Loss drops Eagles from top spot

BY SHANE HENNIGAN
Times-Shamrock Writer

Shreyas Chandragiri said his team couldn’t dwell on the past, but should learn from it.

He was referencing Abington Heights’ previous meeting with Mountain View on April 8, when Lucas LaRue had 25 kills, nine digs and eight blocks to lead Mountain View to the victory.

In Thursday’s rematch, the Comets knew it was inevitable that the Eagles standout was going to put up big numbers once again. This time, however, they were able to overcome LaRue’s monster night and pull out a 3-2 victory in a Lackawanna League volleyball match.

Chandragiri had 16 kills, nine digs and five blocks, Griffin Joyce had nine kills and Sean Salmon added 38 assists for Abington Heights (9-1), which won its third match in four days and moved into sole possession of first place.

LaRue had 29 kills, 16 digs and 10 blocks and Emmet Jodon added 41 assists for Mountain View (8-2).

“This shows that we’re tough,” Chandragiri said. “We improved so much from the first game. We have great coaching, great dedication and we have depth.”
The Eagles got off to the start they were looking for, winning the first set, 25-21, behind seven kills from LaRue. But the Comets came out strong in the second set, getting out to a 16-9 lead.

Mountain View tried to rally, eventually getting it to 24-21, but following a timeout, Chandragiri emphatically ended the set with a spike to tie the match at 1.

“Every single point that we get, no matter who gets it, we’re fired up about it,” Chandrigiri said. “To get a clutch point like that, it just feels incredible.”

Abington Heights carried that momentum into the third set and took command by jumping out to an 18-7 lead. Mountain View scored nine of the next 11 points to cut the deficit to four, but it was the closest it would come, as the Comets closed out the set, 25-18, and took a 2-1 lead in the match.

LaRue and the Eagles wouldn’t go down quietly, as the fourth set belonged to them. Clinging to a one-point lead late, LaRue finished it off with consecutive kills, the last being a powerful spike, to give his team the 25-22 victory and send the match into a decisive fifth set.

Abington Heights raced out to a 7-3 lead but Mountain View clawed back to get within 11-10. A Joyce kill put the Comets up, 14-11, but Keegan Mack followed with a kill to cut the deficit back to two and forced an Abington Heights timeout at match-point.

Following the timeout, the Eagles’ serve went long and out of bounds to give the Comets the 15-12 win and the match.

“We never really get in games like this,” Joyce said. “We’re both very evenly-matched teams. It was fun to be a part of.”

At Lackawanna Trail, Austin Darrow had 11 kills and Kyle Rivenburgh had eight kills to lead Blue Ridge to a 3-1 win.

Shawn Woodruff had 16 assists for the Raiders.

At Elk Lake, Noah Fedak had 10 assists and seven kills and Pat Coles had eight kills and six digs to lead Forest City, 3-0, over the Warriors.
Noah Yates had six kills for the Foresters.

Adam Curry had five kills for Elk Lake and J.J. Heft had eight points.

On Tuesday (April 28) Lucas LaRue had nine digs, 25 kills and five blocks and Emmet Jodon had 42 assists to lead Mountain View, 3-1, over the Foresters.

Keegan Mack had five aces and 10 kills for the Eagles.

Noah Fedak had five kills and 10 assists for Forest City.

At Blue Ridge, Shawn Woodruff had 24 assists and 15 points and Austin Darrow had 17 kills to lead the Raiders, 3-0, over Elk Lake.

Kyle Rivenburgh had seven points and five digs for the winners.

Adam Curry had six kills for Elk Lake.