Knoch volleyball season ended with grueling 5-game loss to Seton LaSalle
BUFFALO TWP — The 12th-seeded Knoch girls volleyball team was eight points away from upsetting fifth-seeded Seton-La Salle.
Then the Rebels' Morgan Henderson killed a ball to get the serve back. Seton-La Salle never gave the momentum back.
Michelle Sanderson used a strong serve to help the Rebels win 25-23, 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13 Thursday night in a Class AA WPIAL first-round playoff game at Freeport High School.
Knoch (13-5) led 22-17 in the first set and 7-2 in the fifth set, but dropped both sets.
“Losing like that is a lost opportunity, but I think we played our hearts out tonight,” Knights senior outsider hitter Katie Bozzo said.
Kiley Hajek, who finished with 13 kills, buried two as the Knights built a 7-2 lead in the fifth set. Sanderson earned four straight service points, including two aces, to tie the match at 7.
“We gave them way too many freeballs,” Knoch coach Diane Geist said. “That was happening because of the passing. They have some great servers and when our passers are struggling, we give up freeballs and they are going to kill it.”
The fifth set was tied at 9, 11 and 13 before the Rebels' Bridget Hart, who finished with four blocks, blocked a ball to put Seton-La Salle up 14-13. An attack error gave the Rebels the match.
Seton-La Salle coach Larkin Hogel admired the Knights' hustle, especially libero Carly Bozzo.
“Their libero is incredible,” Hogel said. “She's in front of every ball, it was absolutely amazing. I would definitely describe them as pesky.”
In the second set, Knoch fell behind 7-3 before rallying to take a 15-13 lead on a kill and ace by Hajeck.
The Knights then led nearly wire-to-wire in the third set to go up 2-1.
“Our goal was to put up our best fight, which we definitely did,” said Bozzo, who finished with a team-high 18 kills. “We didn't give up at all the whole way through.”
Seton-La Salle rallied to win the last two sets, snuffing out Knoch's upset bid.
