Pennridge and Souderton notched opening round state tournament wins, and both teams will travel to Penn State this weekend.
(1-1) PENNRIDGE 3, (3-3) HEMPFIELD 2 (25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-8)
After watching Hempfield open up a quick 8-3 lead in game one of Tuesday’s opening round state match, Kalin Nelson knew his team needed a lift. He gave the Rams a much-needed dose of confidence with a winner at the net and then five straight service points, including back-to-back aces to give the Rams their first lead of the night (9-8).
“I think that was a big key to the game,” Nelson said. “We were down a couple of points, and I went back to serve and I was like, ‘I’m not hitting very well, so I’ve got to serve the best I can.’
“I had a couple of aces, and when that started happening, everyone else started playing better. One thing leads to another. Everyone came together right when that happened.”
The Black Knights didn’t go down quietly, rallying to go on top 13-11. The two teams were still deadlocked 14-14, but a Ryan Chinnici kill gave the Rams a lead they would not lose. With his team on top 16-15, Kolby Smith stepped to the service line and delivered an ace that sparked a five-point service run and culminated with another ace that put the Rams on top 20-15.
“Kolby went in when it was close and separated it for us, and I thought that was key in our first game,” coach Dave Childs said.
The Black Knights pulled to within three, but the Rams held on for the 25-20 win. Hempfield regrouped to win game two, but the Rams battled their way to a win in the pivotal third gam
e.
The two teams were deadlocked 17-17 after a Mike Bollinger kill, and the Rams went on top by one after an Austin McVaugh winner. A Chinnici kill prompted the Black Knights – trailing 19-17 - to call a timeout. The Black Knights pulled to within one on three more occasions, but each time the Rams had an answer, going on top 22-20 after a Nelson tip for a winner. An Erik Moyer block at the net made it a 24-20 game, and the Rams won it on a Nelson kill to take a 2-1 lead in games.
Again, the Black Knights responded, opening up a 22-14 lead in game four only to watch the Rams rally to make it a five-point game before Hempfield went on to earn a 25-18 win.
The Rams rode the momentum of their strong finish and opened up a quick 4-0 lead in the winner-take-all game five, closing out the run with a Christian Lizana service ace and a Chinnici tip for a winner.
“Momentum is one of the biggest things in volleyball,” Nelson said. “Whoever has momentum is going to keep getting points.
“It happened in the fourth game. We didn’t win, but it gave us momentum going into the fifth game.”
Pennridge led 5-1 after a Moyer kill, and it was a 9-2 game after a Chinnici kill. The Black Knights cut the Rams’ lead to four (10-6), but a Nelson kill and then service ace upped that lead to 12-6. The Rams won it on a Hempfield net serve.
“It was awesome,” Nelson said. “I think it shows when we come out and we play hard – especially like we did in that fifth game when we got five straight points – we just have to come out and do everything perfect like we can, and when we do that, we can beat anyone out there.”
Moyer led the Rams at the net with 20 kills. Nelson had 14 kills, 15 digs and six aces. Chinnici added seven kills and nine digs while Derek Rush had six kills, 14 digs and three blocks. Bollinger added five kills and five blocks, and McVaugh had 49 assists and three blocks. Lizana led the led defense with 20 digs to go along with two aces.
“Everyone came up with big plays,” Childs said. “It was really a team win.”
The win avenged an early season loss to Hempfield.
“We played them at the very beginning of the season in the first tournament we went to,” Nelson said. “We changed a lot of things since then. The way we run our outsides is different, the way we run Erik Moyer in the middle is different.
“From the first time we played them until now, we’ve worked on that stuff so much and gotten it down, and that’s what gave us the extra edge we needed, and it was just enough to give us the win in five games.”
The match was the second half of a doubleheader at Tennent and came on the heels of Souderton’s romp over Northeast. Childs insisted he much preferred being tested in Tuesday’s open round state match.
“I would rather go into the state tournament on a game like this than maybe something easier,” he said. “You have to beat teams like this to get to where we want to get anyway.
“To play them now hopefully gives us momentum going into Friday. I think (the guys) really fed off the crowd. We don’t get to play in front of a crowd like that all the time. They fed off that, and they were playing with confidence.”
(1-2) SOUDERTON 3, (12-2) NORTHEAST 0 (25-6, 25-13, 25-21)
The Indians have earned a trip to Penn State this weekend, and although there’s a price tag attached to moving on for the seniors, they are more than willing to pay it, foregoing their final prom for an opportunity to compete in states.
“They have very understanding dates, and they worked it out ahead of time,” coach Brad Garrett said. “It shows a good level of commitment. That’s a big deal – to miss your prom.
“When we first started the season, our goal was to get to Penn State. We have the size to match up with anyone, and when we play our best – the way we did against Pennsbury and the way we did against Pennridge, the guys are starting to believe we have a real shot to do something out there, so everyone wants to be a part of it. It’s cool to see them buy into the team like that and not bail out for the prom.”
It’s hardly a secret that the easiest ticket to Penn State is via a second place finish and a date with an always-overmatched District 12 squad. That was the case once again on Tuesday night as the Indians made easy business of their opponent.
“We have been practicing hard on getting our defense in the right position,” Garrett said. “Sometimes we try and read the ball too much instead of playing good, disciplined position defense.
“The game was a little bit slower tonight, and I said to them, ‘This is a really good opportunity for us to work on our position defense. I thought Greg Mazza did a really good job of staying in the right spot and making the right reads. You try and emphasize the fundamentals in a match like this.”
Mazza finished the night with eight digs, sharing the team lead with teammate Brett Rawa. Andrew Diesel, Chris Kluka and Ryan Davison each had eight kills. Diesel also had two blocks and Kluka, one block. Tim Jones had a pair of service aces, and Diesel added one ace.
“I really wanted that third game to get everybody in,” Garrett said. “It didn’t pan out. I got most of the people in, but I didn’t get as many in as I would have liked because I think it’s cool to look back on your experience and say, ‘I got to play in the state tournament.’”
State pool play will be held on Friday with the top two teams from each pool advancing to Saturday’s semifinals.
“It’s exciting,” Garrett said. “After matches like we had last week against Pennsbury and Pennridge, even some of the guys on the bench tonight were saying, ‘This just doesn’t feel right.’
“We earned (a spot at Penn State) with our play, but you play those high intensity matches in the semifinals and finals, and then to play a match like this for a chance to get to state college, it’s rewarding and it’s great and it means just as much, but it’s a letdown emotionally after being so hyped up for those matches last week in districts.”
(11-1) EMMAUS 3, (1-3) PENNSBURY 0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-15)
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