James Buchanan’s girls volleyball team compiled a 15-2 regular-season record, with the only two defeats coming at the hands of Bermudian Springs, 3-1 and 3-2.
JB (16-2) will play in the SCAC semifinals tonight at Central York against Red Lion (20-2) at 5:00.
“This was a great match between two evenly-matched teams,” James Buchanan coach Erica Piper said. “We have another big test ahead of us, but we are going to enjoy this one tonight.”
The match swung back-and-forth, with the Rockets taking game one 25-19, and Bermudian winning the next two games, 25-21 and 25-19. But JB rallied to take game 4, 25-21.
In the fifth set, Bermudian Springs had the Rockets on the ropes, ahead 14-12 with the serve. But James Buchanan won a point and then Brynleigh McCracken served for three consecutive points to steal a 16-14 win.
Piper said, “I challenged them after the third set to control our side of the court and lay it on the line for one another. They responded in a big way. These girls never give up and we turned around this match from the last time we played them.”
Kendyl Stoner led JB in kills with 16, while Shelby Crider and Lexi Martin each knocked down 14 kills. Martin (4) and Kamdyn Saunders (3) led in blocks.
In serving, McCracken and Martin each scored 14 points, and Aubrey Trei notched 10. Martin had 3 aces, and McCracken and Stoner each came up with 2.
McCracken was credited with 30 assists and Clare Hutchison-Reed added 11. In digs, the leaders were McCracken with 16, Stoner with 14 and Aamiyah McCullough with 7.