Clarion-Limestone Wins Epic Five-Set Thriller Over Defending Champ Oswayo Valley to Advance to Class A Title Match

STRATTANVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Clarion-Limestone and Oswayo Valley came into Tuesday night’s D9 semifinal volleyball game pretty evenly matched.

One had to figure it would go all five sets, which indeed it did, as the Lions rallied from a 2-1 deficit to pull out a 25-22, 25-27, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13 victory over the defending champ Green Wave to advance to the championship game on Thursday evening.

(Pictured above, Clarion-Limestone’s Alyssa Wiant was named the Hager Paving Incorporated Player of the Game along with Kaylee Smith, who recorded her 1,000th career assist)

“Our motto is always to just go out and win every single day,” said C-L head coach Ryan Troupe. “We want to do well, and these girls want to do well. They’ve worked so hard for this to make it to a district final in a really tough Class A field — (That) says a lot about them and the way they do it says a lot as well.”

Another common theme for the Lions has been balance at the net and Tuesday evening would be no different.

Jenna Dunn and Maddy Greeley each put away 15 kills while Alyssa Wiant added 12. Hannah Beggs put away nine while Ansley Burke put away six and even setter Kaylee Smith put away five kills.

Clarion-Limestone Area High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.

“Looking at the stats we had Jenna and Maddy with 15 kills,” said Troupe. “We had Hannah with nine, and even our setter had five. Every single match we have been getting everybody involved and that’s been our key.”

Smith handed out 39 assists, including the 1,000th of her career. She also picked up 20 digs while serving for 11 points. Beggs picked up 25 digs, and Abby Knapp-Greeley picked up 11 digs. Dunn served for 12 points with two aces while Greeley served for six points with an ace.

(Kaylee Smith)

“The win tonight was a bit different from the Port match,” said Troupe. “We were here tonight, and we gave up a few bad points in the sets that we lost. That being said I tell the girls that there is no group that I trust more to come back when we’re down no matter how far. They’ve shown all season they have that ability and to be mentally tough and believe in themselves and each other.”

Oswayo Valley built an 8-4 lead early in the opening set forcing a C-L timeout. From there the Lions fought back to take a 16-13 lead to force a Green Wave timeout. Oswayo Valley would fight back to tie things up at 20-all. A Greeley kill would fuel a 3-0 spurt by C-L for a 23-20 lead. Oswayo Valley would pull to within 23-22 before the Lions would notch the final two points including a Wiant kill to give C-L the 25-22 win in set one.

The second set would be back and forth the entire set with neither team leading by more than two points throughout the set as Oswayo Valley would prove they would be tough to beat in taking the second set 27-25.

C-L would lead by as many as five points at 18-13 in the third set. However, the Green Wave would begin to mount a comeback with the Lions ahead 20-16. Praylan Perkins would serve for six straight points to put O-V ahead 23-20. C-L would pull to within 24-22 before Olivia Cook would put away a monster kill for the 25-22 victory to take a two sets to one lead.

C-L would not go away quietly as they would steadily put pressure on the Green Wave and would eventually take a seven-point 19-12 lead forcing a timeout. The Green Wave would respond to the timeout in scoring seven straight points after a C-L 21-13 lead to close to within one at 21-20. C-L would close out the set with a 4-1 edge including a Smith tip kill to finish off the set 25-21 forcing the winner take all fifth set.

The fifth set would play out much like the others with neither team able to take command and lead by more than two points. With O-V leading 13-12 and C-L calling their final timeout, Smith would gain a kill to tie the score at 13-all. Greeley would follow with a kill and Beggs would close out the set and the match with a kill on an overpass at the net to end the match.

“We put in a specific blocking scheme just for this match knowing what Oswayo Valley likes to do,” said Troupe. “We wanted to try something new and I felt we had to and our front line just came up huge for us tonight.”

Clarion-Limestone will play Elk County Catholic in the final on Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

Clarion-Limestone Area High School sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Redbank Chevrolet and DuBrook.