Coach Jim Schall couldn’t hide his smile as Penn-Trafford’s boys volleyball team delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Peters Township in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs Tuesday night. Surrounded by former players, Schall enjoyed the support of alumni who once suited up for him.
“These guys are alumni. They all played for me,” Schall said proudly. “I joked that we might need them to suit up again, but tonight we didn’t need them at all.”
The No. 6 seed Warriors (11-6) used a well-balanced attack to defeat No. 11 seed Peters Township (7-12) and advance to Thursday’s quarterfinal match against No. 3 Latrobe. Latrobe moved on after sweeping North Hills 3-0 in their own first-round contest.
“It gets tougher now,” Schall said. “Latrobe beat us twice this season, but we’re looking forward to the challenge. We’ll have to be at our best.”
Penn-Trafford looked sharp in their playoff opener, controlling the match from start to finish with set scores of 25-13, 25-14, and 25-18. Schall took advantage of the comfortable lead to rotate players in, giving valuable court time to younger and less-experienced team members.
“We got a lot of guys in tonight,” Schall said. “Some are young with potential, and some are seniors who’ve worked hard but haven’t played much. I wanted them to be part of this moment.”
Senior Caiden McDonald led the way with eight kills, while fellow seniors Connor Evangeliste and Owen Gisi added six kills each. Junior Billy Spena contributed three service aces, sparking the Warriors with his strong serving game.
“Billy served a ton of balls, and it’s hard to get aces at this level,” Schall said. “His serves really got us going early. In Game 1, we were up 9-1 before we knew it, largely because of his serves.”
Peters Township showed early fight in the second set, briefly leading 3-2 and 4-3. However, Penn-Trafford’s skill and depth proved too much for the Indians to handle.
First-year Peters Township coach Jordan Ray remained optimistic despite the loss. “I thought we were in this one and had a chance,” Ray said. “But I’m excited to see the young talent we have.”
Ray, the team’s third coach in four years, guided the Indians to a playoff appearance despite a roster with just three seniors. He praised the leadership of seniors Lucas Eynon and Ben Dummer, along with juniors Alex and Andrew Klein, who served as team captains.
“My goal was to make the playoffs in my first season,” Ray said. “The players deserve all the credit. They worked hard every day and responded better than I expected.”
Ray also noted the strong fan support, even if it was for the opposing team. “You love to see a student section like this for boys volleyball. I wish it was on our side, but it was still a fun experience.”
With the win, Penn-Trafford now turns its focus to Latrobe, aiming for an upset and a trip to the semifinals.
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