Becahi reaches 3A finals
YORK — For the first time in six years, the Bethlehem Catholic girls volleyball team will play in the PIAA finals.
After dropping the first set of the PIAA Class 3A semifinals, the Golden Hawks battled back to claim a 3-1 victory over host York Suburban, 20-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-20 on Tuesday evening.
Becahi advances to Saturday’s finals, where it will take on Franklin Regional at Cumberland Valley High School.
“We came out with a lot of energy in the first set but a few mistakes at a crucial time cost us the first,” Bethlehem Catholic coach Kelly Brown said. “The girls stayed very composed during the next three sets and did what we needed to get the win. They knew it was win or go home, and they weren’t ready to go home.”
Offensively, MacKenzy Ruggiero led the Golden Hawks with 16 kills, while Jodi Hewitt added 12 kills. Emma Maskiell finished with a whopping 41 assists.
Kyleigh Brown continued her impressive defensive effort with 45 digs, with Ruggiero adding 10.
The last time the Golden Hawks played in the state final was 2014 when they struck gold.
“It is an extremely exciting time to get to the state finals after six years,” Kelly Brown said. “I told this group of girls that I believe we could make it to the state finals during preseason even though states were up in the air with the pandemic. The girls have been working very hard to get to this point. Their drive this year is beyond belief.
Class 4A
For the fourth straight season, the Parkland girls volleyball team saw its season come to a close in the Class 4A semifinals against a District One team.
The Trojans turned in a top-notch defensive performance, but it was not enough to overcome host Unionville, falling 26-24, 15-25, 25-23, 25-20 on Tuesday evening.
District 11 champion Parkland ends its season after an impressive seventh straight trip to the state semifinals and an overall record of 14-1.
“They’re hurt. It’s a rough ride home,” Parkland coach Mike Krause said in a phone interview. “We had some ups and downs throughout the match. What makes it tough is when you see the score, you know just how close you are.”
Brynn Dreisbach, considered by many as the top player in the state, finished the match with 26 kills and 13 digs. Sophomore Scarlett Jago registered 12 kills and 13 digs, while Leah Brunnabend (18 digs) and Jackie Malitzki (36 assists, 12 digs) also turned in solid performances.