Shanahan topples Garnet Valley in volleyball showdown

Replacement libero Grace Casagrade came up huge as Bishop Shanahan topped Garnet Valley, 3-0, in a battle of two of the top-ranked Class 4A volleyball teams in the state.

Casagrande registered 19 digs to lead the second-ranked Eagles to a 25-20, 25-20, 2518 win over the No. 3 Jaguars. Carla Shultz recorded 13 kills and four aces. Shanahan also had 14 blocks.

Rachel Cain collected 17 assists, four digs and one ace for the Jaguars (11-1). Sam Mann had four kills and two blocks. Aly Hartney added three kills and three blocks, while Dolce Whitwell finished with three kills and four digs.

In other nonleague action:

UPPER DARBY 3, CHESTER CHARTER SCHOOL FOR ARTS 0 >> Senior Lexi Witmer had 13 digs and service runs of four (in the first and third sets) and eight points (in the second) to lead the Royals to a 25-12, 25-13, 2511 win. Savannah Miller paced the attack with eight kills.

In the Ches-Mont League:

SUN VALLEY 3, AVON GROVE 0 >> Olivia Nickerson pounded eight kills and Kristine Guenther seven in the 25-10, 25-14, 26-11 win for the Vanguards (12-3, 5-3). Gia DiEmidio (four aces, three blocks, five kills) and Hannah Vickers (15 assists, seven aces) came up big, too.

In the Catholic League:

CARDINAL O’HARA 3, HALLAHAN 0 >> Sara McGarrity collected six digs and three aces as the Lions (13-1, 5-1) won 25-16, 25-5, 2513. Isa Kirchner (four kills, two blocks) and Maeve Boylan (15 assists, six digs, two aces) also made major contributions.

In the Inter-Ac League:

NOTRE DAME 3, AGNES IRWIN 0 >> Christine Covello and Emma Jardine combined for

26 assists, including 12 on kills from Lexi Shreiner. Maddie Donaphon controlled the defense in the 25-20, 25-16, 25-18 win with 15 digs.

Girls Cross Country

Laila Ivory, Anaya Saviour and Tymia Avery led the way as Academy Park took the top five places in a 15-50 Del Val League win over Chester.

Ivory crossed the finish line first in 23:57. In the Central League

PENNCREST SWEEPS >> An eighth-place finish by junior Eve Doyle, followed by a ninthplace from freshman Maddie Anderson lifted the Lions over Garnet Valley, 27-29. Penncrest also defeated Ridley, 18-45, while the Jaguars knocked off the Green Raiders by the same score.

Freshman Sophia Cohen of Penncrest was the overall winner in 21:17.08, while teammate Liz Egan played third. Catherine Tran took second overall to lead Garnet Valley.

Boys Cross Country

Chester’s Abdul Griggs was the overall winner, but it wasn’t enough as Academy Park took third through seventh place for a 15-50 Del Val League win over the Clippers.

Sean Kan and Kamai Merritt took third and fourth, respectively, to pace the Knights.

Girls Tennis

Stephanie Huseby and Mya Bellopede won in straight sets as Cardinal O’Hara claimed the final three matches to down Archbishop Wood, 3-2 in the semifinal round of the Philadelphia Catholic League girls tennis playoffs.

Huseby and Bellopede closed out the No. 2 doubles match, 6-3, 6-1 to seal the Lions victory. Mary Clare Hayden took home the No. 3 three singles match in straight sets, and the tandem of Kathryn Toal and Michelle DiScalla won 6-2, 6-2 in the first doubles match.

The Lions will look to win their fifth straight league title Monday against the winner of Lansdale Catholic and Archbishop Carroll. That match was suspended by rain and will be finished Saturday.

In the Central League

PENNCREST 5, HAVERFORD 2 >> Skyler Smith needed three sets for a win at second singles, and Theodora Greco and Layla Phillips pulled out a three-set win at third doubles to pace the Lions.

Jessica Au and Amy Cunningham, and Maddie Williams and Olivia Gerhart won in straight sets at second and fourth doubles, respectively for Haverford.

In the Inter-Ac:

AGNES IRWIN 4, ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME 2 >> Camilla Gowar and Natalie Cochin took No. 1 doubles, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, while the other three doubles tandems won in straight sets for the Owls.

McKenna Bramlage did not drop a game at No. 1 singles, and Ally Dugan only dropped two in the No. 3 match for the Irish (4-4, 1-4).

EPISCOPAL ACADEMY 6, GERMANTOWN ACADEMY 1 >> Ashley Kennedy, Ella Walker and Bell Calastri only dropped three games combined in singles.

Cara Harty and Eliza Aldridge won the No. 1 doubles match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 for the Churchwomen.

In nonleague action:

SUN VALLEY 7, CHICHESTER 0 >> The Vanguards put together a dominating performance as the doubles tandems of Breezie Dimaio and Jazmine La along with Jamie Horne and Paula Sy dropped one game combined.

Devin Cronin won the No. 1 singles match, 6-0, 6-0 and Maddy Koons only lost one game at second singles

Water Polo

Bram Schork and Ryan LaRocca scored four goals apiece as the Haverford School claimed a 15-9 Inter-Ac win over Penn Charter.

Schork also had an assist and two steals, while LaRocca added three assists. JR Leitz, Matej Sekulic and Jake LaRocca all had two goals with Jake also chipping in six assists and five steals for the Fords (15-2, 2-0).

Golf

Archbishop Carroll’s Chris Waldman, Dylan Williams of Bonner & Prendergast Cardinal O’Hara’s Joseph Taggart finished in the top 10 at the Catholic League championships.

Waldman shot a 3-over par 74 at Lulu Country Club to finish in a five-way tie for third place. Williams carded 4-over 75 to take eighth and Taggart fired a 6-over 77 for 10th.

Waldman, Williams and teammate Rob Dougherty (78), and Taggart and teammate Michael Larkin (83) earned first-team AllCatholic honors. The Friars and Lions qualified for the District 12 Class 3A team championships.

In the Central League:

GARNET VALLEY 216, SPRINGFIELD 246 >> Jacob Sokalsky’s even-par 36 at Rolling Green powered the Jaguars. Ethan Timmons followed with a 5-over par 41, while Luke Connors shot a 43.

Michael Bednar’s 47 led Springfield. In nonleague action:

CHURCH FARM 251, GLEN MILLS 252 >> Richie Kline’s even-par 36 at the Golf Course at Glen Mills included a birdie on No. 2 to lead the Griffins. Michael Collazo, Quraan Harris and Rayshawn McClure all shot 49 for the Bulls.