The Candor Volleyball program has a case for one of the best in all of the area. The Coyotes earned the one seed in the Section IV Class D Tournament a few weeks back and have been a roll since, earning yet another appearance in the state's final four or the big dance.

Just two days out from one of the a semifinal game in the NYS Tournament...

"You know, we just call it the big dance," said head coach Pam Quinlan. "And that's really the culmination of your season."

And just two wins from another state title.

"We know what's expected of us and we know what we can do so we're ready to play our best," junior setter Phoebe Swartz.

For a handful of girls, this isn't there first time as one of the final four remaining, as Candor made the trip two years ago as well.

"You're in the Final Four, and it's different than being in your regular season in sectional play," said senior right-side hitter Grace Handy. "That's where the best teams come to play. So understanding that now is definitely really important."

And if you take just one glance at the Coyotes practice, they are, which starts with head coach Pam Quinlan.

"She's very like on point with everything," said senior defense Rosie Hurd. "She's fine with messing around once in a while, but she likes getting to the point and she's a great coach. I love her a lot."

Quinlan has been the bench boss for three different New York State winning squads, most recently in 2019.

"Even though I've been to the rodeo before, the girls haven't," Quinlan said. "So I'm really excited for them to be able to experience that."

And excitement might be the perfect word to describe this team.

"Our energy, we're always really there for each other," said junior outside hitter Kate Stouffer. "And if we do get down with each other back up."

Which just goes hand-in-hand with...

"Being a family and really talking and just working," said sophomore outside hitter Nicola Soper.

Work that's built up over the entire season starting in August.

"Lots of long practices and ups and downs throughout the team and like practice," Stouffer said. "But we just have to get each other up and just get ready for the next practice and during the next day."

And now with the season wrapping up this weekend, the Coyotes are getting more and more granual.

"I think you just focus on the game that you're playing and the point that you're playing and play that point hard and play the next point hard," Quinland said. "Just everything will just take care of itself."

With the hope of becoming the fourth Candor Volleyball team to take the state title.

"It would mean a lot," Swartz said. "My sister won. So I think for me, It'd mean a lot and It'd mean a lot for my team.

The Coyotes took down Keio Academy last week in the Regionals and will now play Chautauqua Lake in the Semifinals on Saturday at 7:15 pm. If they win, they'll take on the winner of Lake George vs. Tuxedo on Sunday at 2 pm. All the games are at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.