With a solid core of returning players, the State College boys volleyball team is off to a solid start to the season.
The Little Lions won their season-opening match against Carlisle on March 27 and advanced to the semifinals of a tournament at Meadville earlier in the month.
State College has six back for 2023 who started parts or all of last season, and the team is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
The opener against the Thundering Herd was a marathon 25-18, 15-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-11 victory in the North Gym.
“Good win tonight,” Coach Larry Campbell said. “We were really sloppy … but got a win. (We’re) figuring it out.”
The team was paced by 13 kills and 13 digs from Kieran Leahey, 10 kills and 11 digs from Kadin Karacky, nine kills and five blocks for Carter Weight, nine kills and 13 digs for Sam Li, 36 assists and 15 digs for Derrick Campbell, and 20 digs and two aces from Lucas Keiter.
At Meadville’s tournament on March 18, State College posted a 7-3 pool-play record, finishing second in its pool. The team earned 2-0 wins against Moon, Conneaut and Fort Leboeuf, split 1-1 with Hempfield (Greensburg) and lost 2-0 to the host Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 2 in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Class 2A poll. The Little Lions topped Mercyhurst 25-20 in the quarterfinals and fell 25-18 in the semifinals to PVCA Class 3A No. 1 Shaler, the eventual champion.
For the day, Leahey had 27 kills and 29 digs, Karacky followed with 23 kills and 25 digs, Weight notched 18 kills and six blocks, Li added 10 kills and 14 digs, and Keiter had 40 digs and five aces. Derrick Campbell delivered 73 assists, eight aces, 22 digs and five blocks.
“We got a chance to do some real good things,” Larry Campbell said. “(We) need to be more focused in practice and get better.”
The Little Lions were looking forward to a meeting with Altoona on March 29 and a trip to Chambersburg on April 4.
