Tom Waring
The Pennridge Rams were disappointed to win the District 1 Class 3A boys volleyball silver medal for the third straight year, but they did get a pretty nice consolation prize.
The Rams, who lost to Pennsbury in the District 1 final, will face the District 12 champion in the PIAA Tournament next Tuesday. The Wednesday after the Herald went to press, La Salle played Northeast in the District 12 final.
“We're a good team, and if we can bounce back from this we can go pretty far,” third-year outside hitter Bryce Amon said after a 3-1 loss to Pennsbury last Thursday night. “We just have to amp it up.”
No. 2 seed Pennridge won the Suburban One League American Conference with a 14-0 record. No. 1 seed Pennsbury won the SOL National Conference with the same record. The Rams and Falcons scrimmaged in the preseason but did not play against each other in the regular season.
“It was a battle of undefeated teams and both teams really wanted to win,” Pennridge senior setter Evan Jarosinski said.
Pennsbury won the first set 25-17.
Pennridge also dropped the first set to Unionville in the semifinals, but stormed back in the second to beat Pennsbury, 25-12.
“We had great serving, great passing and a lot of momentum,” Amon said.
Going into the third set, the district title was on the line.
“You can't overreact to the first game and you can't overreact to the second game,” Pennridge coach Dave Childs said.
But it was Pennsbury who took control, winning the next two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-15.
“We played well,” Jarosinski said. “They were just as good as us, maybe even better.”
Childs said the results were fundamental.
“Whoever wins the serve-and-pass game wins the game,” he said.
The Falcons will face the loser of the LaSalle-Northeast game in the first round of the state tournament. Unionville clinched its third state tournament berth from District 1 after shutting out Bensalem, 3-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at Upper Dublin.
For Pennridge (17-2), Evan Jarosinski had 25 assists. His brother, Logan Jarosinski, had 12 kills. Amon totaled eight kills and eight digs. Aaron Ladd added four kills and three blocks. Jude Rotondo had four kills and Chris Cullen contributed two kills and four blocks. Ethan Vo had eight digs.
Pennridge has finished second in the district for three straight years. The Rams lost to Neshaminy in 2022 and to Upper Dublin last year.
“It's sad to finish second in the final three times,” Amon said.
Still, Ammon knows the state tournament is a chance for revenge. He was on the 2022 team that reached the state semifinals but lost in five sets to eventual champion North Allegheny. A year ago, he and the Rams lost in the first round to La Salle.
Evan Jarosinski, who plans to play intramural and club volleyball at Penn State, doesn't want his high school career to end with another first-round loss.
“I can do better at the state tournament,” he said. “I'm ready and I'm definitely going to be hot in the first round.”
Childs is confident in his team.
“It's not over yet,” he said. “We're a good team.”
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