By RYAN GEORGE
WINDBER — The North Star Cougars volleyball team showed poise in a dominating sweep over Greensburg Central Catholic in PIAA playoff action Tuesday night.
With the win, the second-ranked team in Class A moves on to quarterfinal play Friday morning in York with an 8 a.m. start time.
North Star won 25-17, 25-14, and 25-18 to knock off the Centurions. With the victory, the Cougars remained undefeated on the year with a 21-0 mark.
Much like most of the season, North Star excelled with its middle hitters, most notably Emily Lohr. Throughout the three games, Lohr seemed to run her team’s offensive and defensive play, a factor Greensburg Central Catholic coach Heather Meyer noted as pivotal in Tuesday night’s outcome.
“Their middle hitter was getting everything all over the floor. She was hitting everywhere,’’ Meyer explained following the disappointing loss for Central Catholic (24-4-1).
Lohr finished the game with 10 service points, including two aces and a dominating 19 kills, many of those down the stretch in the second and third games, which controlled the tempo of the contest.
“Emily has been rock solid for us all year. When we needed the kills, she found them for us. There were some good blocks in this game,’’ explained North Star coach Tony Crisafulli following the match.
Chelsea Danel also finished strong in the contest, with six service points including an ace, 29 assists and two kills on the final stat sheet. Between the effort of the two girls and seven service points for both Karen Schmidt and Julie Myers, the Cougars emphasized their leadership in the first game following their sixth consecutive District 5 title a week ago.
“The one thing we take with us in the tournament is experience. It is a brutal bracket after (Tuesday night). The one thing Coach Meyer and I spoke about before this game was no matter who came out of it they would have tough competition,’’ Crisafulli noted.
The first game in the contest found the Cougars behind for much of it, if only by a few points.
After taking a 17-16 advantage, North Star seemed to find its rhythm and kept the Centurions on their toes.
The 25-17 win in the first game preceded a dominating effort by the Cougars in the second game. Never trailing and holding leads of as much or more than six at several junctures, North Star pulled away at the end.
“The first set seemed back and forth, and it happened to turn out for us. The serves made the difference, but in the second they missed a few serves, and I think that became the deciding factor (Tuesday night),’’ Crisafulli said.
The most exciting play of the night came in the closing game. On several occasions Greensburg Central Catholic played with a sense of desperation, making would-be kills that North Star found a way to save.
On two separate occasions in the third game, North Star kept play going with outstanding athleticism and a focus that was eventually too much for the Centurions.
“We told the girls (Tuesday night) to maintain their focus and did our best to minimize their kills,’’ Crisafulli added after his team’s third-game performance, which clinched the match with a 25-18 victory.
