Advertisement

Oswayo Valley ousts Conemaugh Township in PIAA Class 1A quarterfinals

adam ripple, the daily american
·4 min read

SAINT MARYS -- Conemaugh Township's season will not be remembered for its final match of the year but rather what it did along the way.

The District 5 champions had their memorable season come to a close at the hands of undefeated Oswayo Valley 25-17, 25-20, 25-22 in the PIAA Class 1A quarterfinals at Saint Marys High School on Saturday.

"I'm just so proud of these girls," said Conemaugh Township coach Laura Swank. "I don't want to look at the negatives, I want to look at the positives. We made a lot of history for Conemaugh Township. I think we represented well for our school."

Opening-round winConemaugh Township cruises past Bishop Canevin in PIAA 1A volleyball first round

Conemaugh Township (22-2), which earned 20 straight victories before Saturday's loss, won its first WestPAC title this season, and first conference crown since 1991 when the program still competed in the Appalachian Conference. They captured District 5 gold in their fifth straight championship game appearance, also earning a title in 2020. Conemaugh Township's victory over Bishop Canevin in the first round was its first PIAA playoff win in the program's history.

The team will lose two incredibly talented seniors to graduation in Hannah Swank and Hannah Sodano. Swank, a Bloomsburg University commit, led the way with 15 kills and 11 digs. Sodano contributed six kills, 12 digs and two aces while junior Alison Matera dished out 29 assists.

Conemaugh Township's Hannah Swank (20) sends a winner past Oswayo Valley's MaKenna Manning (1) during a PIAA Class 1A volleyball quarterfinal, Nov. 12, at St. Marys High School.
Conemaugh Township's Hannah Swank (20) sends a winner past Oswayo Valley's MaKenna Manning (1) during a PIAA Class 1A volleyball quarterfinal, Nov. 12, at St. Marys High School.

Conemaugh Township held only four different leads the entire match, three of which came in the third set.

Oswayo Valley (24-0) was impressive in every facet of the game. The Green Wave knocked Conemaugh Township down early and attacked throughout the contest.

District 5 champsConemaugh Township conquers Shade for 3rd time to win District 5 Class 1A gold

Junior Olivia Cook paced the District 9 champs with 15 kills, nine digs and five aces. Junior Avree Kellert provided 14 kills and 15 digs. Fellow junior Praylan Perkins chipped in 11 kills, 12 digs and 16 service points while senior setter Trinity Lundy recorded 35 assists.

"The girls wanted to come out here and play and push themselves 110%," Oswayo Valley coach Ken Kellert said. "They worked hard the past three days trying to get ready for this.

"We passed well (Saturday). If you don't pass well to your setter, you're not going to get good kills. You can get someone out of their system and use that to your advantage as we did along with our serving."

Memorable nightConemaugh Township earns historic win, claiming 1st WestPAC volleyball championship

Conemaugh Township led 1-0 in the first set, but never again. Oswayo Valley used a 7-0 spurt early in the set as well as a 5-0 run late, after Conemaugh Township strung together six straight points, to earn a 1-set lead.

After a 1-1 tie in the second set, the Green Wave claimed the lead and held on despite two Conemaugh Township runs for a 2-0 advantage in the match.

The third set was the most competitive of the match. Trailing 13-8, Conemaugh Township went on a 7-0 burst to take a 15-13 lead. Swank teamed up with Kendra Huber for two blocks and added a kill during the run. Sophomore Brianna Shetler was doing her job with some well-placed serves. Conemaugh Township also had a 16-14 lead following another Swank kill.

Conemaugh Township's Kendra Huber (8) and Hannah Swank (20) team up to block the shot of Oswayo Valley's Olivia Cook during a PIAA Class 1A volleyball quarterfinal, Nov. 12, at St. Mary's High School.
Conemaugh Township's Kendra Huber (8) and Hannah Swank (20) team up to block the shot of Oswayo Valley's Olivia Cook during a PIAA Class 1A volleyball quarterfinal, Nov. 12, at St. Mary's High School.

A back-and-forth battle ensured. Oswayo Valley held a 22-19 lead before Conemaugh Township rattled off the next three points to tie the set. However, the Green Wave tallied the final three points to take the match and punch their ticket to the PIAA semifinals where it will meet Maplewood on Tuesday.

"Our defense was off in the beginning and then we just lost our mojo," Coach Swank said. "Our girls haven't been off their game for a long time. They panicked in the first and second. I settled them down in the third and said, 'Hey, we've got nothing to lose. Let's go out and give it our all. We started playing but it was just a little too late."

While Conemaugh Township loses its top two hitters, Coach Swank is eager for next season when the team will join the Heritage Conference and have a crop of talent returning in 2023.

"I am excited for next season, and we are already talking about the offseason," she said. "We have some people on the bench who have been steady, knew what their jobs were, and we got them some experience this year. Hopefully, they can step up.

"This was a great group of girls. They have such a great bond. I am very proud of them. They came out swinging and ready, just like they did all season."

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on Twitter @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Conemaugh Township swept out of PIAA 1A playoffs by Oswayo Valley