Meridian defeated Exeter-Milligan to make it to the Class D-1 state tournament.

The Timberwolves (26-5) returned the favor on Friday in the state semifinals, prevailing 26-24, 25-23, 25-13 to make it to the state finals for the first time and go to 3-1 on the season against the Mustangs (26-7), a Crossroads Conference rival.

“I think it gave them the advantage with us knocking them out of districts,” Meridian coach Linda Johnson said. “When you get in on the wild card, you want to prove you belong. I thought the first two could have gone either way. It was a championship battle. It should have been the championship.”

On Friday, both coaches agreed that the biggest difference-maker was Exeter-Milligan's 6-foot junior middle Heather Pribyl, as well as a key serving stretch by Claire White in the first set that helped the Timberwolves go from down 21-15 to up 23-21 and get the critical first-set victory.

“Claire had a serving target and was able to run points,” Exeter-Milligan coach Darcy White said of her daughter, who is a 5-foot-10 sophomore middle hitter.

Pribyl, who battled a bloody nose the entire match, produced 22 kills and three blocks.

“Heather has a switch and I think she has figured out how to keep it on,” coach White said.

Exeter-Milligan (26-5)............26 25 25
Meridian (26-7)..........................24 23 13
Exeter-Milligan: (kills-aces-blocks): Taylor Erdkamp 0-0-0, Claire White 14-1-1, Jackie Luzum 2-1-0, Megan Zwickl 1-0-2, Jennifer Pribyl 1-0-2, Caroline Harre 1-0-0, Steph Briske 0-3-0, Kelsey Moore 1-0-0.
Meridian: Allison Johnson 9-0-0, Brandie Sykes 12-1-1, Brooke Hofstetter 5-1-0, Melanie Baxa 7-0-0, Haley Dutton 0-0-0, Taylor Johnson 2-0-0, Ashley Hansel 0-1-0.