Council Rock North boys volleyball rallies to oust Souderton from districts
NEWTOWN – Except in their two league pairings against Suburban One National League champion Pennsbury, Council Rock North (15-2) did not trail in a boys volleyball match all season long.
Yet, here the No. 2 seeded Indians were trailing seventh-seeded Souderton (12-8) two games to none in a District 1 Class AAA quarterfinal pairing Thursday night on the Rock’s home court.
Credit Rock North with its biggest comeback of the season as Newtown’s Indians toppled their Montgomery County foes in three straight sets to advance to a semifinal date Tuesday, May 23 against sixth-seeded Pennridge.
Nick Baniewicz led the Rock with 38 assists and five kills, Harry Wyatt added 16 kills, 12 digs and an ace and Jack Gunshenan chipped in with 13 kills, six digs and a pair of aces.
Pennridge is a familiar foe for the Indians as the two schools have met in the last two District 1 finals won by the Rams.
The only two losses for Rock North have come against top-seeded Pennsbury, which swept No. 8 seed Neshaminy for the third time this season Thursday night in its own quarterfinal.
The Falcons advanced to the D-1 semifinals face No. 5 seed CB East, which upset fourth-seeded Avon Grove in a 3-0 sweep. For the Patriots, which defeated Bensalem in a first-round matchup, this is their first time making it into districts in two decades.
Pennsbury lost to Pennridge in last year’s district semifinals then came back to beat CB West 3-2 to secure third place heading into states. Both the Falcons and the Indians fell in the first round of states last year.
TOP PHOTO: Nick Baniewicz (14) and Will Hewitt (32) block shot at the net for Council Rock North, which rallied from a 2-0 deficit to eliminate Souderton from the District 1-AAA quarterfinals May 18 at CR North, Newtown, Pa. (John Gleeson – 21st-Century Media)
District 1-AAA Boys Volleyball Quarterfinal
Council Rock North 3, Souderton 2
(May 18 at CR North)
SOUDERTON 25 25 16 21 14 – 2
CR NORTH 20 18 25 25 16 – 3
