CRANBERRY, Pa. – The Clarion Area Bobcats dominated the match from start to finish, cruising to a 25-14, 25-15, 25-14 victory over Bishop Canevin to clinch a spot in the state finals on Tuesday.
(Photo by Kirkland Photography.)
The Bobcats were the superior team all night, using clean passing and setting to clear the way for their powerful hitters. Korrin Burns and Erica Selfridge both had strong performances, notching 16 and 14 kills respectively. Brenna Campbell was superb in dictating the offense, while Aryana Girvan contributed both offensively and defensively to the victory.
The Bobcats offense was hot early in set one, jumping out to a 8-4 lead. Clarion’s momentum continued through the set with Burns slamming home eight kills, the eighth of which put the Bobcats up 19-10. Clarion’s errors put a bit of stress on the Bobcats, but the squad was able to persevere and eliminate their mistakes late in the set. A sneaky kill from Campbell sealed the deal for Clarion, winning set one 25-14.
The second set started out with a 3-0 Bishop Canevin run, but Clarion quickly fought back to take a 13-8 lead. Selfridge was instrumental in shifting the momentum back to Clarion, as she had six kills in the first half of the set. After Bishop Canevin brought the deficit down to 13-10, Clarion went on a 12-5 run to close out the set. Campbell supplied the final point yet again, catching the Crusaders’ defense by surprise to take set two, 25-15.
Clarion opened the third set with a 5-0 run, before Bishop Canevin came back to equal the score at six apiece. Clarion broke the game open by scoring nine of the next ten points, using Selfridge’s kills and Crusaders’ errors to grow the Clarion lead to 15-7. Clarion continued to increase their lead, and a kill from Burns and a service error put the Bobcats on the brink of the state finals. Four points later, a Bishop Canevin error gave the Bobcats the third set and the match, winning 25-14, 25-15, 25-14.
Clarion will face either Sacred Heart Academy or Marian Catholic in the state finals. The match will take place at Cumberland Valley High School at 10:30am on Saturday, November 21. Congratulations to the Bobcats on their great postseason run, and good luck in the state finals!
