Fort Cherry can’t crack Bishop Canevin
Darnell Graham / For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry’s Ellie Staley (4) and Jadyn Hartner prepare to attack an incoming ball during the WPIAL Class A girls volleyball game Saturday against Bishop Canevin at Fox Chapel High School.
By Chris Dugan/Sports editor/dugan@observer-reporter.com
Darnell Graham / For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry’s Jadyn Hartner (5) and Allie McKean (11) attempt to block a ball hit by Bishop Canevin’s Kyla Hartoyo during the WPIAL Class A championship game at Fox Chapel High School.
Darnell Graham / For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry's Allie McKean (11) pushes a ball over Bishop Canevin's Alexa Mally (18) and Oliva Thomas during the WPIAL Class A championship game Saturday at Fox Chapel High School.
Darnell Graham / For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry's Abbie Maziarz (6) and Keira Kozlowski (11) attempt to black a spike by Bishop Canevin's Gillian Golupski during the WPIAL Class A championship game Saturday at Fox Chapel High School.
Darnell Graham / For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry's Elizabeth Staley puts the ball in play during the WPIAL Class A game championship game at Fox Chapel High School.
Darnell Graham / For the Observer-Reporter
Fort Cherry's Julia Balobeck bunts the ball during the WPIAL Class A game Saturday against Bishop Canevin.
FOX CHAPEL – There is no such thing as third time’s a charm, not against volleyball powerhouse Bishop Canevin.
For Fort Cherry, the third match against its section rival meant similar frustration, a sliver of much-needed hope followed by a familiar result.
Losing a pair of nail-biting games at the start, second-seeded Fort Cherry’s response wasn’t enough as top-seeded Bishop Canevin defeated the Rangers in four sets, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25 and 25-20, to win its third consecutive WPIAL Class A championship Saturday afternoon at Fox Chapel High School.
The three straight championships continues a district dynasty for Bishop Canevin (16-0), which has played in the Class A title match every year since 2012. The Crusaders have won five titles and finished as the runner-up three times in those eight years.
It was the first time Fort Cherry (13-3) has played in a final.
“As coaches, we knew it was going to be a battle,” said Bishop Canevin coach Kevin Walters. “We knew it was going to be a good match, which is what it’s supposed to be. Both teams playing the way they did is exactly how it should be.”
Canevin made the mental hurdle – the Rangers were swept twice in their regular-season matches – even larger with a comeback in the first game. Fort Cherry led 23-22 but three consecutive kills from the Crusaders’ Alexa Malloy, Abbie Maziarz and Gillian Golupski gave them a crucial 1-0 lead.
“That changed the momentum,” said Fort Cherry first-year coach Mackenzie Biggs. “We needed the confidence.”
Malloy had a team-high 17 kills, including seven in the first game. Golupski and Kyla Hortoyo added 10 and eight kills, respectively, for multi-dimensional Canevin.
“Blocking has been the main thing we’ve been working on throughout the year,” Biggs said. “Canevin has some hard hitters. Their setter (Maddie Maziarz) is so smooth that it’s hard to figure out where she is going. Having so many good players at the net makes them tough.”
After Canevin took a two-set lead, Fort Cherry responded behind the net presence of Allie McKean and Reagan Carter. Six consecutive points gave the Rangers an early 10-7 lead, which was extended as far as 10 points, 20-10, after back-to-back kills from McKean. A block from Carter gave Fort Cherry the five-point win, extending the match to a fourth game.
McKean had 14 kills and Carter 11.
“We see them at least twice a year,” Walters said of being section foes. “There is no magic involved and things don’t change a lot. We know what they were going to do. They knew what we were going to do. It makes it tough.
“The biggest thing is keeping our players focused, because we beat them already two times this season. They had to know Fort Cherry was going to come at us. This wasn’t going to be given to us.”
Both teams will advance to the PIAA tournament, which begins Tuesday. Fort Cherry will play District 6 champion Northern Cambria while Canevin plays District 6 runner-up Bishop Carroll.
“Our girls have worked so hard to get here and haven’t lost a set on the way,” Biggs said. “This is just a bump in the road. We have eight seniors going into states. There is still a lot of momentum and confidence.”