Canevin looks to rematch with GCC after WPIAL loss
Bishop Canevin players Anneliese Balog (No. 25) and Erin Cunningham (No. 11) go up to block a shot by Greensburg Central Catholic during the WPIAL Class A volleyball championship match. Despite the defensive strategy, the Crusaders lost the match to the Centurions, 3-2.
Bishop Canevin player Alex Parra (No. 9) celebrates after recording a kill during the WPIAL Class A volleyball championship match against Greensburg Central Catholic.
Bishop Caneivn player Julia Menosky (No. 14) sets the ball for one of her hitters during the WPIAL Class A volleyball championship match against Greensburg Central Catholic.
Bishop Canevin ceded its WPIAL Class A volleyball title to a familiar foe, but the Crusaders are pretty sure they will meet that same adversary again in the PIAA tournament, which commenced this week.
“We are going to work twice as hard in states,” said Erin Cunningham. “Our goal is to come back and beat Greensburg in states.”
A possible rematch would not occur until the semifinals next week. Until then, Greensburg Central Catholic can relish its narrow margin of victory against Canevin. The two teams traded district titles, with the Centurions winning in 2012 and the Crusaders claiming the crown in 2013. GCC unseated Canevin, 3-2, in this year’s finals played Nov. 1 at Baldwin.
“It was a great match,” said Crusaders’ coach Kevin Walters.
Indeed, the bout went five rounds. After Canevin eked out the first win, 25-22, each team traded easy victories, the Centurions, 26-14, in game two to tie the match and the Crusaders, 25-18, in game three to take a 2-1 lead. GCC won game three, 25-17, to force the tiebreaker. The Centurions jumped ahead, 7-3 and 13-9, before closing out the match with the five-point win, 15-10.
Senior Leah Bisgnani led the Centurions. The middle hitter registered 29 kills. Megan Stunja supplied 19.
“Their offense,” said Cunningham was the difference. “No. 21 [Bisgnani] is a very good player. She ran so many balls on us that killed us.”
The Crusaders had their share of kills as juniors Julia Menosky and Alex Parra racked up 14 and 13 respectively. Junior setter Bailey McDonald recorded 41 assists.
To reach the finals, Canevin (23-2) and GCC (19-1) easily slew their opponents. In the semifinals, the Crusaders defeated Neshannock, 3-0, while GCC beat Shenango, 3-0. Canevin advanced to the Final Four with victories against New Brighton, 3-0, and Serra Catholic, 3-1.
The loss in the finals was disheartening for the Lady Crusaders, who wanted desperately to win for their coach, who was diagnosed in August with Mantle Cell Lymphoma. He has undergone chemotherapy treatments throughout the season but was on the bench for the championship match with his assistants Pete Barakat and Danelle Wagner.
“Kevin is the one who pushes us every year,” said Cunnigham of Walters, who has coached Canevin for eight years. “I’m pretty sure he wants it more than we do. It means a lot in his condition. We want to play extra hard for him. We want to make the plays and please him.”
Before embarking on their state championship run, the team held a spaghetti dinner and Chinese auction Nov. 2 at Saints Simon and Jude Parish in Scott Township to help defray some of the medical costs Walters is incurring.
Then it was back to the courts to battle West Branch in the PIAA opener at Central Cambria High School. The quarterfinals are set for Nov. 8. The PIAA championships are scheduled for Nov. 15 in Hershey.