Perkiomen Valley wins in straight sets over Plymouth-Whitemarsh in District 1-AAA opener
GRATERFORD — After trailing 12-5 early in their first set against No. 22 Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the District 1-AAA playoffs first round Monday evening at Perkiomen Valley, the Vikings knew they needed to shake off the jitters that come with competing in the postseason.
And No. 11 Perkiomen Valley did just that, as the Vikings gained their composure and never looked back, sweeping the Colonials 3-0 to advance to the second round of the Class AAA playoffs.
“We got our positions mixed up early in the first set, and that was on me,’ Perkiomen Valley head coach Chang Han said. “We definitely had a rough start in the beginning, but once the team got into a groove, we took care of business the rest of the way.’
The Vikings (6-3, 12-5) undoubtedly took care of business, winning the sets by scores of 27-25, 25-6 and 25-15, respectively. With the win, PV will travel to No. 6 West Chester Henderson Thursday for its second round match.
After trailing 7-5 in the first game, the Vikings went on a seven-point swing under the service of junior Carli Monostra which included a beautiful kill by junior Cayla Veverka assisted by Ellie Min.
Veverka finished with 11 kills, eight digs and two assists, while senior Jennifer Maurer had six kills, three digs and a block.
Perkiomen Valley closed out the first set with Emilia Leyes’ spike.
“We had a slow start in the first game and definitely needed to shake off the nerves,’ said Veverka who had three kills in the first set. “Once we got settled, we came out and played our game the rest of the way. It felt great.’
According to Maurer, the Vikings’ performance toward the end of the first set and the final two sets is a testament to how hard the Vikings have worked all season.
“We communicated really well tonight and I think that’s why we did so well,’ she said. “All season, we’ve been working on our communication skills. Our team has been working really hard this year, and I think tonight showed it.’
The Vikings never trailed in the second game, leading 16-2 late in the set as Veverka added six kills to go along with three from Maurer. Adrianna Lattanzi added six digs and an ace in the set.
“By the time the second game came around, we really had it working,’ said Lattanzi who totaled eight digs, two aces and a kill in the match. “We were talking and returning the ball really well. It was a great all-around performance for us.’
In the final set, the Vikings jumped out to a 12-5 lead, capped off by a five-point run under the service of Veverka.
According to Han, Veverka played a huge role in the match, something she has done all season.
“Cayla is a leader on the court, she’s always been that way,’ said Han. “She’s one of the best outside hitters in the district, so I’m really glad she’s on our side of the net. She played really well for us tonight.’
Plymouth-Whitemarsh (9-6, 13-8) began to put together a threat, but under the service of Min, the Vikings went on a four-point run to put the Colonials away, 25-15, and ensure the 3-0 sweep.
After having lost in the first round to Garnet Valley last year, Veverka and her Vikings teammates knew they couldn’t take anything for granted this time around.
“It’s a really good feeling to go out and sweep a team, especially after being bounced in the first round last season,’ said Veverka. “As a team, I feel like we’re still progressing and getting better each day, which can make us dangerous. We definitely want to go out and keep winning the rest of the way.’
According to Han, the win will definitely be a confidence-booster for the Vikings as they move to the second round Wednesday.
“We’re looking forward to our next opponent,’ he said. “Right now, I really like the way our team is playing. I have a lot of confidence in the girls if they can continue to play the way we did tonight.’
