CENTRE COUNTY — It’s getting crowded with Centre County teams at the top of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference girls’ volleyball standings.
Unbeaten Bald Eagle Area is in first place, one game ahead of Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola.
Hollidaysburg is mixed in there with a 1-1 record that includes a win over P-O and a loss to BEA.
BEA began the season with seven match victories over Huntingdon, Hollidaysburg (3-2), Bedford, Central Cambria, Penns Valley, Bishop Guilfoyle and P-O.
The Eagles’ only loss so far, outside of a 1-0 tournament loss to Forest Hills, came on Monday, September 15, to non-league Central Mountain at home, 3-1.
Against P-O on September 11 in Wingate, BEA came through with an impressive 25-14, 25-18, 25-21 win that, at the time, set the Eagles record at 7-0.
The Eagles’ attack was led by Leah Bryan with 13 kills–the team had 27–and Casey Angellotti with 20 assists.
Angellotti also had 12 digs, while Angellotti and Emily Smith each had two service aces.
On Monday at home against Central Mountain, BEA lost its first match, 19-25, 27-25, 18-25, 14-25.
Bryan led in kills again with 23, followed by Emily Smith with 10 and Kendall Gavlock with 8.
Angellotti dished out 39 assists and had 11 digs, with Nora Eppley adding 10 digs.
BEA will next take on arch-rival Bellefonte away on Monday, September 23.
Penns Valley is just a game behind the Eagles after the Rams lost 3-0 in Wingate on September 8.
Since that match, the Rams have impressive wins over Central, 3-0, and Bellwood-Antis, 3-1.
Every set was close against BEA on the 8th with the Eagles taking all three sets, 25-19, 27-25, and 25-19.
Bryan hurt the Rams with 23 kills, as did the BEA team with a total of 9 service aces.
The Rams recovered, however, and have played two solid matches against Central and Bellwood.
At home against the Dragons on September 9, PV prevailed 25-7, 25-19, and 25-10 as the Rams took their third LHAC win.
Then on the 11th at Bellwood, PV scored a 25-15, 25-14, 14-25, 29-27 victory.
The Rams, ahead 2-0 on the night, had to scramble as the Devils won set 3 and then rallied to force a long overtime in set 4.
Next up for PV will be home matches with Homer Center on Monday, September 22 and P-O on September 23.
In Philipsburg, the Lady Mounties were on a three-match winning streak before their 3-0 loss to Bald Eagle Area on September 11.
The Mounties took Bedford 3-0 on the 4th, Bishop Guilfoyle on the 8th and then Bellefonte on the 9th.
Against Bellefonte, Adi Jarrett had 13 kills and 4 aces, and Hayden Anderson had 31 assists as the Mounties completed a 25-16, 25-21, 25-17 match win.
The Raiders, after a slow start, kept pace in the second and third sets, but P-O had enough offense to close out each set.
Then at BEA on September 11, the Mounties poor start hurt them in a 25-14 loss in the first set, and they were never able to recover in the 3-0 loss.
Set 2 went to BEA, 25-18, and then the Eagles closed out the match with a 25-21 win in the third set.
Bryan had 13 kills for BEA, with Angellotti handing out 20 assists and getting 12 digs.
For P-O, Jarrett had 20 kills and Anderson had 24 assists and 7 digs.
Philipsburg-Osceola next will travel to Penns Valley on September 23 and then take on Clearfield at home on September 25.
