North Penn holds off Upper Dublin’s rally for 5-game win

TOWAMENCIN >> Monday’s Suburban One League Continental Conference boys volleyball matchup between North Penn and Upper Dublin turned into a coin-flip type game, though through the first two sets it was not really looking that way.

After taking a 2-0 lead, North Penn had the look of a team poised to cruse to a 3-0 win, but the Cardinals fought back, taking the third and fourth games to force a fifth and deciding game. The Knights were eventually able to finish off the Cardinals, taking the game 15-12 for a 3-2 victory.

“It wasn’t a very well played match by either team,” North Penn coach Ryan Genova said. “Whenever one team would have an opportunity to pull ahead they’d biff it somehow. It was an ugly match. It wasn’t fun to watch, it wasn’t fun to coach, it wasn’t fun to play, it was just a grueling stick it out kind of (match).”

Given the way Upper Dublin dropped the second set, most teams likely would have folded, but the Cardinals punched back. After having a 26-25 and 27-26 lead in the second set, North Penn held off the Cardinals and took the set 29-27.

“I told the guys just keep fighting,” Upper Dublin coach Paul Choi said. “We knew that we started off a little slow and kind of shot ourselves in the foot.”

Coming a lengthy and devastating loss in the second game, Upper Dublin put together arguably its best set of the match, winning the third game 25-20. Upper Dublin proceeded to evened the match up at two games apiece as it scratched its way to 25-23 win the fourth.

A big key to the Cardinals comeback and ultimately keeping them in the game in general was outside hitter Evan Madden. Madden was the best player on court for either team and Upper Dublin was riding his shot as far as it would take them.

“Even Madden had an outstanding game today,” Choi said. “We look to him to bail us out a lot times but the whole game we were sticking together. I just gave him the green light. Whenever you see that ball make a smart decision and he stayed aggressive the whole time.”

While Genova did not feel either team played particularly sharp the Knights did close out the game and earned a league win to keep them in the middle of the SOL Continental while also realizing the importance of finishing off matches.

“We need to get a lot better,” Genova said. “We need to play three sets well, not just one and a half.”