CR North edged Pennsbury in a classic battle between the SOL powers. Check all of Thursday’s recaps.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3, PENNSBURY 1 (31-29, 25-20, 28-30, 25-20)
In a match that was the very definition of a heavyweight fight, it was the Indians defeating the defending conference champion Falcons, giving the fans their money’s worth and then some in a grueling four-set match.
“The atmosphere was incredible,” Rock North coach Greg Marchetti said. “A big thank you to everyone who came out and supported our program tonight because our team fed off of the crowd’s energy throughout the night.
“It was one of the most competitive regular season volleyball games that I have ever been a part of at CR North. Pennsbury played their hearts out on every play, and games one and three could have gone either way. It is rare to see one game reach 30 in a match, but to see two games get to 30 tells that both teams were very evenly matched.”
The Indians won the first two sets, edging the Indians 31-29 in game one and setting the tone for the intense match. The visiting Falcons won the third set, but the Indians would not be denied.
“All the points were very critical within the match, but I was impressed to see the way we started and finished the match,” Marchetti said. “We had good energy from the beginning, and we responded well to dropping the third set.
“Our players stayed composed during big moments and were able to make a few extra plays when it really mattered most.”
Setter Nick Baniewicz had 50 sets to go along with four kills, two aces and two digs. Jack Gunshenan (22 kills, four digs, two blocks) and Harry Wyatt (16 kills, three digs, one ace) were on the receiving end of many of Baniewicz’s passes. Eddie Mancinelli (22 digs, two assists) led the Indians’ defense. Also contributing were Justin Burns (five kills, two digs, .5 blocks), Keven D’Arcy (four kills, 3.5 blocks), Will Hewitt (three kills, 3.5 blocks), Sean D’Arcy (one kill, one dig) and Justin Walton (one dig).
“I think every player on the roster played an important role in this victory,” Marchetti said. “It sounds cliché, but our practices have been very competitive this year. We have a very deep roster, and our experience came through in certain situations tonight.”
With the win, the Indians upped their record to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the National Conference. They are alone atop the standings.
“Our team has been very dedicated since the end of last season, and to be able to see the hard work pay off for the players and fans is very rewarding as a coach,” Marchetti said. “We hope to build confidence from this match and continue to get better as we prepare for the second half of the season.”
Falcon setter Andy Delworth had 42 assists, 20 digs and one block. Justin Sadley led the Falcons at the net with 17 kills to go along with 11 digs and one block. Also finishing with double-digit kills were Kyle Faulcon (12 kills, 17 digs, three blocks) and Brett Garretson (12 kills, eight digs, one block). Charlie Bluestein had 13 digs, six assists and one ace. Also making contributions were Luke Bucksar (four kills, three blocks), Matt Caissie (one kill, three digs) and Danny Quay (three kills, one ace, three blocks).
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3, UPPER DUBLIN 0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-22)
In their sweep of the Flying Cardinals, the Patriots received big nights from Andrew Bennett (seven kills, three digs, three blocks, two aces), Carter Haban (eight kills, 12 assists, six digs, three aces) and Dylan Colbert (eight kills, five digs, three aces). Jacob LaBouliere anchored the defense with eight digs while adding an ace, one block and three kills. Christian Wolf continued his strong play with three kills, four digs, one ace and two blocks, and Thomas Gallagher-Teske added two kills and a block. Ryan Figus chipped in four digs.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, LANSDALE CATHOLIC 1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-10, 25-17)
The Golden Hawks and Crusaders split the first two sets, but the Hawks closed out the match strong, winning the next two.
Shane Silvinski led the Hawks with 11 kills, one ace, six digs and one block while Jay Ferrara added seven kills, one ace, six digs and two blocks. Andrew Richards also had seven kills to go along with five digs and one block. Thomas Rodman added six digs, and Dylan Baptiste had three blocks. Jake Leonard (one kill, two blocks) and Dane Paulson (one kill, three digs, two blocks) also contributed.
PENNRIDGE 3, PARKLAND 0 (25-16, 28-26, 25-18)
The Rams swept Parkland in a non-league match Thursday.
Cross Edwards led the Rams with 14 kills and five digs. Zach Detweiler had eight kills and four blocks, and Kevin Jones contributed six kills and four aces. Mike Molettiere added four kills, and Ethan Lionetti had three kills, 10 digs and three aces. Setter Corey Quaste had 32 assists. Jeremy Pruss added 13 digs.
Pennridge (8-1 SOL) improved to 9-2 overall.
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