Lillian Otto HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP– The Hopewell girls’ volleyball team stayed hot on Tuesday night, sweeping McGuffey in three straight sets to pick up an impressive win in the first round of the WPIAL 2A Playoffs.
In Set 1, Hopewell came out focused and aggressive, jumping ahead early after a McGuffey error. Mikayla Kurta fired up the team with a strong kill off an overpass, and Brianna Inderelst followed shortly after with a huge swing to push the lead to 8–2. Lahna Murray and Hannah McDowell both delivered key kills, while Bella Ceccarelli kept the offense moving with great sets and smart tips at the net. McDowell added an ace late in the set, and Hopewell closed it out 25–18 to take the early lead.
The Vikings dominated the 2nd Set from start to finish. Inderelst opened with a kill, and then the front line completely took over. Ceccarelli, Kurta, Boyd, and Murray combined for several big blocks that frustrated McGuffey’s hitters. Avery Boyd had an especially strong stretch, blocking multiple shots and setting up Inderelst for a kill on a great cross court pass. Addison Davis and Inderelst each added aces, and Murray’s tip to the middle sealed a 25–13 win for Hopewell.
Hopewell kept their momentum rolling into the 3rd Set. Kurta started things off with a powerful kill, and Boyd continued her strong play at the net with another block. McGuffey pushed back early, trying to stay within range to force a 4th set, but Hopewell’s total team effort proved to be too much. Sky Ross and Murray teamed up for a big block that got the crowd going, and Davis landed a perfect ace soon after. McDowell and Murray both came through with clutch kills down the stretch, and the Vikings closed out the match with a 25–17 victory.
Final Score: Hopewell 3, McGuffey 0 (25–18, 25–13, 25–17).
The Vikings now await their next opponent (Burrell or Brownsville) for Round 2, which will be back at Hopewell High School on Thursday night (10/23) at 7:00 pm.
Here is a set-by-set recap from the match:
Set #1:
1-0 Hopewell on the board on a McGuffey error
3-0 Mikalya Kurta with a kill on an overpass
5-2 Ceccarelli dumps one to the middle forcing an error
8-2 Bree Inderelst hammers a kill for a point
9-3 Lahna Murray with a kill off the Ceccarelli set
10-7 A McGuffey serving error stops an early run
11-8 Hannah McDowell with a strong kill
13-9 McGuffey returns one wide
14-9 McDowell with a behind the back return for a point
15-10 Ceccarelli with a great tip at the net
17-10 McDowell with an ace
18-11 Addison Davis with a great read on a long serve
19-13 Kurta places a kill right on the line off the pass from Davis and set from Ceccarelli
20-13 Inderelst with a beautiful running kill, somehow staying out of the net
22-14 Murray with a kill
23-14 Inderelst with an ace
24-15 McDowell bumps one over causing a McGuffey error.
25-18 Hopewell wins Set #1
Set #2
1-0 Inderelst with a great kill. Davis with a great pass to set it up.
2-0 Ceccarelli and Kurta with a combo block
3-1 Inderelst with a nifty tip at the net
4-2 Avery Boyd and Kurta with a combo block now
6-3 McDowell and Murray with another block. Ceccarelli with an amazing save prior.
8-7 Boyd places one over for a kill
10-8 Murray with a strong kill to the back corner
12-9 McDowell with an ace
13-11 Inderelst with a strong kill, Marina Pinchotti with a nice pass to set it up.
14-11 Hopewell scrambles on the defensive return ending with a McGuffey error.
17-11 Boyd with another block
19-11 Boyd with a great cross court pass to Inderelst for the kill.
20-12 Boyd blocks another one, controlling the net with Kurta.
21-12 Davis with an ace that catches a piece of the back line
23-13 Inderelst with an ace
24-13 Murray with a tip to the middle causing an error
25-13 Hopewell wins Set #2
Set #3:
1-0 Kurta with a strong kill
2-1 Boyd with another block
3-2 Inderelst with a nice hit leading to an error
5-5 Murray with a strong kill. Davis with a great pass to Ceccarelli for the set
6-7 McDowell with a strong kill
8-8 Inderelst with a kill right down the line
11-8 Ceccarelli dumps one to the middle
12-8 Sky Ross with a strong hit for a kill
13-11 Kurta with a kill. Ella Goodrum with a nice pass early in the rally
14-11 Ross & Murray combine for a block
15-11 Davis with a beautiful serve for an ace
17-12 Murray hammers a kill
19-12 Hopewell pouring on the offense late with 2 more points.
22-12 Hopewell with a good read on a long return
23-14 McDowell with a kill
25-17 Pinchotti & Inderelst with 2 great saves on the final rally which ends on a McGuffey error.
