Gilbert looked to make the 4th time the charm in the state volleyball finals for head coach Jackie Shealy. 
The large contingent of Lady Indian fans in attendance at River Bluff High School did their best to inspire their team to victory. Instead, they ran into a Powdersville team with an equally boisterous fanbase that was determined to repeat as Class 3A champion.
The Lady Patriots came away with the 3-set victory, winning by the scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-22. They end the season with a 14-match winning streak and finished 20-3-1.
Afterwards, Shealy said her team suffered from early nerves which caused them to start slowing against the Lady Patriots. At the same time, she credited Powdersville with their ball placement and strong serving. 
"They're a solid team," she said. "Very fast tempo, faster than some of the other teams that we faced this season." 
Gilbert (27-7) led as many as 4 points in the 3rd set. Powdersville rallied to retake the lead and score the final 3 points of the match after the Lady Indians closed within a point. 
Much like last year's 3rd round loss to Bishop England, Shealy hopes her team can build off this year's experience and move a step closer to their ultimate goal.
"I think just seeing what we need to work on to step up our level of play," Shealy said. "We're losing 4 seniors, one of them is in our starting rotation. We've got a lot to build on and we just have to look back and reflect on what is it individually, what is it as a team that we need to do as a team to step up our level of play."