ALTOONA, Pa. – The Lady Barons pulled out a nail-biting semi-final match, trading points late into the 3rd set and ultimately beating no. 6 La Roche in straight sets, 25-18, 26-24, and 31-29.

The team improved on a four set win against La Roche during the regular season. With this semifinal win, the Lady Barons move into their first ever AMCC tournament finals.

"We knew it was going to be a very tough match today," Head Coach Kelly Herrmann said. "That was the toughest three game match that I've ever been a part of. I'm excited for tomorrow because Penn St. - Altoona is the no.1 seed and we can just play relaxed."

The third set was anything but relaxing, with both teams trading points from a 21-21 tie onwards with outstanding defensive effort on both sides. Junior outside hitter Dani Link finally ended the drama with a put away on the Lady Barons fourth match point of the set. Link finished with nine kills and 17 digs on the night. She also had an important series of serves late in the set.

"Dani didn't serve well early, and then her serving was tremendous late in the game," Herrmann said. "You are seeing the leaders really come through in the big points. That was really the difference in this match."

Leadership from the junior class played a large role in the match, with junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Christina Lawrence playing one of her best matches of the season. Lawrence's back row hitting was particularly effective, finishing with seven kills and 15 digs.

"If the back row is an option for hitting too, it takes pressure off the offense," Herrmann said. "I just think Christina is playing with confidence. She plays fabulous in practice, and, since I told her in practice to play more relaxed, her performances in games have just gotten better and better."

Another key to the Lady Baron's spectacular play of late has been the leadership of senior setter Amy O'Keefe, who finished with 25 assists, in a return to a 5-1 offense that the team used in her first three years. Returning to that particular offense has given the team some stability in crucial games, particularly for the experienced players.

"The biggest help is that having one setter gives more consistency than two," Herrmann said. "It makes our offense more consistent, and that gives the girls a lot of confidence."

The Lady Barons have improved in the conference standings every year since they became full NCAA members, this time moving into their first finals where they will face no. 1 Penn St. - Altoona who went undefeated in the regular season. In the previous matchup between the teams, the Lady Barons were able to take a set from Altoona and look to improve on that performance.

"These girls want it so bad," Herrmann said. "They just need to relax and go for it; they have nothing to lose. Hopefully, they will hang on to that and want to take on the David role in David vs. Goliath."

The Lady Barons will take on host Penn St. - Altoona in the AMCC Finals November 9 at 1 pm.