Trojans earn state volleyball berth 5/27/01

By DICK VanOLINDA

Dispatch/Sunday News http://www.yorkdispatch.com/sundaynews/index.html

A tentative first game.

A terrific second game.

York Suburban rebounded from a shaky start to play very well yesterday in the District 3 boys' volleyball championship match.

Not quite well enough, though, to topple mighty Hempfield.

The Trojans didn't score the upset, but they proved they could compete with the No. 1-ranked team in the state.

Hempfield scored a 15-4, 15-12 victory.

Chambersburg outlasted Northeastern, 15-9, 13-15, 17-15, to capture the third-place match and grab the final spot in the state tournament.

York Suburban, which advanced into the final with a two-game victory over Chambersburg in the semifinals, led, 11-9, in the second game against Hempfield.

But the Lancaster County team rallied to win five straight points and six of the last seven to wrap up its third straight district crown.

"We thought we were going to come back and take that second game," said York Suburban's

Ryan Fisher, who pounded 19 kills.

"We were right there. Things went their way at the end."

Very few things went York Suburban's way in the first game.

"I really feel we were ready to play, but we just had trouble putting things together," Fisher said. "We were passing better, playing better defense and communicating better in the second game. We talked between games, and we came out in the second game and played the way we're capable of playing."

Trojans' coach Bob Laird didn't recognize his team in the first game.

"We hit a lot of balls out of bounds which we don't normally do, and we had trouble passing," Laird said. "Hempfield is a very good team which makes very few mistakes. But I think the first game (loss) was more us than them."

The team that Laird's been watching nearly all season reappeared in the second game.

"We just settled down. We were on top in that second game, but when you get to 11 (points), you have to make some plays. We didn't make the plays when we had to make them, and they did."

During the five-point run near the end of the final game, Hempfield's Tony Spangler hammered a kill just inside the back line, and Gary Vogel served a ball which landed barely inside the left sideline. The back-to-back plays provided Hempfield with a 12-11 advantage.

Having regained the momentum, Hempfield went on to defend its championship.

On to state tournament: The Black Knight players left Central's main gymnasium wearing medals with blue ribbons. York Suburban's players, for the second consecutive year, walked away with medals with red ribbons.

The season isn't over for York Suburban. The Trojans qualified for the state tournament for the second year in a row.

Win or lose in states, Laird and the Trojans will look back fondly on the season.

"We had to replace four starters this year, and the people who came in this year more than replaced the guys we lost," Laird said. "I think these guys have shown steady growth, and you don't always see that in a team."

York Suburban, 20-2, will take on Souderton, the District 1 champion, in the first round of states. The match, a best-of-five test featuring 15-point games, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Norristown High School.

Bobcats fall: Northeastern hoped to accompany York Suburban to states.

However, Chambersburg spoiled the Bobcats' plan in a highly emotional third-place clash in Central's auxiliary gymnasium.

Northeastern battled to the end, fighting off four match points before Chambersburg finally sealed the victory.

"It may seem odd to say this, but I feel good," Bobcats' coach Matt Wilson said. "You can't ask your players to do anything more than my players did today. We left everything on the floor."

Northeastern closed with a 16-8 record.

"To finish runner-up in the league and to finish fourth in District 3 among 40-some teams, you have to be proud of that," Wilson said.

Notes: York Suburban defeated Chambersburg, 15-13, 15-9, and Hempfield downed Northeastern, 15-8, 15-3, in the semifinals.

Penn State bound Ryan Fisher racked up 39 kills and 26 digs for the Trojans in the two matches. Adam Walton supplied 15 kills, six blocks and nine digs, and Michael Fisher, Ryan's brother, delivered 61 assists and 16 digs. Nick Johnson had 14 digs.

Northeastern's Ricky Ziegler, who plans to play college ball at Juniata, one of the leading Division III programs in the country, recorded 10 kills, 11 digs, nine blocks and 65 assists on the day. Justin Shelley racked up 30 kills, 10 digs and five blocks. Chris Conley provided 16 kills, eight blocks and seven digs. Mike Capo (10 kills, 13 digs) and Zach Bock (seven digs and two aces) were other leading contributors for the Bobcats.