Streak Snapped
CLARION — The Knoch girls volleyball team's run is over.
District 10 champion Warren put an abrupt end to the Knights' 48-game winning streak and, more importantly, Knoch's bid for back-to-back state championships with a 3-1 victory in Tuesday's PIAA Class 3A semifinal at Clarion High School.
The Dragons (21-0) advanced by scores of 25-20, 25-22, 19-25 and 25-22.
“They were pretty much what we expected,” said Knoch coach Diane Geist of the Dragons. “Maybe a couple of their servers were a little better and they passed better than we thought they would.”
The Knights (24-1) had trouble containing Warren's Ellie Lobdell and Lydia Latimer the entire match.
The right-side hitter and middle hitter, respectively, totaled 16 and 15 kills to lead the Dragons' attack. Following Knoch's win in the third set, the duo helped finish things off in the fourth.
Warren built a 12-6 edge in that set and, though the Knights closed the gap to just one point on several occasions, Knoch never did earn a lead.
Two kills and a block from Lobdell over three separate possessions helped push Warren's lead to 23-19.
With the score 24-21, Kennedy Christy tallied a kill to bring the serve back to the Knights, but Latimer, a Cleveland State recruit, dropped a kill to end the match and the Knights' season.
Senior outside hitter Celia Chase added 10 kills for Warren.
“Warren is a quick team and they have a lot of weapons,” said Geist. “You don't know where they are going with their attack and our blocking wasn't where it needed to be.”
The Dragons put Knoch in a very unfamiliar hole by grabbing the first two sets.
After being tied several times early, the first set tilted Warren's way thanks to effective offensive play at the net and a defense that had a lot to do with the Knights not scoring more than three straight points.
Warren had a 19-12 lead and closed out the set with the help of hitting errors from the Knights.
While the second set proved closer, the Dragons scored the final three points to take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Warren coach Mike Dolan was pleased with how his team came out against the defending state champion.
“We knew how good Knoch was, but our girls were confident,” he said. “We had a tough match in the District 10 final against Conneaut and the girls have kept the intensity up since then. We played great defense and for us to do that against a great team, it says a lot.”
Facing elimination, the Knights responded with an impressive effort in the third set. Kills from Christy and Hannah Rowe gave Knoch a cushion it would not give up.
Skylar Burkett's late kill, followed by one from Christy, and a block from Rowe, aided the victory.
“I liked how we performed in the third set,” Geist said. “We didn't quit, but Warren's setter (Alexis Nyquist) had a lot of options and she used them well tonight.”
Christy paced Knoch with 13 kills while Rowe tallied 11 kills, four aces and three blocks.
Though disappointed in the outcome, Geist was able to put things in perspective for a program that went 48-1 over the last two seasons, winning two WPIAL titles and a state championship.
“We lost some key players from last year's team to graduation,” she said. “I wasn't expecting to get this far, but we just kept winning. I am proud of the girls.”
