Strong serving lifts Pope John Paul II girls volleyball over Methacton in battle of undefeateds
FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> Pope John Paul II has been a giant, but on the road at Methacton, it was a clash of the titans.
Both girls volleyball squads entered Monday’s PAC crossover matchup with undefeated records and plenty of momentum roughly midway through September. In a massive tilt between the two, the Golden Panthers took it in straight sets (25-19, 25-15, 25-16).
The win for Pope John Paul II (5-0) avenged a regular season loss from Methacton (5-1) the year prior. With a goose egg remaining in the L column to kick off the week, the Golden Panthers are beginning to catch fire early in the 2022 campaign.
“It was a big game for us because last year, we lost to this team so we really wanted to come out on top,” outside hitter Hutton Cordrey said. “I thought we played really well, our serving was really tough and our defense was on point.”
FINAL — Pope John Paul II 3, Methacton 0
Pope John Paul takes it in straight sets after winning the third, 25-16 to remain undefeated. pic.twitter.com/Z8SzSeACpR
— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) September 12, 2022
The 41 service points unleashed by Pope John Paul II would back that up. Gabriella Cooper accounted for 10 of them while Grace Cooper, Madison Monahan and Cordrey had eight each. Monahan put up 29 assists on the night.
Behind their strong serving, the Golden Panthers trailed just once for a brief moment after the Warriors took the opening point in the third before the equalizer.
“We can serve tough and receive tough serves and control them. When we’re in our system, we’re pretty tough,” Pope John Paul II coach Ryan Sell said. “I thought we did a really nice job of keeping them out-of-system so they were just throwing balls to the outside and we were able to get there and be ready for any kind of shot.”
Both teams were trading blows in the third set, the Golden Panthers doing just enough to stay afloat. Tied 6-6, Cordrey — who had a game-high 15 digs — made a kill to retake the lead before Pope John Paul II added another two scores.
Methacton once again tied it at nine points apiece before the Golden Panthers pulled away with a six-point run.
“They all have a lot of volleyball experience, so they all know how to play hard and they know what it takes to win,” Warriors coach Alex Notaristefano said. “Even when we’re not at our best, there’s never a lack of effort on our side. They know how to go get after the ball.”
This third set is getting wild.
PJP is doing just enough to stay afloat, Methacton not allowing this one to get out of hand like the previous set.
Golden Panthers retake the lead, 10-9. pic.twitter.com/JJP4CwrF1A
— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) September 12, 2022
Pope John Paul II remained largely in control during the second set after an early five-point run. Natalie Ricevuto and Maeve Francis Gallagher paced the Golden Panthers’ attack with nine kills apiece. Cordrey was right in the mix with eight kills of her own.
“I thought we were all in the right spots,” Cordrey said. “Everyone was talking, communicating and just good teamwork.”
Following a 6-1 start in the opening set, Pope John Paul II watched its lead shrink midway through after trading scores and a pair of two-point bursts from Methacton. An eight-point run — the largest of the night — allowed the Golden Panthers to claw their way ahead.
Kayla Ginther registered seven spikes for the Warriors while Mandy Baldwin and Makayla Batten added five. Jacquie Rizzuto and Rachel Pettine were also a force at the net with four and three spikes respectively.
“I think they have the belief in themselves and I have the belief in them that regardless of what the score is, we’re going to be able to score some points,” Notaristefano said. “Just trying to string those together within those two games were really important.
“A lot of talent on the other side, I don’t want to take anything away from Pope John Paul. They’re a good team and forced us into some difficult situations tonight and we fought with them. I was proud of the way we played.”
