Hartford - Sometime in the middle of the second game Wednesday night, a fan of Waterford High School turned to another and said rhetorically, "Is this Waterford?"

He had a point. Few, if any, other times during this volleyball season had the Lancers looked so erratic. Worse, they picked the most inauspicious time: the state Class M semifinals.

Seventh-seeded Waterford, one of the ascending programs in the Eastern Connecticut Conference, stalled in the semis for the second straight season, falling to No. 3 St. Joseph of Trumbull, 25-10, 25-16, 25-21 at Hartford Sports Sciences.

"Any team is beatable. They had their moments. We were our own worst enemy at times," Waterford coach Beau Lucas said. "We started playing our brand of volleyball the last half of the last game. But it was too late at that point."

The Lancers (16-7) were plenty familiar with falling behind to the point of desperation. Last time they did so, they rallied to beat East Lyme in the conference tournament quarterfinals. And while they played their best game in the third game, several unforced errors ultimately imperiled the season.

"We're underdogs all the time. We want to play like that," Lucas said. "We're usually at our best with our backs against the wall. I'm sure it was going through their heads because we had done it against East Lyme and NFA, some big schools. They never stopped fighting. They might waver from time to time, but they're gritty."

Sarah Lathrop and Mickayla Shelburn had four kills apiece for the Lancers while Haley Taylor had three blocks.

"We aim really high. Last year was a really good example (reaching the semifinals)," Lucas said. "Nobody expected that. These kids have all the drive in the world and sometimes we overplay the game. We chase it and lose focus on fundamentals and what makes us good as a team. No one can say we didn't try our hardest. Maybe too hard. Still, what an exceptional season."

Indeed. Two consecutive trips to the semifinals for a young program speaks to its rapid improvement. To the point where Lucas wants to test his team, with several returning players, beyond the ECC next fall.

"We've already talked to (athletic director) Dave (Sousa) about it," Lucas said. "We want to make sure we play a Woodland, a Granby, teams we have relationships with. Our program is demanding it. They're wanting that type of challenge. That's the next step in the recipe."

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter: @BCgenius