CB East and Upper Merion both saw their seasons end in Tuesday’s District One AAA quarterfinal round.
#4 PERK VALLEY 3, #5 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-12)
The Patriots got over the hump of the second round but ran into a buzz saw in Tuesday’s quarterfinal round.
“We had videotapes, we had reports from every team, so I knew what we were up against,” coach Scott Geller said. “I knew Caitlin (Corcoran), and I knew Cayla (Veverka). We prepared for them, but I think preparing for them and actually seeing them firsthand is completely different.
“We didn’t get many touches up at the net, so it was pretty much free rein against my back row. If we can’t put deflections and blocks against big players, that’s what’s going to happen. We couldn’t figure out a way to stop them.
“From my perspective, we just weren’t seeing the game the way we have been all year. We didn’t get the best effort out of us, but the season they put up – I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Senior Natalie Arm, who led the Patriots with seven kills, fought back tears as she spoke about the season just completed.
“Even though it was obviously a tough loss tonight, we couldn’t have had a more amazing senior year,” she said. “Even getting past the second round – that was a really big deal for us because that’s been our goal all four years, and to overcome that and do that was awesome, the best thing ever.
“It would have been an awesome thing to go to states, but even the first accomplishment we had is awesome, and we still ended on a really good note.”
“It’s honestly just been pretty amazing to see that we’ve gotten this far,” senior Krista Helveston added. “We’ve really come far as a team from the beginning of the season to the end, and it’s sad to see that’s over, but I know we played our hardest, and we tried everything we could. They’re a really good team.”
The Patriots all seemed to agree that the Vikings boasted just too much height and talent.
“They were insanely tall,” Helveston said. “We were having trouble trying to block them, so it was hard to get the ball (up).
“They’re really athletic. They would get everything up – like passes that we wouldn’t expect, and we wouldn’t be ready for the ball to come back.”
“They were just so good,” senior Erin Lane said. “Just the placement of the ball and where they hit it – it was very hard to get it.
“We knew they were going to be a tough team coming in, and we knew they were going to have height and were really athletic. Just to see them in person – it was like ‘whoa.’”
Helveston led the Patriots’ defense with 10 kills while Kate Woolsey had six digs to go along with two kills and two aces. Lane added five digs. Setter Madie D’Angelo had 18 assists and three digs. Jenn Krzeminski and Julia Gallagher each had four kills.
Geller bids farewell to seven seniors –Arm, D’Angelo, Gallagher, Helveston, Lane, Woolsey and Emma Goll.
“It’s tough to go out this way for my seniors,” Geller said. “But if we’re going to lose, I hope PV goes all the way.”
The Patriots closed out the season with a 20-3 record and an SOL Continental Conference title.
“It’s the farthest we’ve gone, and I’m so proud of this team,” Lane said. “I’ve had so much fun along the way, and it’s just sad for it to end.”
#1 BISHOP SHANHAN 3, #8 UPPER MERION 0 (16-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-12)
In a rematch of last year’s district title match, the defending district champion Vikings – this year the underdogs – needed everything to go their way if they hoped to upset the top-seeded Eagles, and everything was going their way.
For a while.
The Vikings rolled to a win in the opening set and led 6-2 in the second.
“We came out extremely excited about playing and kind of caught them off guard a little bit,” Funsten said. “In the beginning of the second game, we’re up 5-2, and we had them on their heels.
“We scored again to go up 6-2, and then their scorer had a problem with Shanahan’s rotation. It took what felt like 10 minutes to straighten it out. I still don’t know what was going on. Meanwhile, the fans are getting crazed.
“It just took forever, and from that point on, I don’t know if we lost our adrenalin or our mojo or whatever you want to call it. We just didn’t have it.”
The Vikings never threatened the rest of the way.
Carolyn Helenski had another big night at the net, leading the Vikings with 14 kills and just two hitting errors.
“She was extremely good,” Funsten said. “She avoided their blocks and basically hit .400.”
Emma Andraka added a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs. Setter Carlye Odorisio had 25 assists. Micaela Ghanayem led the Vikings defense with 17 digs.
The Eagles had just too many weapons.
“They had good setting and very good size and good balance defensively,” Funsten said. “They’re extremely big.
“Their one outside is pushing 6-2, and she’s very experienced. They have a freshman that’s at least 6-3, and their setter from last year – she’s pushing 6-2, and she’s an extremely good hitter.
“They’re always in system, always getting a good attack and hitting it over you. Last year’s team could have matched them somewhat for size but not this year.”
It was the first time in 13 years that the Vikings have seen their season end in the quarterfinals.
“We had no one to blame but ourselves,” said Funsten of his team’s eight seed. “All we had to do was win one of our last two matches, but we lost to Upper Dublin and we lost to Strath Haven.
“There’s no shame in losing those matches, but if you don’t want to be in that situation, then win before then. That’s all. Anyone else in the district we would have matched up a lot better, but it is what it is.”
Upper Merion closed out their season with an 18-3 record and a share of the SOL American Conference crown.
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