DUBOIS — District 9 Class A volleyball champion Coudersport entered the semifinal round of the district tournament not expected to advance.
Granted, of the four teams in the semifinals, only one wouldn’t qualify for the state tournament.
And Coudersport was the lowest-seeded of the four teams.
However, not only did the Falcons qualify for the PIAA state tournament, they did so by winning the district’s Class A championship.
Tuesday night their good fortune continued.
In its first appearance in the state tournament in 13 years, Coudersport downed the third seed out of District 7 Fort Cherry, 25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 25-14.
“They all played well,” Coudersport coach Patty Wilson said after getting home at near midnight. A 7:30 p.m. match followed by a two-hour trip home wasn’t ideal, but after the win it is a welcome feeling for Wilson and company.
“Everyone played well, did their job. Because of it we came out on top,” she said.
Ally Easton led Coudersport (21-2, 10 straight wins) with 16 kills, four blocks and three aces. EmmaRae Easton added 14 kills and two blocks. Maci Gleason had four kills and two aces, Skyler VanWagenen four kills, and setter Haley Keck 33 assists.
Up 1-0 after the first-set victory, Coudersport and Fort Cherry found themselves tied at 22 in the second set. Fort Cherry reeled off three straight points to take the set, 25-22. But Coudersport won the final two sets in convincing fashion to earn the victory.
“After our girls lost the second game, (a longtime official who was in the stands) told me it looked that the girls had won. They kept their heads held high, they kept their composure. We kept getting the ball to our setter and it all clicked.”
Fort Cherry’s Hannah Greene totaled killed 14 kills, 21 digs and six blocks. Shannon Reilhan added five kills, three digs and five blocks as the Rangers had their season ended at 17-3.
Coudersport meets District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle at 1 p.m. Saturday in DuBois.
Bishop Guilfoyle – which swept defending PIAA champion Bishop Canevin 25-18, 25-18, 25-21 – is located in Altoona.
