Bishop Canevin Back on Top in WPIAL 1-A Girls Volleyball

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, November 5, 2017 | 1:02 AM

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It is an odd year for the Bishop Canevin volleyball team. And that’s a good thing. The Lady Crusaders defeated Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in straight sets (25-19, 25-22, 25-23) to win the 2017 WPIAL Class 1A Championship. It is the third championship in five years for Bishop Canevin, who also won in the past two odd-numbered years in 2013 and 2015.

A back-and-forth first set saw both teams struggling to find any rhythm. The set featured 12 ties and five lead changes, with neither team breaking out to a lead larger than two. However, with Bishop Canevin leading the set 18-17, the Lady Crusaders exploded to get seven of the final nine points of the set.  Alexa Malloy had five kills in the set.

The second set was filled with runs for both teams. OLSH started the set up 3-0, but Bishop Canevin responded to tie it 3-3. OLSH again put up three straight points, but the Lady Crusaders responded with four points of their own. OLSH then exploded on a 10-2 run to lead by as much as eight points in the set. However, with the Lady Chargers leading 20-13, Bishop Canevin answered one final time, scoring 12 of the last 14 points to win the second set. Malloy again exploded late in the set, recording seven kills in set number two.

OLSH again would start out strong in the third set, scoring the first four points of the frame. But, every time they would put on a big run, Bishop Canevin would respond. The Lady Crusaders registered the next six points to take the early lead in the third set. Kylie Airesmann started heating up in the set as well, registering five kills in the third frame.  The teams would go back-and-forth throughout the rest of the set, until OLSH secured a two-point lead at 22-20 with a four point run. After a Bishop Canevin timeout, the Lady Crusaders rattled off another big end-of-set run. They tallied five straight points under the service of Hannah DeLisio to take the final set and set off the celebration of the BC faithful.

Alexa Malloy led the way with 17 kills for Bishop Canevin. Kylie Airesmann followed with 11 kills, and Alley Correa delivered six kills and three blocks.  Tamara Blue, the only senior on the team, had five kills and three blocks.

Ashley Norling led OLSH with 11 kills and seven blocks. Giana Platt followed with eight kills.

The focus shifts now to the state playoffs. Bishop Canevin will face Clarion, the third place team out of District 9.  OLSH will play the District 10 champion Maplewood.  Frazier defeated California 3-1 in the consolation match, earning the three-seed coming out of the district.  They will face District 9 champion Otto Eldred.  Those first round PIAA matches will take place on Tuesday, November 7th at sites and times to be determined.

Tags: Bishop Canevin