The matchup is the same.

But the stage is much bigger.

The Union girls basketball team will face Conemaugh Valley for the right to play for the Class A state championship, at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Indiana (Pa.) University's Memorial Fieldhouse.

The two squads are not strangers. They met at the same venue in the second round of the PIAA tournament last season, with Union pulling out a 56-53 victory.

The winner of Wednesday's game will head to Hershey to play for the state championship at noon Saturday.

Union had been knocked out of the state playoffs three straight years by a private school before outlasting Serra Catholic, 65-58, Saturday to send the Damsels (29-1) to the PIAA Western Final for the first time since 1975.

The victory also set a new school record for wins in a season.

But Union coach Josh Meeker knows his team will not succumb to overconfidence.

"I really don't think we'll have a problem with that," he said. "(This team) has never been this far before and the girls know that last year was just a three-point game.

"Conemaugh Valley has beaten some good teams to get here," he added.

The Blue Jays, champions of District 6, defeated Port Allegany (59-33), Rochester (46-39) and WPIAL champ Monessen (51-46) to reach the state semifinals.

The only starter Conemaugh Valley lost from last season was guard Samantha Gelles.

Senior center Samantha Pollino is back and is averaging 19.2 points per game. She scored 23 points in last season's loss to the Damsels.

Other familiar names for the Blue Jays (29-2) include senior guard Jill Baronouski and junior guards-forwards Kayla Brandle and Emily Coy

"Pollino seems to be as active and as much of a threat as last year," said Meeker.

But the Blue Jays' biggest improvement this season has been on defense. Through three state playoff games, they've given up an average of 39 points per contest.

"Jill and Sam are our best defenders," said Conemaugh Valley coach Teri Cruse. "But it doesn't drop off much as you go through our starting five."

"From the films I've seen, they press a bit more than they did last year," Meeker said. "It's something they may have perfected this season."

The game could very well be as close as last year's, maybe closer.

But the Damsels are coming off a game that was close in the second half, a situation the team has rarely encountered this season.

"Not only was the game close, but we were down at one point," said Meeker. "The girls kept their cool and that was important for me to see.

"We knew that the further we went in the playoffs, there weren't going to be any more blowouts," he added.

Conemaugh Valley has been this far in the state tournament before, but it has been a while.

The Blue Jays made two consecutive Western Finals in the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons. Cruse was a forward on those teams, which both lost.

"Our girls are pretty loose, and they've been that way for the playoffs," she said. "Sure, this is a big game. But the last how many games have been big?"

Playing in the Eastern Final are Marian Catholic (30-2) and Nativity BVM (25-6).

<b>Union (29-1) vs. Conemaugh Valley (29-2) Western Final at IUP, 7 p.m. Wednesday</b><b>Union lineup:</b> Bethany Koch (5-8 senior guard, 17.7 ppg), Andrea Mortimer (5-6 senior forward, 16.2 ppg), Tiffany Corle (5-6 junior guard, 10.2 ppg), Nikki Davis (5-9 senior forward, 7.1 ppg), Janele Divins (5-4 junior guard, 7.0 ppg)<b>Conemaugh Valley lineup:</b> Carlie Frick (5-9 junior guard/forward, 6.2 ppg), Jill Baronouski (5-2 senior guard, 2.2 ppg), Emily Coy (5-7 junior guard/forward, 8.1 ppg), Kayla Brandle (5-10 junior forward, 13.8 ppg), Samantha Pollino (5-11 senior center, 19.2 ppg)