PIAA Volleyball: Garnet Valley, Sacred Heart aim for spots in state title matches
Garnet Valley’s volleyball team isn’t accustomed to being the underdog. The Jaguars have only been in that situation twice before this season, in both of their matches with Unionville.
The Jaguars (24-1) split those meetings, falling 3-2 in the regular season and beating the Longhorns by the same score in the District 1 Class 4A volleyball final two weeks ago. They will be the underdog again when they take on undefeated District 11 champ Parkland (25-0) in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals Tuesday (7 p.m.) at Upper Dublin High School.
That’s just fine with Garnet Valley coach Mark Clark, whose team is making its fourth trip to the state semifinals in the last seven seasons and first since 2018. It’s also the Jaguars’ first meeting with Parkland since beating the Trojans, 3-2, for the Class 4A title in 2016.
“In order to be the best you have to beat the best,” Clark said.
The Trojans are ranked No. 1 in the state by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association and for good reason. Parkland has lost just one set and that came in a 3-1 victory over Bethlehem Catholic back on Oct. 18. Parkland’s only loss last season was to North Allegheny in the state final.
“They’re solid,” Clark said. “They have very good outside hitters. They’ll move the ball around and hit from outside and the middles, so they’re not afraid to swing, but their main hitters are on the outside.”
Clark was referring to senior Ava Adamson and junior Allie Reimer, who have 341 and 242 kills, respectively, according to Maxpreps.com. Senior middle hitter Elena Pursell is tough, too, with 305 kills. Junior setter Maggie Smith sets the attack in motion with 1,025 assists.
Garnet Valley is also on a roll. The Jaguars, ranked third by the PVCA, have won 19 in a row since that loss to Unionville on Sept. 9. The only two sets they dropped in that span were to the Longhorns in the district final.
“We’re playing well,” Clark said. “If we play our game, I think we can beat anybody. There’s no doubt in my mind about that, but this is going to be our biggest challenge. Unionville was formidable and you saw what happened to them. They lost in five to Pine-Richland, which won District 7 and District 7 is no slouch. I think it’s going to be a good match. It’ll be tough, but I think we’re ready for it.”
Senior setter Maddie Wood, the reigning Daily Times Player of the Year, and her sister Sarah, a freshman outside hitter, have received much of the attention but Garnet Valley has received contributions from throughout the lineup. Seniors Kelly St. Germain, Sarah Weins, Klaira Zakarian and Abby Hendrixson, and sophomore Isabella Tront have been solid up front. Seniors Abby Houpt, Madison Snelgrove and Morgan Murray have been strong in the back line.
The winner if this semifinal takes on the winner of a match between defending state champion North Allegheny and Pine-Richland, the second- and fourth-ranked teams in the state, in Saturday’s state semi at Cumberland Valley High School.
“It’s been a dream, because in eighth grade I was watching Shanahan vs. Garnet Valley, those big girls,” Weins said after Garnet Valley’s quarterfinal victory over Lower Merion. “I knew all of them. And I watched that and I never thought in a million years this could be us. But being a senior and from freshman year, everyone telling us how good we could be and us achieving that goal has been nothing short of incredible. And this journey with this team has been amazing, and it’s been an honor to lead it. I feel like it’s been unreal. I feel like if we play good, we can go all the way, and I have full faith in my team.”
PIAA Class A semifinals
The top two teams in the PVCA Class A poll, Sacred Heart Academy and West Branch, square off at Hazleton High School for a berth in Saturday’s final at Cumberland Valley High.
The No. 1-ranked Lions (19-7) received some good news, as senior setter Annie Corcoran practiced on Monday. She missed Sacred Heart’s 3-1 victory over Lititz Christian in the quarterfinals.
All-Delco Emily McKenna moved from outside hitter to setter and filled in nicely with 39 assists. Fellow senior Macie Moresco came up huge with 16 digs, 15 kills and 13 aces. Her serving in the final three sets turned the tide in the Lions’ favor. She was on the service line for 29 total points, 25 in the last three sets. Senior outside hitter Elizabeth Cuskey pitched in with 14 kills.
The District 6 champion Warriors (22-0) are a formidable foe. They’re ranked second in the state by the PVCA and have dropped just six sets this season. All came in five-set victories over Central Mountain, Bald Eagle and Homer Center.
Junior middle blocker Katrina Cowder paces the attack with 345 kills. Junior outside hitter Marley Croyle had 256 kills and 120 digs. Junior setter Brooklyn Myers has dished out 617 assists and senior libero Savannah Hoover leads the defense with 161 digs.
The winner gets the winner of the other semifinal between District 9 champ Oswayo Valley (24-0) and District 10 titlist Maplewood (21-3).
