At Central York, championship volleyball runs in the blood for key players
Braden Richard sat in the stands to watch his first volleyball match, and — he would say five years later — that was all it took. He ended up ditching what had been an entire life of playing baseball so he could try this new high-paced sport.
He went from never playing in an official game to becoming the first freshman to start for Central York boys' volleyball in about 30 years.
He played a key role on the 2017 state championship team.
He earned a scholarship to play volleyball at NCAA Division I St. Francis.
And he has made a second run to the state final in his senior season, leading a Panthers team against North Allegheny in the PIAA Class 3A championship Saturday at Penn State.
He's also one of three seniors with a brother and family connection to the Central York program that has directly influenced him.
Discovering a different sport
Back as a seventh-grader, Richard watched Central York play in the 2014 championship game. He had come to the game because his older brother Darin Richard was in the Central volleyball program.
"I remember watching Landon Shorts just ball out and take over that game," Richard said. "It was insane.
"That was when I fell in love with the sport."
The Richard boys had been exposed to volleyball years before, when they went to the Outer Banks with Jeff Johnson's family. Johnson had won a state title with Central York volleyball as a player during the 1980s, and his son Cole Johnson (2018 graduate) ended up heading to UCLA to play volleyball.
Just being around that family changed the Richard boys.
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"We're all about lacrosse and corn hole, and they wanted to pepper volleyball on the beach," Braden's father, Cory Richard, said. "My boys are like, huh?"
Soon, they couldn't get enough volleyball. They went to intramural volleyball, organized by Johnson. Then they were watching Central York play in these high-level championship games.
Both boys told their dad, a former college baseball player at IUP, they were done with baseball.
Cory Richard laughs about it now, but he recalled asking: "What do you mean, you're done playing baseball?"
Central York volleyball is different than most programs, however.
Braden Richard remembers walking into an open gym at the high school and seeing Shorts and Jeremiah Dadeboe — who would play NCAA Division I football at Buffalo.
"Alumni would come to open gyms and all those guys could fly, I thought it was normal for people to be that good," Braden Richard said about his first experience with high school volleyball. "I felt like, 'Crap! I'm so bad.'"
He went to work, trying to get better.
But it was that family connection that pushed him to get into the gym.
"I think we all came to our siblings' games and saw how much fun it was," Braden Richard said. "Other people don't see volleyball that much, and they never find out how much fun it really is."
Volleyball is all in the family
Slumped over in the bleachers following an exhausting, five-game match in the District 3 semifinals, setter Brock Anderson finally leaned back to take his full weight off his hip. Coaches asked if there was anything the athletic training staff could do for him, and the junior was soon wrapped in ice.
And believe it or not, this is what he wanted.
He came to volleyball to experience these kinds of wild nights.
Anderson comes from a volleyball family.
"My dad was actually all-state at Central," Brock Anderson said.
His sister also played volleyball at Central York. But if he wouldn't have watched his older brother Drew Anderson (a 2017 graduate) play, he doubts he would have played the sport.
"I remember in 2016, I was in eighth-grade and I came to a game," Brock Anderson said. "I can't even remember who they were playing but it just turned into a wild game.
"That was the night when I felt, 'Dude, I'm playing now.' It just seemed so exciting."
And don't underestimate the power of sibling rivalry. Brock Anderson is gunning to earn a second state gold medal, and his first as a starter. Should he win, he will tie his brother with two state gold medals.
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This is nothing unique.
Central has been blessed with a bunch of younger siblings being exposed to the sport at a young age and wanting to experience what they saw their older brothers do on the court.
"I went to a lot of my brother's games, and I remember the 2014 state championship season," Central York senior Kyle Mehl said.
His older brother, Nate, played on the team.
"I went to a lot of his games, and that was such an amazing experience to see them win," Mehl said.
"I remember them playing well as a team. I remember them passing well. I remember them serving well. And I remember they had a great setter, just like we have a great setter."
Mehl's mother played volleyball in high school and at Gettysburg College, and he said his father "found a love of the game" playing outdoors in his 30s and 40s, But nothing could compare to watching his brother play.
"I was so ready to get to high school and play," Mehl said.
Central York is back in a state final for a 15th time. They face a familiar foe in North Allegheny, a team that ended their season a year ago in a state semifinal and the team Central knocked off to win the 2017 state crown.
Growing up in Central school district, the players admit they have high expectations. After all, they know they can compete at this level because they saw their older brothers do it.
"I think this is something we expected, but we knew we had to put in the effort," Mehl said.
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Know the matchup
Central York (19-2) vs. North Allegheny (22-0)
PIAA Class 3A title match: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Pegula Ice Arena, Penn State University
North Allegheny: Located in Wexford, about 15 miles north of Pittsburgh
NA program history: Six state titles, PIAA-record 17th finals appearance
CY program history: Seven state titles, 15th finals appearance (appeared in 1948-49 finals as North York)
Last meeting: North Allegheny won, 3-2, in 2018 state semifinals
Also of note: Central York defeated North Allegheny, 3-1, in 2017 state final
Defending state champs lost: Middle hitter Canyon Tuman (Penn State), setter AJ Schmidt (St. Francis) graduated in 2018
Looking for a common opponent: Northeastern eliminated North Allegheny on Central York's home floor in the Koller Classic April 13; CY then knocked off NE in a best-of-three setting in the Koller championship
NA standout players: Outside hitter Drew Hunker (6-foot-2), setter Sava Topich (6-4), outside hitter Grant Jones (6-6)
PHOTO GALLERY FROM CENTRAL YORK'S SEMIFINAL VICTORY