Eleven SOL teams have earned spots in the District One AAA Tournament. Check out previews of all the matches.
Pennsbury is back.
Two years ago, the Falcons – then the top-ranked team in the district and state – were upset by Pennridge in the district finals. They went on to avenge that loss and finish second in the state tournament, but they’ve been relatively quiet in postseason play since then.
That could all change this season.
The Falcons, who rolled through the regular season without a loss, are not only the top-seeded team in the District One AAA Tournament, they are ranked third in the state and have proven they can play with the big boys.
“One of the things I’ve been talking to the guys about is that our 2011 season when they didn’t win the league was one of two years in the past 10 that we didn’t win it,” coach Justin Fee said. “That was those guys being young and not being confident and kind of being thrown into the fire that 2011 season.
“They got much better last year, and we kind of felt we came up a little bit short, but they still weren’t that confident group of kids that’s out on the court right now. They had a lot of ability last year and they won a league title, but the confidence just wasn’t there. They were juniors that weren’t quite playing as seniors yet. The big difference this year is they’re seniors that are playing above and beyond the way seniors normally play.”
Setting this year’s team apart is its hitting efficiency. The Falcons are hitting .322 as a team.
“Our middle hitter, Spencer McCullough, is hitting almost .500 against league opponents and non-league opponents,” Fee said. “He is going above and beyond what we ever expected out of him in terms of offensive productions. He’s been a very, very bright spot.
“Overall as a team, we’re hitting over .300, and that is a huge, huge difference from last year. Last year we went five sets quite a bit. This year we didn’t. We went five with Northeastern this year, and if we hadn’t been hitting at such a high efficiency, I don’t think we would have pulled that one out.”
McCullough has 148 kills on the season. Neil Helsel has 133 kills and is hitting at a .405 clip while Chris Spano has 198 kills (.339 hitting efficiency). Pat Merrick has a team high 232 kills. Setting the table for the Falcons is junior setter Jeff Yasalonis.
“We have a balanced attack,” Fee said. “We don’t really over rely on one particular kid. We don’t have that 6-8 Joe Yasalonis that can physically dominate, but we have good all-around kids.”
Defensively, the Falcons are led by Troy Pereira with 166 digs while teammates Sean Kropp (136), Merrick (135) and Spano (117) have also come up big.
The top-seeded Falcons, who have a first round bye, will face the winner of Tuesday’s Souderton/Central Bucks East match.
“We achieved our goal of going undefeated and winning the league,” Fee said. “Now obviously the goal is to try and play strong throughout the playoffs. The first step is to make it to that first round of states, and obviously, if we make it to the semifinals of districts, we’re going to clearly try to win it, but it’s just one step at a time. We’re capable of beating the teams we potentially could face, but when you overlook people, you can get upset.”
Panthers on the rise – The Panthers closed out the season with seven wins in their last nine matches, and while some of those were non-league wins, it underscored the giant strides the program has taken after winning just two matches all of last season. Included in Cheltenham’s hot streak were straight set wins over Bensalem, Upper Dublin, Central Bucks South and Quakertown.
The Panthers, who feature a balanced attack, are led by Brett Mayne (229 kills), Brandon Smith (155 kills) and Joe Woodson (119 kils). Setter Mike Lee has 589 assists, and Donald Le leads the defense with 274 digs.
Rams end on a high note – Pennridge closed its regular season with a 3-2 win over a Central Bucks West squad that had defeated the Rams earlier in the season, bringing to an end to Pennridge’s 75-match SOL winning streak. Winning the match over the Continental Conference champions, according to Dave Childs, wasn’t the most important thing.
“It was about coming in and playing our game,” Childs said. “Win or lose – we knew West was good team, and we knew we had to get back on track and play the high level we’re capable of.
“We came in with no pressure, and we were just able to play.”
The win came on West’s home court on the Bucks’ senior night.
“We changed up our offense a little bit, which helped a little bit and spread it out,” Childs. “When we show up to play with that kind of energy, we can be good.
“It was a team effort. We looked to Alex Vellner in big moments. He was big for us. He led us in kills and hit at a high percentage and blocked really well against their tough outsides.
“Christian Lizana was very good as always in the back row, but it really was a team effort. You can’t beat anyone like that without a team effort.”
The win undoubtedly played no small role in the Rams’ third seed in districts.
“I hope we turned the corner with our performance and getting the win,” Childs said. “We were learning on the fly this season, and hopefully, this is a turning point for us.”
#15 Unionville at #2 Central Bucks West
Central Bucks West
- 14-2 SOL, 16-2 overall
- Continental Conference champions
- Lost first and last matches of season but won 16 in between.
- Highlight of the season was a win over Pennridge that snapped the Rams’ 75-match winning streak in the SOL.
Players to watch: Christian Rupert (Jr., Middle Hitter), 244 kills and 59.5 blocks; Mike Fehrs (Sr., Outside Hitter), 215 kills, 48 aces, 158 digs; Matt Hennigan (Sr., Setter), 626 assists, 29 aces, 137 digs; Joel Klapper (Jr., Outside Hitter), 150 kills, 133 digs; Jeff Strasburg (Jr., Libero) 157 digs
Coach Todd Miller says: “Having won the Continental Conference, CB West is looking forward to two home playoff matches. With two wins, we would qualify for the PIAA playoffs and have an opportunity to compete for the District One crown.”
#14 Haverford at #3 Pennridge
Pennridge
- 13-3 SOL, 13-3 overall
- Tied for second in Continental Conference with North Penn
- Highlights included a 3-2 win over conference champion Central Bucks West in regular season finale
- Opened season with seven-match winning streak that was snapped by CB West
Players to watch: Christian Lizana has had an outstanding season so far. The senior captain leads the team with 224 digs. Mike Bollinger is leading the team with a .442 hitting percentage. When healthy, Mike is one of the best middles in the area. Alex Vellner has emerged as one of our top offensive options in the last few weeks. Alex has 94 kills and is hitting .336 on the season.
Coach Dave Childs says: “We would like to qualify for state playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Our goal at Pennridge is always to win a district championship.”
#13 Central Bucks South at #4 Neshaminy
Neshaminy
- 8-3 SOL, 11-3 overall
- Highlights of the season included wins over Council Rock North (3-0) and Christopher Dock (3-1)
Central Bucks South
- 4-12, SOL, 5-13 overall
- Won five matches after an 0-18 season last year.
Players to watch: Aleck Mayhew (Middle Blocker), Steve Huh (Outside Hitter), Keith Mecutchen (Opposite Hitter), Kyle Zaluski (Libero)
Coach Frank Sharp says: “With this being CB South’s first shot at the playoffs under the current coaching staff, there are many things to endure, especially against a solid Neshaminy team. If we can manage the playoff environment and make smart decisions on the court, we hope to make some waves in the District One Tournament.”
#12 Cheltenham at #5 North Penn
North Penn
- 13-3 SOL, 14-3 overall
- Tied for second with Pennridge in Continental Conference
- Highlights included a second place finish at the Quakertown Tournament, a 3-2 win over Central Bucks West in its season opener and sweeps of both Central Bucks East and Souderton.
Cheltenham
- 4-12 SOL, 10-12 overall
- Winners of seven of nine matches to close out the season after winning just two matches all of last season.
Players to watch: Brett Mayne, Brandon Smith, Joe Woodson, Mike Lee, Donald Le
#11 William Tennent at #6 Council Rock North
Council Rock North
- 9-3 SOL, 10-4 overall
- Defeated Tennent twice during regular season (3-0, 3-1)
- Highlights of the season included a second place finish at the Christopher Dock Tournament and a late-season 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Neshaminy
William Tennent
- 6-6 SOL, 7-8 overall
- Dropped a pair of matches to CR North during regular season
- Extended seventh-seeded Christopher Dock to five games in season finale.
#9 Souderton at #8 Central Bucks East
Central Bucks East
- 10-6 overall, 11-6 SOL
- Tied with Souderton for fourth place team in SOL Continental Conference
- Split with Souderton in regular season, defeating the Indians 3-0 in a late-season match
- Highlights of the season were a 3-2 win over Pennridge and winning Red Rover Tournament in Easton.
Players to watch: Our Seniors: Middle Hitter Nick Bennett is once again one of the best players in the state. He will be playing for D1 St. Francis next year. Two time all-league selection Mike Donovan, who is playing libero again this year after filling in for us last season as an outside hitter due to injuries, has proven to be one of the best defensive players in our district, and setter Kyle Dolf has been voted all-league honors for the last two seasons and has proven again this season to be one of the area's best setters. Trevor Clemens has become one of our biggest threats at the net this year and picks up everything in the back row. Middle Hitter Steve Caucci, after missing all last season with an injury, is back and better than ever. He is a very quick hitter in the middle and an outstanding blocker. This season we have had a huge lift from Outside Hitter Henry Mallison who has been strong both at the net and on defense. Sophomore defensive specialist Colby Tallia has been playing fantastic defense and provided stability for us on serve receive, and we're looking forward to having opposite Zack Davis back for Tuesday's match after missing the previous two matches with Souderton. We also will be relying on Tim Haus and Brian Damone to be able to provide a spark off the bench. The first time we played Souderton, Kris Pisacane did a great job filling in for Zack, and the second time we played them Jarred Minschwaner had a great match in the starting role, so I will feel comfortable bringing either guy in when needed. Setter Jake Staub and Middle Matt White round out a very strong groups of players we are able to use coming off the bench.
Coach Rob Minschwaner says: “Getting a home match in the districts is huge for East. We are playing a great team, Souderton, who we lost to early in the season at their place and who we were able to beat later in the season at home. Our fans are the best in the league, so playing at home will give us a terrific advantage. Our goal heading into districts remains the same as it has all season. We want to advance to the states. We have played and beaten some of the best teams in the state already, so we know we are capable as long as we remain focused and disciplined.”
Souderton
- 10-6 SOL, 10-8 overall
- Split regular season matches with CB East, downing the Patriots 3-2 early in the season.
- Highlight of the season was a 3-2 win over Pennridge.
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