Bad weather forces postponement of Sacred Heart-West Branch
Top-ranked Sacred Heart was supposed to take on No. 2 West Branch in the semifinals of the PIAA Class A volleyball tournament Tuesday night.
The Lions made it to Hazelton High School, site of the contest. The Warriors did not due to travel issues connected to snow that blanketed the Central and Northeastern parts of the state, according to Sacred Heart coach Sam Moyerman, and the match was postponed.
Moyerman was still on his way to Hazleton when he learned of the postponement around 4:40 p.m. The match was scheduled to start at 6 p.m. The PIAA postponed the field hockey and soccer semifinals much earlier in the day because of the weather.
“I wish they had told us sooner,” Sam Moyerman said.
Sacred Heart never made it into the gym. The bus turned around and went home once it learned of the postponement, Moyerman said. West Branch was stuck on Interstate-80, according to Moyerman.
Originally, the match was rescheduled for Thursday, according to Moyerman, but will be Wednesday at Hazleton (6 p.m.).
“We were hoping for Thursday because we were on a bus for four hours and I was told West Branch was still on a bus,” Moyerman said. “I don’t know why they think that it’s a good idea to make these kids turn around and do that again tomorrow. It’s just a lot.”
One consolation prize for the Lions (19-7) is that the delay gives senior setter Annie Corcoran an extra day to heal. She missed Sacred Heart’s 3-1 victory over Lititz Christian in the quarterfinals with an unspecified injury.
“Yeah, one more day can’t hurt in that regard,” Moyerman said.
The Lions are vying for their second straight trip to the state final.
This is West Branch’s first trip to the state tournament since 2014 and first appearance in the semifinals in program history.
The District 6 champion Warriors (22-0) are a formidable foe. They’ve 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 District 10 champ Maplewood, a 3-0 winner over District 9 champ Oswayo Valley, in Saturday’s final at Cumberland Valley High School (10:30 a.m.).
