PIAA boys volleyball: State College pulls away from young, but proud Seneca Valley in first round
STATE COLLEGE — Seneca Valley boys volleyball saw its season come to an end Tuesday, but head coach Brett Poirier still had reason to smile after his team dropped a 3-1 PIAA Class 3A first-round decision to host State College.
The Raiders were on the verge of falling behind two sets to none when they reeled off a 16-3 run to tie the District 6 champion Little Lions at one set apiece.
State College (11-4) scored the most crucial points afterward to claim victory by scores of 31-29, 23-25, 30-28 and 25-21.
The Lions called a timeout late in the second set after the Raiders had taken a one-point lead following a 20-9 deficit.
“I told our guys that this was anyone’s game. We just had to fight,” Poirier said. “And we fought today. We have just one senior (outside hitter Malachi DeGraaf), and I’m proud of the way our guys played. The future is bright.”
SV (14-6) had leads in the crucial third set of 26-25, 27-26 and 28-27, but could not close the deal.
A service error and kills from the Lions’ Max Henning and Micah James knotted the score each time.
Finally, a block from Kyle Coleman put SC up two sets to one.
Coleman and James combined for nine kills in the fourth set as the Lions closed the match. James, a sophomore middle, finished with 13 kills.
“He’s a big-time basketball player who happens to play volleyball,” State College coach Larry Campbell said. “He can touch (11 feet, 6 inches). You can’t coach that.”
Senior setter Derrick Campbell was also a major presence at the net with 11 kills for the Lions.
“He was the difference,” Poirier said. “He’s very good, controlled things for much of the match. We tried to play around him as much as we could.
“Seeing them in person, they’re a better team than what they appeared to be on tape. At the end, we just looked very tired.”
SV built a 19-12 lead in the first set, as DeGraaf’s kills — he had 16 on the day — and multiple blocks from Thomas Quinlan and Mac Wilson had the Raiders on a roll.
Six straight points from the Lions, however, got them back in it before back-to-back hitting errors ended the marathon in State College’s favor.
“I watched probably 50 hours of film on (the Raiders),” Larry Campbell said. “I knew where they were going with the ball, but they changed a few things up and took us out of our comfort zone.”
Wilson tallied seven blocks for SV. Gavin Gorajewski had nine kills and Quinlan eight.
The Lions also ended SV’s season in the PIAA first round in 2024. Last year, the Raiders fell to Central York in the opener.
“I really wanted to get past the first round,” said DeGraaf, whose high school career came to an end. “Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you fight, things don’t go your way.
“I’ve been playing volleyball for Seneca Valley since middle school. I love my teammates, and it’s been a blessing.”
State College will take on North Allegheny, a 3-0 winner over Central York, in a quarterfinal Saturday.
