West York pulls a thriller to win state volleyball opener
The West York Bulldogs went into the PIAA girls' volleyball tournament with a chip on their shoulder.
And it showed in Tuesday's five-set victory against District 1 champ Gwynedd Mercy at Upper Dublin. West York won, 25-23, 27-29, 25-16, 15-25, 15-13, to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Before Tuesday's match, the Bulldogs dropped the final two matches in the District 3 Class 3A tournament to finish fourth, but they rebounded.
“The girls had to sit down and watch film and we wanted them to give us a game plan,” West York coach Joe Ramp said of how the team regrouped from districts. “They all turned in their homework. …Things in the district didn’t work out, maybe there was a reason why. Tonight, they wanted it.”
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Marissa Krinock led the Bulldogs (23-4) with 24 kills while Abbey James chipped in 41 assists. Trilby Kite had 16 digs and Tailyn Kite had four aces.
Gwynedd Mercy was the third seed in the District One tournament, knocking off top-seeded Pope John Paul II to win the district title. That victory set the stage for Tuesday's state opener against West York.
The Bulldogs will meet or Palmyra, the runner-up out of District 3, in the state quarterfinals Saturday. The Cougars knocked off the Bulldogs in five sets in the District 3 semifinals.
In other Class 3A volleyball action, York Suburban saw its season end in a 3-0 loss to Cardinal O'Hara. The District 12 champions earned a 25-14, 27-25, 25-23 victory. The Trojans end their season with a 15-7 record.