Depth may have been the key components for both Hempfield and Penn Manor Monday night with both teams claiming victories in the Lancaster-Lebanon Boys' Volleyball League semifinals at Garden Spot High School.
The Black Knights fashioned a 3-0 sweep of Manheim Township and the Comets topped Ephrata 3-1 to earn a spot in the L-L championship match, slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Manheim Township.
Maybe the difference between a senior-laden team and one that is full of sophomores is just what volleyball fans witnessed at Manheim Central Monday night.
The Mounts, with five senior starters, have been through enough matches that they can draw on their experience in tight spots.
The Barons, starting four sophomores and a freshman, haven't yet acquired that extra ingredient to push to overcome a one- or two-point deficit.
As a result, Ephrata defeated Central 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-23) and moved closer to its first Lancaster-Lebanon Boys' Volleyball League Section Two crown.
There may not be another match in the Lancaster-Lebanon Boys' Volleyball League this season that was a 3-0 sweep but felt like it was destined to go five sets.
Host Ephrata was on the winning end of such a match Thursday night, 25-22, 25-20, 25-14, dipping into its experience to fend off a young but certainly game Manheim Central team.
A pair of losses by virtue of the PIAA's tie-breaking protocol instituted this season knocked the Ephrata girls out of Lancaster-Lebanon League title contention.
Monday, the Mountaineers allowed no room for doubt in their regular-season finale, spoiling Cocalico's bid for a perfect record with a 92-48 decision in Denver.
The loss dropped the Eagles (6-1) into a tie with Manheim Central — a 100-50 winner over Garden Spot — for the Section Two title.
Six hit batsmen. Five errors.
Wednesday’s wind-whipped L-L Section Two matchup between reigning league champion Ephrata and defending section king Lampeter-Strasburg was anything but your typical game between two of the area’s top teams.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.