close

Menear pushes Mapletown past Apollo-Ridge

3 min read
1 / 5

Mapletown celebration

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Mapletown players Krista Wilson (24), Ella Menear (2), McKenzie Reda (4) and Macee Cree (15) celebrate after beating Apollo-Ridge in three sets in the first round of the WPIAL Class A volleyball playoffs.

2 / 5

By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net

Taylor Dusenberry (11) sets the ball for outside hitters Ella Menear and Krista Wilson during Mapletown’s 3-0 win against Apollo-Ridge.

3 / 5

Eleanor Bailey

Mapletown’s Macee Cree celebrates after a successful service during WPIAL Class A volleyball playoff action against Apollo-Ridge. The Maples defeated the Vikings, 3-0.

4 / 5

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Mapletown’s Ella Menear spikes the ball against Apollo-Ridge’s Alani Williams (20) during WPIAL volleyball action.

5 / 5

Krista Wilson

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Mapletown’s Krista Wilson spikes the ball over the Apollo-Ridge defense during a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff match at Bethel Park. The Maples swept the Vikings, 25-16, 25-19, 25-15.

BETHEL PARK – Looking for an accurate server, who can almost always send the ball cleanly over the net?

Well, Ella Menear is your girl.

Looking for a setter who controls the ball with uncanny accuracy?

Menear can do that.

Oh, and if you are looking for someone to save you from drowning, no one is more qualified than Menear, a PIAA swimming champion.

What Menear does best, though, is spike the ball, using her legs as the springboard and her arm as a spring that, when released, sends laser shots over the net.

The junior from Mapletown High School was all that and more Tuesday night, leading the second-seeded Maples to a three-match sweep over Apollo-Ridge, 25-16, 25-19 and 25-15 in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs at Bethel Park High School.

The win moves the 12-1 Maples to the quarterfinals to play section rival California at 6 p.m., Thursday at a site to be determined.

Apollo-Ridge, the No. 15 seed, finished the season at 6-7.

Menear made three spectacular plays to break open a close second match. Tied at 19-19, the Maples were struggling after winning the first match. Menear’s three kills fueled a 7-0 run and snapped the last hope for Apollo-Ridge.

“Mostly, I’m not focused on myself. I’m focused on the team,” said Menear. “I just try to be aggressive, not let anything drop. I try to encourage the team, giving it my all.”

Menear said communication is key to finding the right places to put a return.

“I just try to focus trying to hit in open spots,” Menear said. “I thank my team for telling me where the open spots are and just trying to be in control and not always going up slamming it but placing it where it needs to be.”

That type of unselfishness helped Mapletown to an undefeated section record, it’s first championship in program history. The only loss for the Maples came against top-seeded Bishop Canevin in a nonsection match.

In the third match against Apollo-Ridge, Mapletown trailed 7-2 before Taylor Dusenberry served up 11 consecutive winners, giving Mapletown a 14-7 lead that eventually turned into a 25-15 victory.

“I expected fundamental volleyball to be played (from Apollo-Ridge),” said Mapletown head coach Christy Menear, Ella’s mother. “Our goal has been to serve aggressively and go behind the line and serve three or more times successfully.”

Mapletown as a team had 11 aces with Ella Menear tying for the team lead with three and leading the way with 13 kills.

“Ella is a consistent player,” Christy Menear said. “She does make mistakes but recovers quickly.”

Dusenberry had three aces and Krista Wilson had 10 kills. Macee Cree finished with 26 assists, right around her three-set average. Cree passed the 1,000-assist milestone two weeks ago.

Apollo-Ridge, which tied for third place with Riverview in Section 4-A, was making its second straight appearance in the playoffs.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” said Apollo-Ridge head coach Laura Daub. “I think we came together really well when everything was stacked against us. We’ve had highs but not long enough to sustain us to 25 points. We’re working on it.”

Ava Whitlinger had an ace and four kills, Alani Williams had three aces and one kill, Brinley Toland registered four kills and one dig, Marly Kaleno had two aces and one kill, Kylar Toland had an ace and five assists and Isabell Gierman had two digs.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today