Seneca Valley outclasses arch rival Butler in match sweep
JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley was in control over the first two sets in a Section 1-4A girls volleyball matchup with Butler Tuesday night.
What really stood out to Raiders coach Brett Poirer, though, was the manner in which his team responded when down late in the third. The come-from-behind effort in that portion of the match closed the book on a home sweep over the Golden Tornado.
“I put in a couple subs and they pulled their weight, which was good to see,” he said. “We had to make some adjustments and obviously it worked out.”
The scores of the match were 25-18, 25-16, and 25-23.
During SV’s win at the Westminster (Md.) Tournament over the weekend, senior libero Alex Krzan hurt her ankle, an injury that will keep her out of action for a week or two. Junior Kara Pasquale took over in her stead.
Juniors Katie Craig and Emmy Fisher were switched in on the left and right sides, respectively. Following a pair of missed opportunities by the guests, the latter’s block knotted matters up at 21 and erased her team’s third three-point deficit of the game.
The Raiders (4-0) finished the match on a 7-2 run, capped off by senior Brooke Pelloni’s spike.
Despite her crew suffering its first loss of the season, Golden Tornado coach Meghan Lucas was pleased with how her team performed during the third set. This after the hosts never trailed in the initial game and Butler held an advantage for only two serves in the second.
“I liked what I saw at the end there (and) I’m happy that we improved with each set,” Lucas said. “I look forward to keep working at it to meet them again.”
The Golden Tornado (4-1) made substitutions throughout the game, as the group is cementing its identity.
“We’re still kind of tinkering with things,” Lucas said. “We have a really competitive practice gym, where kids are pushing each other to see who wants to be on the court.”
Sophomore Audrey Lehman had seven kills, six blocks, and seven digs for the visitors. Freshman Brynn Cornibe and junior Hannah Fertig chipped in with six kills each.
The Raiders also won the 11-team Canon-McMillan Tournament to kick off the season. With a solid start of its own, Butler aims to make it to the postseason. The teams will play again on Oct. 4.
“A lot of these girls play club together and they’re all friends and it’s good to see,” Poirer said. “They played really good tonight.”
SV will be home again on Thursday, facing off against non-section opponent Shaler. The Golden Tornado is slated to pay a visit to Pine-Richland that same night.
