Central Bucks South initially won the first set but fell behind North Penn by seven points during a certain period in the second set.
Then, things changed.
As North Penn approached tying the match, South gradually reduced the deficit. With some important kills and strong serving later on, the Titans managed to win 26-24. This comeback set the stage for a 3-0 home victory (25-16, 26-24, 25-18) over North Penn on Monday night.
According to South's senior outside-hitter Ben Grove, who had 17 kills and made key serves, the second set was crucial not only for the game but also for the rest of the season. He mentioned the team's challenges due to the loss of their main setter, Josh Connolly. However, Grove believes that the team displayed their ability to regroup and perform well.
Grove added, “But I think tonight, after stumbling in that second set, we were able to get back up and show Suburban One and the rest of the district that we can really bring ourselves back together.”
Gavin Roth provided 30 assists for CB South (2-4, 2-3 SOL), and the team demonstrated a balanced effort with strong play from its middles.
South coach Dave Schlosser explained, “I completely rotated the lineup around and put them in a position we were unfamiliar with. Sometimes changing the matchups is good, sometimes it’s not, and that time it was not. But we ended up prevailing and winning that second set.
Schlosser also mentioned, “(North Penn) hung tough in that set, dug a lot of balls, passed better,” he said. “Good on North Penn, but thankfully we came through. … We had been working on closing out games.”
The Titans — who barely missed the playoffs last year — rolled to a 12-4 lead in the third set before North Penn (1-7, 1-6 SOL) was able to find a little bit of footing. But the Knights, a squad that entered the season without the experience of some other clubs, couldn’t quite close the gap.
North Penn coach Zheng Huang stated, “I think in the second set, we did a really good job with our service and our defense, and our libero and outside hitters did a good job. We have a very young team in terms of experience. A lot of the guys are just in their first year playing varsity. I’m really proud of our seniors for taking on leadership roles, and we have some really impressive juniors coming up.”
Junior outside hitter Max Reilly finished with 10 kills and 11 digs. Junior middle blocker Jack Woodland had 6 kills and a block. Sophomore opposite Kyle Park added five kills and three digs. Senior setter Aaron Birkmire led the Knights with 14 assists, and ace and two digs. Junior setter Daniel Oh finished with nine assists and an ace.
As for North Penn, Schlosser sees a shift in his players.
He added, “Our middles have really been playing incredibly. I don’t think we’re using them enough. Brody Cocca and Will Nothum have been doing a great job in the middle, and that has really been key for us.
“I believe our team has gained a deeper understanding of volleyball than they realize. Sometimes we have focused more on learning and improving our skills rather than on winning, so now we are able to concentrate on winning.”
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranco.
