Mar 9, 2026 By Jerin Steele 4 min read

Vitt Emerich glanced up at the scoreboard at Hollidaysburg High School a few times waiting for it to start counting down, so she could start her pregame warmup.

“Can we go yet?” she asked several people.

Once she finally got the go-ahead, Emerich put up the first shot of the day and let her Trinity teammates know it was time to start getting some shots up.

It’s hard to blame Emerich for wanting to get started with her pregame routine after the two-hour bus ride to Hollidaysburg for Trinity’s first round state playoff game.

She said she had her best week of shooting in practice and wanted to see if it would carry over into Saturday.

That indeed was the case.

Emerich hit five threes and scored a game-high 17 points to help the Hillers to a 39-29 win over the District 6 champion Golden Tigers in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A girls basketball playoffs.

“She shot the ball in practice this week, the best she’s shot it all year,” Trinity coach Bill Poletti said. “I said to my assistants the other day that I hope she shoots that good on Saturday and she certainly did.”

It seemed like any time the Hillers needed a big bucket to keep the Golden Tigers at bay, Emerich provided it from outside the arc. It wasn’t the first time in the playoffs that she’s come through in the clutch.

During Trinity’s WPIAL first-round game against West Allegheny, Emerich made a pair of free throws with a half-second remaining on the clock to give Trinity a 50-48 win. Without that victory the Hillers wouldn’t be playing now, because it guaranteed them a spot in the state tournament.

But Emerich’s impact on the team goes beyond clutch free throws or outside shooting. She’s become the leader of the team as the point guard.

“She’s definitely our emotional leader,” Poletti said. “She does a great job keeping everyone engaged during the game and keeping everyone invested during timeouts. I’m so pleased with her progression as a player for us this year.”

When the Hillers go out for warmups, Emerich leads the line. When someone is on the foul line shooting free throws, she always walks over to the coaches and goes over what they want to do on their next offensive possession. Those aspects may seem subtle, but they add up when it comes to being a leader.

“I was tasked by the coaches to become a true point guard and to lead the team,” Emerich said. “Not just being encouraging, but really knowing all aspects of every play. When they’re at the free throw line, I always go over to our coaches to ask what our next play is and then I relay it to everyone. They’re busy boxing out and rebounding, which is not something I usually do, because I’m shorter than everyone, so I just do what I can.”

What Emerich brings to the team is not lost on her teammates. Senior guard Kimari Behrens enjoys partnering with her in the backcourt.

“I 100-percent appreciate her,” Behrens said. “She’s the best point guard I’ve ever had. She really carries the team and brings us all together.”

As far as the three-point shooting goes, the Hillers certainly appreciate that too. Emerich brought the girls on the bench to their feet several times on Saturday.

Now she’ll try to do it again when the Hillers face District 3 champion York Suburban, 5 p.m. Wednesday at Altoona High School.

“She had special powers this week,” Behrens said. “Special three-pointer powers.”

Emerich quickly interjected: “Let’s hope they stay.”