Council Rock North holds off Lansdale Catholic in 4
LANSDALE >> Playing in an atmosphere that Council Rock North coach Greg Marchetti said was the best his team has competed in all season, the Indians battled to a 3-1 win over Lansdale Catholic in a non-league contest Wednesday night.
With LC’s gym rocking from start to finish, the Crusaders gave the Indians just about all they could handle, winning Game Two and pushing Game Four to the brink.
“They really played well as a team and collaborated and scrapped,” LC coach Kathy Arnow said of her squad. “(Rock) is a fantastic team. I just said to them (in the post-game handshakes), ‘make a great run in states.’ I have a lot of respect for a team that can execute like that, and we gave it to them as best we could.”
J.T. Parker hit the floor for a team-high 27 digs for the Crusaders (8-3), who took Game Two in dramatic fashion, 26-24.
“It was a great battle,” Arnow said. “We dug amazing — J.T. was touching almost every single ball. Our serve receive was very strong.
“We have not faced (a team like this) before this year,” Arnow said of the first ever matchup between the two programs. “It’s the first time we’ve seen this level of play.”
The Crusaders very nearly pushed the match to a decisive fifth game. With Game Four deadlocked at 23 apiece, the Indians (10-1) scored the final two points to prevail 25-23.
Rock North, led by a monster effort by Jason Yakimiv (14 kills, 15 digs, three blocks, two aces), won Game One 25-12 and Game Three 25-13 before rallying to finish it off in four.
“LC is a very up-and-coming program and we were really happy that they wanted to schedule us,” Marchetti said. “This gym is awesome. Games Two and Four were back and forth, kind of a coin flip game either way, and I think we were just a little bit more aggressive on the serving line (in Game Four).”
Rock North is back on the court Thursday night, at home against Neshaminy, and LC is at Cardinal O’Hara on Friday evening.
“We go out with our heads held high,” said Arnow, “and go for the PCL (title).”
