Pennridge outlasts Unionville in District 1-3A quarterfinals

EAST ROCKHILL >> For Pennridge, the postseason arrived in the form of a relentless Unionville squad that never let up.

“We knew Unionville was gonna be a tough team coming in,” said the Rams’ outstanding outside hitter, Ryan Benscoter said. “It was a tough match, a great match. We somehow squeaked it out.”

The Rams battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to ultimately win 3-2 in a back-and-forth District 1-3A Quarterfinal Match at Pennridge.

The victory sends the Rams to Tuesday’s semifinals, and a matchup with either No. 1 Council Rock North or No. 9 Abington.

The Rams went the distance on Thursday, holding on 23-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-21, 16-14 to push on in the postseason.

Hearts were pounding but the Rams never lost their cool.

“No matter what has happened this year, we’ve been there before,” Benscoter said. “We really have a lot of confidence in ourselves coming from behind.”

Benscoter’s big service run was key for the Rams in the fifth and deciding game. Pennridge build an 11-3 lead before No. 5 Unionville came back to make it tight. But the fourth-seeded rams saw their way through, earning the program its 12th consecutive trip to the district’s final four.

Riley Kodidek (42 assists, two blocks), Dan Detweiler (12 digs), Bryce Muller (five kills, three aces), Tyler Johnson (five kills, four blocks), Thomas McKinney (six kills, eight digs) and Skyler Ammon (three kills, five aces) all made significant contributions for Pennridge.

“It was a big thing for us to lift ourselves up and get a win against a really good team,” Benscoter said. “Throughout the whole run, the big thing was that we have a lot of confidence in ourselves. Throughout every set, we had a lot of confidence that we could turn it around. That’s really what got us to the end point of winning.”

The Rams closed out the fourth set well and that momentum spilled into the fifth.

But another Unionville comeback was on the way.

“They played well. They dug the ball. They hit the ball real well. They had a heck of a team,” Rams coach Dave Childs said. “This is what a four and five matchup should be. It’s a great way to open the playoffs. It was a real test.”

Of the deciding fifth game, Childs said the key was “not trying to do anything different. We were playing loose and staying focused. We did that pretty well there.”

Benscoter (32 kills, seven aces) continues to be an imposing force for the Rams.

“That’s definitely something that separates us, and I think it’s up to our role players to step up and do their job,” Childs said. “Everyone sees the big kills but it’s so much more than that that a good team needs to win.

“It’s all the little things that don’t get seen on the stat sheet that we have to do better at.”

For Unionville, it was a tough loss but a big step.

“Our boys battled and left everything out there,” coach Drew Moister said. “I’m proud of how we played. We’re still a young program so we’re still building. We’re getting there. We were ready for it, and as expected, it was a good one.”