Brett Keener (The Sentinel)
YORK – Reminders of Central York's status among Pennsylvania's volleyball programs were visible everywhere Carlisle turned on Tuesday.
The wall behind the Thundering Herd bench was lined with banners detailing the Panthers' success at the district and state levels, and on the court in front of them was a veteran Central team looking to add some unique pieces to its lineup.
The weight of that experience was on full display Tuesday as No. 1 Central York defeated No. 4 Carlisle, 3-0, in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball semifinals at Central York High School. The Panthers won 25-16, 25-17, 25-23 to advance to their second consecutive district final. The Panthers will play No. 2 Warwick at home on Thursday, looking to win their first title since 2019.
Carlisle has reached the district semifinals for the first time in the school's history and has already booked a spot in the PIAA Tournament and will face No. 3 Red Lion in the third-place game on Thursday.
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“(Central) was a complete winner tonight,” Carlisle coach Drew Karbach said. “They were on a mission and we knew it was going to be that way going into the game. They had unfinished business from last year. They're a good team and they kept the pressure on. It was really tough. Every time we chipped away at the lead, they pulled away again.”
The Hurd was forced to play in catch-up mode virtually all night, some of it self-inflicted in the first game as three straight Carlisle errors gave Central an early 5-2 lead. Five service errors compounded the problem as Central tried to make the Hurd pay for giving up extra points.
Carlisle closed Central's lead with a 4-0 run, pulling the Hurd to within 15-11, but the Panthers' hitting accuracy and defensive effort made things tough for Carlisle. John Hee extended the lead with two aces late in the game, and Trevor Ketrick sealed the 25-16 victory with a spectacular cross-court kill, part of a consistent Panthers effort that combined hitting speed and zone play.
“Volleyball is also about creativity,” Central coach Landon Shorts said, “[Carlisle]is a really big blocker, so we'll mix in some short passes, put them together, attack in different ways. The volleyball IQ of our players is really high right now.”
Carlisle boys volleyball punches ticket to District 3 semifinals, defeating Hempfield in a hard-fought five-set match
The Panthers were shut out in the second game as well, this time leading until the end. Carlisle hung in there again, at one point leading by three points to get within 16-13, but Central was always ready to fight back. Ketrick scored three points on the final kick of a 9-4 run for the Panthers, and his team committed just one attacking error in the 25-17 victory.
“We always talk about the most important thing in volleyball is serve reception,” Shorts said. “In practice we work a lot on serve reception and getting the first ball out wide. Good passing goes hand in hand with clean attacking and setting up, and that's a key piece for us right now.”
Central was a little more error-prone in the third game, and Carlisle capitalized on those opportunities with their best performance of the night. The teams essentially traded points throughout the game, tying the score 17 times in the set. A kill from Corey Fitzpatrick and a block from Dom Cole gave the Hurd a 23-22 lead, but a kill from Christian Backes put Central out wide to tie the game. The Panthers then scored consecutive points to secure the win.
“Our energy just picked up in the third game,” Karbach said. “The great thing about these guys is they never give up, they never give in. You saw the heart they had in the third set. Their tenacity, their tenacity and their determination was incredible.”
Photos: Carlisle beats Penn Manor in District 3 boys volleyball opener
Carlisle's Timothy Fletcher (center) sets up to play in the third set against Penn Manor in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Penn Manor's Harry Whited, left, hits the ball past Carlisle's Corey Fitzpatrick, back, during the first set of the District 2 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Dominic Cole (back) hits the ball past Penn Manor's Cole Johnson (left) and Noah Leen (right) during the first set of the District 2 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Timothy Fletcher (back) sets up to play in the first set against Penn Manor in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium in Carlisle.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Dominic Cole, seen from behind, hits the ball past Penn Manor's Wyatt Hopstetter during the first set of the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Wyatt Colestock (left) and Jacob Heckman (right) wait to serve during the first set of the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener against Penn Manor at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Jacob Heckman (center) spikes the ball past Penn Manor's Andre Weaver (left) and Reese Andrejcek during the first set of the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Jacob Heckman (center) slides past Penn Manor's Harry Whited (right) to spike the ball during the first set of the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
From left, Carlisle's Corey Fitzpatrick and Dominic Cole stop shots toward the net during the first set of the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener against Penn Manor at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Family and friends cheer on the Carlisle boys volleyball team after their first-set win over Penn Manor in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Jacob Heckman serves in the second set against Penn Manor in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Dominic Cole (left) hits the ball past Penn Manor's Andre Weaver (center) and Harry Whited (right) during the second set of the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle erupted in celebration after scoring in the second set in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener against Penn Manor at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
Carlisle's Wyatt Colestock hits the ball during the third set in the District 3 Class 3A boys volleyball opener against Penn Manor at Gene Evans Gymnasium.
Jason Marmont, The Sentinel
