NTL VOLLEYBALL: NEB SWEEPS CANTON FOR SECOND STRAIGHT D4 TITLE (2024-11-01)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportATHENS — Northeast Bradford made history last year with their volleyball program’s first ever District IV title. They added to that history on Thursday, as they won the Class A title with a 3-0 win over Canton.
“Going back to back is the best feeling ever,” said Kelsea Moore. “I’m so proud.”
“It means so much,” added Kiarra DeLancey. “This is something we worked so hard for, something we really have been looking forward to all season. It’s just such a good feeling, it’s so exciting.”
The Panthers won the sets 25-13, 25-17, and 25-21 over the Warriors, a team they swept during the regular season.
Still, NEB had a few nerves to work through, especially as they came in as the favorites this year, unlike last season.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” said Toni Herb. “But we knew we had to take the game seriously, and stay up and play as hard as we can to win this game.”
For Abby O’Connor, this was a full circle moment.
“It feels really good to win it two years in a row, especially against Canton, since we got knocked out by them my freshman year,” she said.
The sets were closer than the final score appears, as the first set was tied at 10-10, while the second set was a 2-point game most of the way. Canton had a lead most of the third set, but in all three NEB’s experience proved to be the difference against the younger Warriors.
It wasn’t the cleanest matches by either teams as unforced errors were more the norm than the aberration.
“At this level it’s whoever really wants it more,” said NEB coach Vanessa Perez. “They were so nervous, but I was like,’ we’ve played this team, we’ve been here before, we’ve got this.’ I just want you to enjoy the moment, they’re still so focused on the past and future, but just really enjoy the game.”
Toni Herb had 14 kills, eight digs, one ace, and one assist, with Abby Chobot getting three kills, 11 digs, two aces, and two assists.
Abby O’Connor had nine kills, five digs, one block, two aces, and one assist, as Zaelea Lane notched 10 digs, and a kill.
Kiarra DeLancey had 20 digs, five assists, and three aces, with Kelsea Moore getting five kills, 21 assists, and seven digs.
It was an emotional ending Canton for who has been through a ringer of a season.
“The unforced errors tonight are what took us out of this game,” said Canton coach Jackie Thompson. “I look at them as a lot of young errors, a lot of the ones that were making the errors were some of our younger players, but they only can use that and build on that. The core ones this is my second year with them, and I have two more years with them, so we have a lot to build on with that.”
Addi Pepper had six kills, nine assists, five digs, and four points, as Kendall Kitchen had a double-double of 13 points and 22 digs to go with two assists.
Makenna Seachrist notched six points, four kills, two digs, two blocks, and an ace, with Tara Gilbert getting nine points, five kills, nine digs, and an assist.
Nevaeh Vroman had four points, five assists, and an ace, with Cailyn VanNoy getting four points, three kills, and 11 digs.
Addy Cardona finished with two kills, and a block, as Danah Wesneski had a kill, and a dig.
“I said to our assistant coach previously, that getting them here tonight just to get the experience is absolutely probably one of the best things we can do for them,” Thompson said. “I think moving forward it only give them a bite of the pie, and hopefully, next year they want the whole thing.”
A Pepper kill got Canton off on the right first to start the first set but back to back Herb hits put NEB up 2-1.
A Panther net serve tied the set at 2-2, but a 2-0 run by NEB off Canton errors saw them take a lead that would they would extend to 10-4 off an Herb.
The Warriors rallied, though, scoring six straight points off kills from Pepper and VanNoy to knot things up at 10-10.
After a timeout NEB came back with a 5-0 run themselves, with the first four points off Canton mistakes, while Moore got a kill to end the run.
Back to back Panther hits into the net made it 15-12, and a Seachrist ace cut it to a 2-point match.
That’s as close as it got with NEB going on a 10-0 run to end the first set and take a 1-0 lead.
In the second set NEB would jump out to a 4-2 lead only for Canton score three of the next four points to tie things up at 5-5.
The two teams hung around each other until it got to 11-11. That’s when NEB went on a 4-0 run behind some Canton miscues to go up 15-11.
The Warriors would cut it to two points twice - 15-13 and 16-14 - but the Panthers out scored them 9-3 the rest of the way after that to take the second set 25-17.
A pair of Pepper kills gave Canton a 2-1 lead to the start the third set, but NEB rallied for a 4-2- lead behind hits from O’Connor, and Abby Chobot.
A VanNoy kill would later knot things up at 4-4, with a Gilbert hit putting the Warriors up 5-4. After Canton was called for a net violation they went on a 5-0 run, thanks to some NEB errors along with a Seachrist block, to take a 10-5 lead and for the Panthers to call a timeout.
“I think we all came into the game super nervous,” DeLancey said. “I think every set the first 10 points, it was very nerve racking. We just want to win so bad, we wanted to accomplish that so bad. I think we really found a groove, we settled down.”
Herb had a kill coming out of the break to make it 10-6, but Canton didn’t slow down. They would push their lead back to five at 13-8.
An Herb kill, followed by an O’Connor block started a 4-0 run by the Panthers as cut it to 13-12.
An errant NEB serve put Canton up by two, but the Panthers would battle back to tie it up at 15-all, then scored three more points to make it 18-15, as O’Connor finished things off with a kill.
“It felt really good to take the lead and get us ahead,” said Herb. “We still work really hard, I think we all worked hard as a team.”
Canton would rally to make it 21-19 on a Seachrist block, but Herb came right back with a kill on the next point. The Warriors never got closer than 2-points the rest of the set as Herb finished things off with a kill for the 25-21 win.
Herb led the Panthers with six kills that final set, something she’s been doing for NEB all season.
“When Abby’s off the court we need her to do that,” Perez said.
It wasn’t quite as exciting as last year’s upset win over NP-Liberty, but the Panthers are going to enjoy this one all the same.
“It’s amazing, especially with the group of girls that I’m with,” said Moore. “I’m so thankful.”
Canton will say good-bye to two seniors who’ve been key cogs in the program for the past few seasons. They were leaned on heavily this year with the unexpected passing of Vayda Bryan before the season, but led Canton through to a winning record and the District IV, Class A finals.
“They’ve done a great job,” Thompson said about Kitchen and Pepper. “This team has had more adversity this year than I think any team should, and to see them fight through and be here is awesome.”
NEB will now travel to Mountain View on Tuesday for the first round of states. NEB swept Mountain View, 3-0, in their first match of the season all the way back in August, but aren’t taking anything for granted.
“I think we’re definitely going to be focused on definitely playing out of system a lot, and our defense,” O’Connor remarked.
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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