Central Mountain Solidifies Top Seed, Topping Tyrone
By Tom Elling
MILL HALL – Wildcat volleyball coach Chipp McCann was more than pleased
with the performance of his team as they took three sets from a scrappy
Tyrone team.
“I am very proud of these girls,” the affable coach stated in a
post-game interview. “They showed up to play tonight and solidified
their lock on the #1 seed in the upcoming District 6 AAA championships.
We did what we had to do tonight.”
In fact, they did just that. The opening set was all Lady Wildcats as
they dominated with a 25-11 win. The team looked fluid, and their passes
and sets were as close to flawless as they had been all year. Sophia
Hardy was her usual self, delivering serve after serve to give the team
momentum.
“She (Hardy) has been phenomenal all year long,” McCann mused. “Her
serve is kind of like a baseball knuckleball. It floats and has very
little spin. She is a natural at that position.”
In the second set, it appeared CM was headed for another blowout, but
the scrappy Lady Golden Eagles had other plans. They fought gallantly
and led until a final surge by the ‘Cats. The home team eked out a 25-23
battle, putting Tyrone in a deep hole. Gabby Beaubrun and Kylie Rauch
played key roles in that win. McCann also noted that Cora Myers, Katelyn
and Reese Walizer all contributed to that close victory.
In the third set, CM played more coherently, sealing their #1 seed with
a 25-16 victory to complete the 3-0 sweep. McCann was able to get more
players in all three sets, and the contributions of Heidi Miller and
Chloe Confer were evident.
The Lady Wildcats (22-6) will now have what McCann labeled as ‘a long
layoff’ until they likely face Bellefonte (6-11) at home on Monday,
October 28th. Should they win that semi-final, their finals’ opponent
would be the winner of the Hollidaysburg-Somerset match.
NOTES: The event was a pink-out cancer awareness night, honoring and
raising awareness for those battling cancer, those who have lost loved
ones to cancer, and those supporting someone fighting the disease. A
fundraiser was held to donate to the cancer society.
