GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL: Susquehannock edges York Suburban in York-Adams D-II showdown

GLEN ROCK – York-Adams Division II girls' volleyball powers York Suburban and Susquehannock finally squared off on Tuesday night.

It's the first of two regular-season division showdowns between the teams.

The wait was well worth it.

After flooding in Glen Rock forced the postponement of the first scheduled battle last month, the two division leaders went toe-to-toe on Tuesday. For the most part, the two squads looked like mirror images in terms of style, size and serving. The Warriors, however, were able to earn the key points at key moments.

The home team took the first two games against the Trojans before a bit of a slip-up in Game 3. After falling behind again in Game 4, the Warriors rallied behind setter Kelly Franz and outside hitter Laura Savin. Savin finished with 19 kills and 22 digs, while Franz dished out 43 assists to go with 16 digs, to lead Susquehannock to a 25-21, 25-22, 25-27, 25-23 victory.

Both teams entered with 7-0 marks in the division.

"They were excited," Susquehannock coach Darla Pennewill said. "The girls were eager to play."

Trojan coach Sonya Guyer, meanwhile, felt her team was a bit flat.

"We were flatter than I wanted them to be," Guyer said. "This match has been on everybody's radar for a really long time so I was hoping that they would rise up a little more to the occasion."

The Warriors were able to take advantage of the circumstances by claiming a pair of tight bouts in Game 1 and Game 2. The one-two combination of Savin and Gabee Ogude (10 kills, four blocks) played big in the key moments.

"We executed very well," Pennewill said. "We put the ball where it needed to be the majority of the time, and I think that kept us on a roll."

The visitors were able to stave off a sweep by winning Game 3. Facing a match point, the Trojans earned a side out before a fantastic play by Jordan Landis (12 kills, 14 digs) gave them the lead. Landis lunged at an errant pass near the net referee and knocked it over the net with her left hand for a kill. A few points later, the Trojans had new life.

Suburban then raced out to a 5-1 lead in Game 4, only to see the home team rebound with an 8-2 run. The Trojans rallied to within 24-23, but Ogude registered the final kill of the night to end the contest.

While the Warriors can rest peacefully, at least for a night, Guyer and her gang won't get too down. They know that they have a rematch looming in two weeks in their home gymnasium.

Ciara Buckingham led Suburban with 14 kills to go with 14 digs, while setter Georgia DuMars dished out 35 assists to go with five aces.

Filling in nicely: Suburban was missing starter Ali Reinecker, who was in the hospital recovering from heart surgery. The procedure to fix two holes in her heart was planned months in advance, so it was not unexpected.

What was unexpected, however, was how seamlessly a pair of junior varsity players stepped into her role.

"We played with two girls that hadn't really had varsity experience before," Guyer said. "We had Chey Buckingham and Erin McBride step in to fill her shoes. And the very first thing that we learned is that they are ready."

OTHER GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL

Northeastern 3, Eastern York 2: At Manchester, the Bobcats rallied from an 0-2 deficit against the Golden Knights, winning a dramatic five-game thriller, 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 15-8. Northeastern's Alivia Crerand finished with 31 assists and Abigail Braswell had 16 kills. Natalie Grim had 16 digs for Eastern and Liz Pyles passed for 19 assists.

Central York 3, South Western 0: At Hanover, the Panthers had little trouble with the Mustangs, dispatching them in straight games, 25-14, 25-14, 25-18. Emily Poole had a match-high 11 kills for Central, while Emma Saxton passed for a match-high 28 assists. South Western's Madisyn McMaster had a team-high five kills and her sister, Hannah McMaster, had a team-high 10 assists. Central improved to 8-0 in York-Adams Division I. The Mustangs won the JV match, 16-25, 25-13, 15-5.

West York 3, Gettysburg 0: At West York, the Bulldogs made quick work of the Warriors, sweeping the match, 25-12, 25-13, 25-13. Amanda Sides and Julia Rill each had 10 kills for West York, while Marisa Krinock had eight kills and five blocks. For Gettysburg, Emma Harvey had seven digs, while Myla Manahan came up with 11 assists. The Bulldogs also won the JV match, 25-18, 25-23.

Delone Catholic 3, York Catholic 0: At York Catholic, the Squirettes didn't lose more than 10 points in any game, sweeping the Irish, 25-9, 25-10, 25-9. Amber Johnson had 13 kills for Delone, while Katie Laughman had 33 assists. York Catholic got a seven-dig effort from Maddie Kepner, while Megan Daugherty finished with four assists. The Squirettes also won the JV match, 25-19, 25-12.

Hanover 3, York Tech 0: At Hanover, the Hawkettes swept the Spartans, 25-13, 25-11, 25-15. Hanover's Lexi Daley finished with 21 assists, while Saranda Gerlach and Alexa Merrel combined for 15 kills. Tech's D'Shanna Edwards had 10 digs and Kirstyn Evans had six blocks. The Hawkettes also won the JV match, 24-26, 25-11, 15-7.

Spring Grove 3, Dallastown 1: At Spring Grove, the Rockets raced out to a 2-0 lead over the Wildcats and then won in four games, 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 25-18. Lexi Yingling had 23 digs for Spring Grove and Josie Attig passed for 28 assists. For Dallastown, Paige Childs had nine kills and two blocks, while Emma Mason served four aces. The Wildcats won the JV match, 25-22, 25-21.

Bermudian Springs 3, Littlestown 2: At Littlestown, the Eagles and Thunderbolts alternated games won, with the visitors finally earning the victory, 25-17, 21-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-13. Bermudian got a big serving match from Madyson Whticomb, who served 16 points, while Gabrielle Emeigh had 37 assists and 14 digs. Littlestown got seven aces from Peyton Motter and 16 kills from Hanna Riley. The Eagles won the JV match, 25-20, 7-25, 15-11.

Red Lion 3, New Oxford 1: At Red Lion, after dropping the first game to the Colonials, the Lions rallied to win the final three games, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-18. Red Lion's Rachel Goff had 41 assists, Lindsey Blevins had 29 kills and 20 digs and Emily Sterner and Logan Dontell combined for 51 digs. New Oxford's Lexi Kenworthy had 10 digs. The Colonials won the JV match, 2-0.

Kennard-Dale 3, York High 0: At York High, the Rams dropped just 23 points in three games, sweeping the Bearcats, 25-6, 25-5, 25-12.

— Reach Ryan Vandersloot at sports@yorkdispatch.com.