POLO – The Erie Cardinals had the match right where they wanted it. But then that fickle ol’ mo turned against them, and they couldn’t find a way to swing it back to their side.

With the first-set point at their fingertips in the Class 1A Polo Sectional on Tuesday, the Cardinals watched a free ball from Stockton’s Kristin Wright fall between three diving defenders, tying the score at 24-all.

The Blackhawks rolled from there, finishing out a first-set victory and then taking the second set in a 26-24, 25-17 semifinal win that sent them on to Thursday’s championship match against Keith Country Day.