Three Centre County teams were involved in first-round PIAA tournament games Nov. 6, and all three had difficult times, failing to advance.
The unbeaten Bald Eagle Area girls’ volleyball team made sure it took care of business in the District 6 2-A tournament and easily swept to the district trophy.
Unfortunately, the Lady Bald Eagles drew another one of the state’s best teams, No. 1-ranked Freeport, in the very first round of the PIAA Tournament in Cresson on Nov. 6.
Freeport was as good as advertised. The Yellow Jackets (23-3) survived a brutal first set, 25-23, and then went on to complete a 3-0 victory over BEA.
The second set, a 25-15 Freeport win, took its toll on the Eagles and they couldn’t recover in another 25-23 loss in the third set.
The loss ends BEA’s season, but it doesn’t erase the many high points the team experienced. The Eagles finished 19-1, were D-6 champs and advanced into the state tournament for only the second time in their history.
In Class 4-A first-round play, State College was uncharacteristically error-prone in its match against Seneca Valley on Nov. 6 at Penn Cambria High School.
The Little Lions paid for that with a 25-15, 25-20, 25-22 loss to the talented Raiders. SC fought back after that poor first set, but couldn’t get break through with a win and saw its season end.
Still, the Little Lions finished with a highly successful 15-4 record and their seventh straight District 6 championship.
Switching sports, the State College girls’ soccer team was also in PIAA first-round action Nov. 6, for the first time since 2014, against Norwin.
There was much for the SC girls to contend with. The field at Altoona’s Mansion Park was snow-covered and slippery, for one, and then there was a highly talented Norwin team that was previously ranked No. 1 in the state before being upset in the D-7 finals by Penn-Trafford.
Norwin scored a late goal in a tight first half, but then the Knights swept to three more goals in the second half to take a 4-0 win over the Lions.
Norwin now advances in the quarterfinals to take on WPIAL foe North Allegheny.
The loss ended the State College season with a record of 13-8.
