Frazier rallies to beat Fort Cherry in volleyball semifinals
McMURRAY – The rematch was much different than the first meeting.
Frazier rallied from a 2-1 deficit to upend Fort Cherry, 3-2, in a WPIAL Class 2A girls volleyball semifinal match at Peters Township High School’s AHN Arena Tuesday night to advance to Saturday’s final.
Scores were 26-24, 20-25, 18-25, 25-16 and 15-11.
The second-seeded Rangers (18-2) had beaten the third-seeded Commodores (17-3) during a regular-season, non-section match, 3-0.
Frazier will play top-seeded Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the championship match, also at AHN Arena, with the time to be determined.
The Chargers knocked off fourth-seeded Shenango, 3-0, in Tuesday’s earlier match on the same floor.
Fort Cherry and Shenango will play in the third-place match Thursday at a site to be determined.
All four semifinalists have already clinched a spot in the PIAA tournament.
Frazier jumped out to a 10-4 advantage in the first set and led most of the way. The Rangers used a late 5-1 run to go up 24-23, but the Commodores reeled off the last three points.
Fort Cherry fired back by taking the first four points of the second set and never trailed to even the match with Madeline Groszkiewicz’ kill ending it.
The Rangers dominated the third set, leading by as many as eight points. Morgan Cornali’s emphatic kill was followed by a Commodores error to finish the set.
Frazier controlled the fourth set, never trailing in winning by nine points to send it to the deciding fifth set.
The Commodores used a four-point run to seize an 8-5 lead in the final set and never trailed again.