COCHRANTON — Two points can make a big difference in a volleyball match.

Had those two points gone Knoch’s way in Game 1 instead of in favor of Conneaut, things could have taken on a much different hue.

As it was, the Eagles were able to wrest the first game away from Knoch, 25-23, cruised in the second game and held on in the third for a 3-0 win over the Knights in the first round of the PIAA Class AA volleyball playoffs at Cochranton High School Tuesday night.

“If we would have won Game 1,” lamented Knoch coach Diane Geist, “who knows what would have happened?”

Unforced errors doomed Knoch (16-4) in that first game.

Senior middle hitter Celina Sanks had seven kills in Game 1, but the Knights had five service errors that cost them dearly.

“They made less mistakes,” Geist said. “We made some mistakes. They cut down on their errors and they have two good outside hitters.”

Those two hitters, Challen Litwiler and Kristen Baker, were dominant throughout.

Baker had 18 kills and Litwiler 16 in the match. Both were all-state selections last season. They were also a big reason why Conneaut unseated defending state champion Fort LeBoeuf for the District 10 championship.

Baker was particularly adept at dinking the ball over the net into voids in the Knoch defense.

Conneaut coach Tim Schleicher said it is an acquired skill.

“Oh, you can teach it,” he said. “She took that information and used it. You have to be able to execute it.”

After the narrow loss in Game 1, Knoch struggled in the second game, falling behind 14-6 and never recovered in a 25-12 defeat.

The Knights were able to test the Eagles again in the third game, battling back from a 21-16 deficit to close to 21-20, but fell 25-22 as Conneaut completed the sweep.

“We fought back in Game 3, so I was pretty happy with that,” Geist said. “I told them how proud I was in them for doing that.”

Sanks, who is heading to Division I Eastern Kentucky University, led Knoch with 17 kills.

Mary Zellhart played well in the third game and finished with seven kills.

Finding the floor was a difficult chore for Knoch. Conneaut (18-1) also had a very solid defense behind its duo of dangerous hitters.

“Not much hits the floor against them,” Geist said. “We were glad to get the kills when we could.”

Schleicher was well aware of Sanks heading into this state playoff match.

“We knew their strength was the middles, especially Celina,” Schleicher said. “She’s a fantastic player. We just had to work hard keeping the ball off the floor and we did that more times that not. We had some tremendous digs on her.”

Sanks is one of 10 seniors who will depart the Knoch program. They were a big reason why the Knights made it back to the state playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Even though Geist has spent 28 years as a volleyball coach at Knoch, saying goodbye to graduating players never gets easy.

“It’s hard. It’s emotional,” Geist said. “I’m getting choked up now thinking about it. These kinds of teams only come around every once in awhile. You want to make the most of it.”