To view game action photos of both contests, visit the photo gallery and click on the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
The stage has been set.
The District One AAA Tournament final will pit top-seeded Pennsbury against second-seeded Pennridge in a rematch of last year’s district final. The Rams defeated Souderton in three games, and the Falcons downed Council Rock North in three straight.
The Rams and Falcons will square off in the title game on Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at Council Rock South High School. Souderton will face Rock North in the third place game in a battle for the third and final berth in the PIAA Tournament.
#2 Pennridge 3, Souderton 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-17)
The Rams closed out game two of Tuesday’s semifinal match with senior Austin Jacoby and junior Mike Shenk teaming up for a block for game point. It was a point that underscored the key to the match.
“We really blocked well tonight,” Jacoby said. “Not even the fact that we were blocking a lot of balls but the fact that we were getting a lot of touches and were getting hands up there. I think that’s the biggest thing, and we served well.”
The Rams did a lot of things well, but none loomed larger than their touches at the net. Jacoby finished with six blocks while teammate Erik Moyer had seven. Jacoby also had a game-high 18 kills while Moyer had eight. Zech States had seven kills. Junior setter Will Jager was under the weather but still had 34 assists. Defensively, Jake Braun led the Rams with 14 digs.
“Credit to Pennridge – they put so much pressure on you with their ability to attack from all over the court and with their aggressive serving,” Souderton coach Brad Garrett said. “They don’t give up runs, and we just gave up runs of four or five. We tightened up a little I really thought we played an apprehensive match.”
Luke Pinto led the Indians with 15 kills and 14 digs while Jeff Bishop added six kills from the middle. Defensively, the Indians received a brilliant 21-dig effort from senior Christian Benner.
“I was proud of the way the guys battled,” Garrett said. “Christian Benner played a fantastic game defensively. He was everywhere, but we were on the defensive the whole time.
“We’re digging balls the whole time, and they’re just attacking, attacking, attacking.”
“They have bigger guys than we do,” Benner said. “Their strength is definitely getting it over our blockers.
“It’s tough, but for me, it makes for a little more excitement to know maybe we’ll get a touch here and there, but I love having it coming at me full blast. I kind of thrived on that today.”
In game one, the Indians led 11-8 after a Pinto kill, and they still led 13-9 after a Ram kill out of play, but the Rams battled back to go on top 17-16 after a States kill. The Indians knotted the score 18-18 after a Pinto winner, but a Shenk kill was followed by a Souderton hitting miscue, and the Rams led 20-18 after another Indian hitting error on their way to the 25-20 win.
“We got down early, and I thought we did a really good job of coming back and not getting our heads down,” Jacoby said. “We could have blown it that first game, and that was a momentum shift. After we won the first game, that really helped us. I didn’t think they would come back after that.”
In game two, the Indians led 5-2 after a Pennridge hit sailed out of play. The Indians still led 6-4 when States stepped to the service line and reeled off six straight points. The run began with a Cory Chinnici kill and included back-to-back Jacoby kills as the Rams opened up a 10-6 lead.
The Indians battled back to take a 15-14 lead after a Pinto kill, but a net serve by the Indians knotted the score. The Rams went on top 20-17 after a Chinnici kill, and it was Jacoby teaming with Shenk on a block for game point.
“Dave (Childs) told us they have a couple of big guys, and they look to run high balls in the middle,” Jacoby said. “They didn’t really have any guys on the right side, and their setter wasn’t dumping a lot.
“We knew they were going to outside or to their big middle, number 26 (Bishop), and I think we did a really good job of slowing him down and getting our hands up there.”
The Rams controlled play in the third game, opening up a 10-5 lead after a Jacoby kill. The Indians would get no closer than four the rest of the way as the Rams rolled to the convincing win.
“I don’t think we played our best – I was kind of waiting for us to get into a groove,” Pennridge coach Dave Childs said. “Towards the end of the night we did, but I still don’t think we ever got into a groove.
“There was a lot riding on (this match), and we knew we had to come to play. They’ve gotten better every time we’ve played them.”
The Rams, according to Jacoby, are exactly where they hoped to be at this point in the season.
“It’s what everybody expected this year,” the senior outside hitter said. “It’s what we all expected from this year.
“We set our goals high. It wasn’t just being in the district final, but it was to win it. We wanted to start out by winning our league and going undefeated again, which we did, and we wanted to get to the district final again. You have to get there to win it. I think we did a really good job of meeting our goals this year and playing well.”
#1 Pennsbury 3, #4 Council Rock North (25-17, 29-19, 25-13)
Ryan Burns sure knows how to celebrate a birthday.
The Falcons’ senior setter turned 19 on Tuesday, and his Falcon squad celebrated by earning a trip to the district final with their sweep of Council Rock North.
“I would rather be doing this than anything – 110 percent,” said Burns, who was serenaded by the Falcons’ student section with a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ between the second and third games.
This is the fifth straight trip to the district finals for the Falcons, who will be going for three straight district titles when they take on the Rams.
“It’s different this year because this is our senior year,” said co-captain Dom Tricoche. “This is our last time to prove who we are for our school and for the state.”
Leading the Falcons were seniors Joe Yasalonis (13 kills, 11 digs, two blocks and two aces) and Jeremy Rhoads (12 kills, seven digs). Yasalonis has 173 career blocks and is just one block away from tying the school’s all-time career record. He is just 23 kills away from the career mark in that category as well. Rhoads also has his name in the record books for playing the most career games (192) and is one dig away from taking over second place in the school’s all-time list.
Adam Flick added six kills while Burns had 32 assists on the night.
“It’s amazing,” Burns said. “I have the easy job. All I have to do is throw the ball out there and watch them put the ball away.
“I have confidence setting anyone in this offense because I know they’ll put the ball away. It’s an all-around experienced team, and we’ve worked hard all year.”
Defensively, senior Mike Mamzic had a team-high 13 digs while Tricoche had nine digs.
The Indians were led by senior Niall Hannagen (12 kills, two blocks) and Hunter Stevens (six kills, eight digs). Defensive libero Ross Denkin had 17 digs while Justin Devitt had 12 digs. John Whitman added eight digs.
Interestingly, the Indians jumped out to a lead in all three games, but the Falcons were unfazed.
“We were making our own mistakes at the beginning of those games, and we knew that,” Burns said. “We have come back from deficits before, and once we’re down, we know we have to get our heads out of our butts and play the game we know how to play – Pennsbury volleyball.
“When we’re in the huddle, I said, ‘We’re not out here to play their game. We have to play our game and do what we can on our side of the ball and work on every point.’”
In game one, the Indians used a Whitman ace as well as kills from Hannagen and Stevens to go on top 5-2. They still led 10-6 after a Pennsbury hitting error, but the Falcons came roaring back, knotting the score 12-12 on a Yasalonis kill and going on top 14-12 after a pair of Rock North passing miscues.
The Falcons led 21-17 after a Yasalonis kill that ignited a 5-0 run to close out the game.
“We had a slow start three games in a row,” Pennsbury coach Justin Fee said. “It’s not what we wanted. We have been stressing big starts.
“That wasn’t good, but it was early in the game, and there was a lot of game left to go.”
The Indians reeled off the first six points of game two, but once again, the Falcons battled back. The score was deadlocked 7-7 after a Flick block, and it was an 11-11 game after a Falcon hit out of play. An Indian net violation put the Falcons on top 12-11.
Tricoche served for five straight points that included a pair of kills by both Rhoads and Yasalonis as well as a Flick block. By that time, the Falcons led 17-11 and never looked back, rolling to the 25-17 win with Yasalonis delivering a kill for game point.
In game three, the Indians led 4-1 after a Hannagen block and still led 5-2 after a Hannagen kill. Rock North led 7-5 when Tricoche stepped to the service line. This time he reeled off 11 straight points.
“For me, serving is the most nervewrecking part of the game, so I have never been a fan,” Tricoche said. “But just like anything – once you get into a groove, you just keep rolling. I definitely found myself in that zone, and I just kept rolling.”
“Dom is not a flashy server,” Fee said. “He kind of reminds me of Noah Prickett from last year – just get back there and fires away - a nice line drive float serve. He’s super consistent, and that’s important to have. You have to have your consistent servers when you have a few jump servers in your lineup like we do.”
The Indians never recuperated from that run as the Falcons earned the big win and another trip to the district finals.
“They have been in this situation,” Rock North coach Mike Flaherty said. “Every night Pennsbury has to face a team that’s dying to knock them off. What Pennsbury has to do is they have to weather that storm, and they did.
“If you get lucky, you steal a game. The truth is – we’re not just there yet. We have a big game on Thursday. If we find a way to win that game, we have another week to win two.”
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