship game with a 3-1 win over Harford County's Patterson Mill on Thursday at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The Cougars, the ultimate Cinderella team, have now won more games in the playoffs then they did in the regular season with their 13-25, 27-25, 26-24, 25-22 triumph, improving them to 7-11 overall.

Catoctin wasn't favored to win their region. The Cougars weren't even favored to win their Class 1A North quarterfinal matchup against No. 1 seed Loch Raven.

Patterson Mill entered the contest on a different path; a contender for the state title. A team that lost only once in the regular season, the Huskies (18-2) have a veteran front line averaging over 16 kills a game, along with an outstanding 12.7 aces per game. Their only loss was in the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference Championship to Fallston, one of the top seeds in the Class 2A East Region. Before Thursday's loss, it was the only time this year Patterson Mill gave up two sets to an opposing team.

But when Catoctin junior hitter Elise Manning's last block of the night hit the floor, the Cougars rushed into a pile on the floor. They knew their pumpkin rental was good for at least until Saturday, when they'll face Smithsburg (18-0) in the championship at 2:30 p.m. at Ritchie Coliseum in College Parkk.

Against the Huskies, Catoctin nearly got caught up in the glitz of playing in the state playoffs. The team described themselves as being in a haze, which is part of the reason why they lost the first game 25-13.

"Once we lose, we have to pick it up and get back into the game," Manning said.

Manning led the charge with 18 kills and six blocks. Her previous best was only 12 kills in a game. She also contributed to most of the Cougars eight team blocks.

Senior hitter Devan Dewees delivered seven kills, four aces and 33 digs. Senior Lynly Meunier added eight kills, while sophomore Amy Szabados had 16 digs and two aces and senior setter Karly Moore racked up 32 assists.

"We've been in close situations before, and normally we had problems digging ourselves out," Dewees said.

Catoctin floundered in the regular season, losing eight straight matches at one point. It was during that stretch the roster thinned down to seven semi-healthy bodies, after Szabados broke her finger. Moore then sprained her wrist, and the back-up setter sprained her ankle. The Cougars limped into the playoffs at 3-11.

At school, classmates weren't exactly supportive, even after Catoctin made it to the region championship.

And even though Brunswick was one of the few teams that Catoctin beat in the regular season, they lost the first set of the region championship, in what Manning called the same haze that the Cougars were in early on against Patterson Mill.

"We had to show [doubters] that they were wrong," Meunier said. "Everyone on that team put their whole heart and soul into it."

While Catoctin led most of the second game of the state semifinal, the Huskies were at game point twice, first at 24-22 and then again at 24-23. But the Cougars dug in for that first key win.

The third game followed the blueprint again – lead most of the way, including a 12-7 start, then let the Huskies get to game point first (24-21, 24-22, and 24-23). Meunier then tied the game up with a kill, and won the game two points later with a block.

In the fourth set, Manning tied it up at 21-21 with a kill. She then added two more kills before making the game-clinching block.