Loading your audio article
EAST ROCKHILL — No muss, no fuss.
The second-seeded Pennridge Rams moved on with barely a hitch, dispatching No. 7 Council Rock North 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-18) in the District 1 Class 3A quarterfinals in front of a strong home crowd Thursday night.
With the victory, Pennridge (16-1) advanced to Tuesday’s 5 p.m. semifinal at William Tennent High School against No. 6 Unionville, which knocked off third-seeded Haverford 3-0 on Thursday.
“We were all focused,” said sophomore Logan Jalosinski, who finished with six kills and six digs. “With Jude Rotondo coming back, we all knew we had a shot to win states now. It was always the plan to come out and win 3-0. We have a great staff and a great team, and we’re always willing to fight for each other. We put our bodies on the line for each other.”
Rotondo, who had been out for two months with an ankle injury, had 11 kills and six digs. Senior Evan Jalosinski set the table for Pennridge with 37 assists and also had eight digs. Bryce Ammon had 14 kills and four digs, Aaron Ladd had seven kills and two blocks, Chris Cullen added six kills and 3 blocks, and Ethan Vo dug eight balls.
“It’s good to jump on them early, like we did,” Pennridge coach Dave Childs said. “It’s just great to see us come out focused, ready for a playoff game, and it was a great atmosphere here.
“It was Jude’s first game back, so we were still figuring things out, but it was great to see him on the court and see how the team responded,” Childs said. “I like how we played tonight, but I know we’ll have a tough match on Tuesday.”
Pennridge led the Indians nearly wire-to-wire in every set, and seemed to be firmly in control even in the middle stages when point margins were close.
The Rams, who reached the district final a year ago, were clearly the superior squad in every phase, with their experience and versatility on display all evening.
“We think we’re the best hitting team in the state,” Logan Jalosinski said. “We think we’re the best serving team in the state. Our only downside, a little bit, is defense, but we still can be amazing at that. As long as we have our head on right, we’re going to win this all.”
Top-seeded Pennsbury will face No. 4 Bensalem in Tuesday’s other semifinal at Tennent, at 7 p.m.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
