CB West & Pennridge advanced to Thursday’s second round of the District 1 4A Tournament. Pennridge/CR North photos provided courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f214243981
CLASS 4A
#9 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3, #24 BENSALEM 0 (25-19, 25-9, 25-15)
The Bucks earned a sweep of the visiting Owls in Tuesday’s district opener.
Rachel Hu led the Bucks with an impressive double-double that included 17 kills, 15 digs and two aces. Alexis Barklage added 15 kills and two digs. Elisa Kremser (18 assists, 2 kills, 1 block) and Erin Ferello (13 assists, 8 digs, 1 ace) shared setting duties. Amber Woodring (13 digs, 1 ace, 1 assist), Alexa Lee (12 digs, 2 assists) and Mairead Donaher (8 digs, 1 ace) were key contributors on defense. Also making contributions were Kya Lynch (4 kills), Hollis Walton (3 kills, 2 aces, 1 block) and Lily Rasnake (2 aces).
For the Owls, Chloe Costello led the defense with six digs and two aces. Talia DiMichele distributed 10 assists and an ace, and Mackenzie Kramer led the attack with four kills and a block. Allie Runowski added three kills and two aces while Ashley Tarr had three kills.
“This was a surreal experience for our entire team,” Bensalem coach Violet DiMichele said. “We’ve been working to build our program over the years, and the hard work is finally paying off getting our first playoff appearance. I’m so proud of my girls for competing with such a strong team like CB West, and even though the game didn’t end the way we would’ve liked, we were all very happy to have had this experience.”
Central Bucks West (15-3, 11-1 SOL) will travel to #8 West Chester East for a second round match Thursday. Bensalem closed out its season with a 12-11 record overall (4-8 SOL).
#14 PENNRIDGE 3, #19 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2
The Rams won a nail biter over the visiting Indians in Tuesday’s opening round.
“We won the first game, and it was very lopsided, which actually made me very nervous because I knew the team on the other side of the court was better than what had
happened in the first set,” Pennridge coach Mike Fleischacker said. “Our team came out and played to their potential, and I knew the other team had more in them, so I knew it was going to be a closer match than what that first set dictated, and sure enough, they came back and won the next two.
“Part of it, I think, was them starting to play to their potential, and part of it was us mentally thinking – ‘That first set was easy, this is going to go great,’ and we let up a little more than we wanted to. But then we settled in, and they settled in, and it just became a really good match.
“We had to win the last two sets to take it, and we managed to do so.”
The Rams shared the SOL Continental Conference championship with Central Bucks West in Fleischacker’s first season at the helm.
“I think it surprised a lot of people,” he said. “Just getting to know this team being the first-year coach, so early in the season, we were kind of feeling each other out. But I saw potential there. When it came down to it, the first time we met up (with West), we were a little deer in the headlights not ready to go the first couple of sets, but then we settled in and made a little bit of a match of it, so I was confident.
“I knew that if we came out and played to our potential and stuck to our game plan that we could do what we did.”
Tuesday’s opening round win was the first in quite some time for the Pennridge program.
“We hadn’t been in the playoffs for a while – the group I have, none of them had played in a playoff match before,” Fleischaker said. “They were all very excited.”
Pennridge (16-5, 11-1 SOL) will travel to #3 Haverford on Thursday. Council Rock North closed out its season with a 13-7 record overall.
#17 WC HENDERSON 3, #16 UPPER DUBLIN 2
#15 METHACTON 3, #18 ABINGTON 0
#12 STRATH HAVEN 3, #21 WILLIAM TENNENT 0
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