GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Spring-Ford 3, Delaware Valley 0: Spring-Ford’s postseason-long hot streak continued in the opening round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament on Tuesday with a three-set win on the road at District 2 champion Delaware Valley.
Spring-Ford won by set scores of 25-19, 25-22, 25-15. The District 1 third-place team improved to 21-7 this year.
Spring-Ford’s first trip to the state championships continues Saturday when it has a rematch with District 1 champion Unionville at a site and time to be determined. The teams met last week in the District 1 semifinals, won by the Longhorns in four sets.
Pope John Paul II 3, Engineering and Sciences 0: The defending PIAA champions cruised in the opening round of the PIAA 3A tournament Tuesday at home over the District 12 runner-up. Set scores were 25-2, 25-7, 25-9.
Pope John Paul II improved to 25-0 and will take on District 3 champion Middletown – a three-set winner over Archbishop Carroll in the first round – on Saturday at a site and time to be determined.
Hempfield 3, Upper Merion 0: District 1 fifth-seed Upper Merion couldn’t keep pace with the undefeated District 3 champions in a season-ending loss, 25-16, 25-14, 25-16, in the first round of the PIAA 4A tournament.
Junior setter Raven Albrecht surpassed 1,000 career assists for Upper Merion during the match.
FIELD HOCKEY
The Boyertown field hockey team’s first foray in the state tournament since 1997 didn’t go according to plan as it suffered a season-ending defeat to District 2 champion Wyoming Valley West Tuesday night in the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A field hockey tournament.
The Bears, the No. 4 seed from District 1, struck first on a Kendal Gilbert penalty corner that led to Emily Ulrich getting Boyertown on the scoreboard, a lead that held into halftime.
Wyoming Valley West came to life in the third quarter by scoring its two goals in a five-minute span. WVW cashed in on their first penalty corner, Charlotte Yelen’s insert to sister Olivia Yelen resulting in a shot and score.
The game-winner at the 5:17 mark of the third quarter had a similar setup, this time with Riley Dwyer getting a tip-in of Olivia Yelen’s shot.
The Bears racked up penalty corner attempts down the stretch but couldn’t find the equalizer.
Boyertown finished its season 18-7 after reaching the finals of the Pioneer Athletic Conference tournament and reaching the District 1 semifinals to earn a berth in states for the first time in 26 years.
The start of the game was delayed by 1:45 due to a bus malfunction that delayed Boyertown’s arrival to Plymouth.
Boyertown’s senior players include Hannah Ulrich, Mary Maloney, Grace Heacock, Taylor Havrilla, Ashley Andrews and Stephanie Andrews.
