Pennridge defeated Liberty to advance to the PIAA Class AAA semifinals on Tuesday against Hempfield.
#1-1 PENNRIDGE 3, #11-2 LIBERTY 1 (25-16, 13-25, 35-33, 25-19)
It was the set that was never going to end. Or at least so it seemed.
With Saturday’s PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal match deadlocked at one game each, Pennridge and Liberty found themselves in a marathon third set. The two teams fought off nine set points with Liberty fighting off seven of those.
“That was crazy,” junior Ben Chinnici said. “Every game point they had, I had the thought in my mind – if we did lose that game, what’s going to happen, and I don’t think I was real scared about that.
“I think if we lost that game - we knew it would go back our way the game after, and we’d have no problem with that because it was so even.”
Chinnici – who finished with 20 kills in another monster performance – delivered five kills in the pivotal stretch late in the third match.
“Ben played much better later in the match,” coach Dave Childs said. “I thought he started kind of slow and then really picked it up at the end when we really needed him to, and that’s what great players do.”
And what changed?
“Me and Jesse connecting is what changes,” Chinnici said of setter Jesse Smith. “We do it every match. We always start off game one and half of game two starting slow.
“He starts getting the set exactly where I need it, and then we started going from there.”
“Game two was definitely the big changing point,” Smith said. “I was throwing balls up there and he was putting them all away.
“It’s really just me putting the ball in a spot where he can hit it. Even when it’s not there, he’ll still get a swing on it.”
Chinnici wasn’t the only player to come up big. Sophomore Cross Edward had a pair of kills to put the Rams up 26-25 and 30-29.
“Playing in sports, that was by far the craziest thing I’ve ever (been part of),” Edwards said. “I was thinking – if we win this, there would be more of a chance we could win because we would have more momentum going into the fourth game, and it turned out that way.
“We were all backing each other up, we were all excited, and when something bad happened, we all backed each other up.”
Liberty had its first set point at 32-31, but Chinnici delivered a kill to knot the score. Again, the Hurricanes responded, going on top 33-32 after a dump fell in for a winner. Another Chinnici kill knotted the score, and a pair of Liberty miscues gave the Rams the emotional win.
“Those games are always fun,” Smith said. “Both teams were playing superb.
“It was kill after kill, and whoever made the final play would win that game.”
Things got a whole lot easier for the Rams after that as they raced out to a 17-6 lead in the fourth set and went on to earn a 25-19 win. Appropriately, Chinnici closed it out with a kill for match point.
“(That’s) a very good team over there, obviously,” Childs said. “A very good offensive team- they can crush the ball.
“We knew we had to play good defense and block well, and I think we did that. I was happy with the way our guys responded game four, came out and played aggressive, got a couple of points and got rolling.”
In addition to leading the Rams in kills, Chinnci also had 10 digs and four blocks. Edwards also had a big match, finishing with 10 kills, six digs and two blocks.
“If you play with confidence and go out there and be aggressive – you’re going to make mistakes, but you’ll make plays, and that’s how Cross is playing right now,” Childs said.
Smith was credited with 38 assists, seven digs, three aces and two blocks, and Aaron Nelson had four kills and four blocks. Josiah Friesen contributed five kills and three blocks, and Kevin Jones added two kills and three blocks. Austin Rush led the defense with 18 digs while Jeremy Baum had eight. Ryan Spangler had two aces.
For the Rams, this is their first trip to the state semifinals since 2012, and this one was unexpected, according to both Childs and his players.
“We’re young – we start two sophomores, two juniors out of our five hitters,” Childs said. “We have some youth in there, but they’re growing up. Game three is a testament to them growing up. They made some plays. I’m just happy with the group.”
“With how we started off the season, I didn’t see us getting to the semifinals, I’ll be honest,” Chinnici said. “As the season went on, I saw so many players improve on the team – give more effort, become physically better, and at this point, I understand how we got here – because of the team.”
“Overall, we’ve definitely all improved,” Smith said. “Our defense – we need to get that better, and that really will be a difference maker in our playing style.
“Our blocking is definitely better. Overall, we’ve definitely improved a lot.”
Pennridge (20-3) will have an opportunity to avenge one of its three losses on the season when it takes on Hempfield in a state semifinal match on Tuesday. Hempfield upset defending state champion Parkland in quarterfinal action Saturday.
“I’m very excited,” Edwards said. “This is a first for me, and I can’t wait to the next team coming up.”
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