Emmaus 3, Parkland 1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-21)
It’s not often that over the past few years that Emmaus has gotten the better of arch-rival and longtime nemesis Parkland.
In fact, only once since the 2020-21 season have the Hornets defeated the Trojans and that came four years ago when Emmaus won the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC) championship in five sets.
On Tuesday, when the two teams met in the first of two meetings – this one a non-league match – inside the Emmaus auxiliary gymnasium, head coach Jon Wilson’s team reversed their fortunes from the past as they remained unbeaten on the season with four-set win (3-1) over Parkland.
The victory snapped a seven-match losing streak against the Trojans for the Hornets, who upped their overall mark to 7-0.
Parkland, which has reached the PIAA Class 3A championship the past two years, won the opening set 25-22 before Emmaus regrouped and rallied to win the next three 25-14, 25-21 and 25-21.
The Hornets were led by sophomore outside hitter Miles Boulrice (team-high 14 kills, 4 blocks), seniors MB Colin Holden (10 kills, 7 blocks) and outside hitter Lucas Mondin (9 kills). Junior setter Ben Skekel ran the offense well with 35 assists to go along with nine digs.
Defensively, senior liberos Jackson Holden and Jude Boyle each had 7 digs and were praised by their head coach for “making incredible plays in the back row that provided the team with a lot of momentum and opportunities to score.”
The play of junior Bilaal Kerim, a late change in the match at the opposite hitter position, was also recognized for his two kills and one block, all in crucial moments during the match.
Parkland, which dropped to 3-3 on the season, was led by senior outside hitter Josh Nation who had 14 kills. Defensively, sophomore libero Owen Barnett had 10 digs.
On the heels of its victory over the Trojans, the Hornets also picked up a three-set sweep of Pocono Mountain West one day later (25-11, 25-18, 25-18).
Emmaus will return to action on Tuesday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. with a big matchup on the road at undefeated Nazareth.
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EPC Standings (As of April 3)
Emmaus 5-0, Nazareth 5-0, Freedom 3-1, Parkland 3-1, Whitehall 3-1, Allen 3-2, Northampton 3-2, PME 2-3, Easton 1-2, Dieruff 1-3, BC 0-5, Liberty 0-5, PMW 0-5