RECAP >> The third time proved not to be the charm for Emmaus.
Having already lost to rival Parkland twice this season, the Hornets were hoping to reverse their fortunes in their all-important third meeting against the Trojans in last night’s District XI Class 3A championship match held at Liberty High School.
But it wasn’t meant to be for head coach Jeff Elsea’s team as they were swept in straight sets by Parkland for the second time this season as the Trojans went on to claim the title winning 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23).
“Our serving seemed to hurt us overall,” said Elsea, the Hornets second year coach. “We did not capitalize on our opportunities given to us during the match.”
For unbeaten Parkland (19-0), which was appearing in its fourth straight finals, it was their first championship in two years after falling to Northampton 3-1 in last year’s final.
And for Emmaus (18-3), looking to win its first District XI title since 2018, it’s now an 0-3 mark against their arch-rivals.
In last night’s match, the Hornets were led by junior outside hitter Cael Kratzer who had a team-high 10 kills. Senior outside hitter Logan Dougherty had six kills to go along with seven digs while junior middle hitter Jametric Harris had five kills and five digs. Junior libero Kyle Long led the defense with a team-best 16 digs, senior DS Brian Cobb had 10 digs and junior setter Cooper Henseler dished out 26 assists.
Parkland was led be senior outside hitter Chase Robbins who had 14 kills and 13 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Josh Nation added nine kills, two aces and nine digs, while junior middle hitter Luke Smith had eight kills and three blocks. Junior setter Will Stile led the offense with 34 assists, five digs and two aces.
Up next for both teams is the PIAA Class 3A State Tournament. Emmaus will be on the road on Tuesday as they travel to face District 2 champ Delaware Valley, meanwhile Parkland will host District 3 third-place Cedar Crest at 5 p.m. on Monday.
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