vikingssportsn BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Hopewell’s Junior Varsity Volleyball team (8-6) overcame a second-set deficit Tuesday night to complete a sweep of Beaver Falls, winning 25-12 and 25-22 behind strong serving, solid defense, and finding a way offensively.
The opening set was tightly contested early, with Lillian Otto delivering a pair of kills off sets from Brooke Otto, while Alyssa Phillips and Abby Babinsack contributed at the net. With Hopewell leading 12-11, Sam Holsinger took over from the service line, helping spark a decisive run that included two aces and a pair of kills from Ellie McCoy. The Vikings closed the set on a 14-2 run to take the opener, 25-12.
A strong and improving Beaver Falls defensive squad responded in the second set, building a 14-8 advantage before Hopewell began its comeback. Ava Ray sparked the rally from the service line, recording multiple aces and helping the Vikings erase the deficit to tie the score at 14-14. After the Tigers briefly regained the lead, Babinsack and Phillips delivered key kills before Liliana Katcher put Hopewell in front with an ace.
Katcher continued her strong serving with another ace as the Vikings extended their lead to 21-16. Beaver Falls made one final push with effort and energy, but Babinsack and Otto delivered important points down the stretch to help Hopewell secure the 25-22 victory.
The Vikings received contributions throughout the lineup, with Brooke Otto directing the offense, Lillian Otto and Babinsack providing consistent attacking power. Holsinger, Ray and Katcher delivered key serving runs, while Bella Cipolla also contributed several important defensive plays.
With the regular season winding down, Hopewell will look to build on Tuesday’s performance, particularly its ability to battle through adversity and finish strong. The Vikings return home Thursday to face Avonworth in their final home match of the season, with Junior Varsity action beginning at 6 p.m. ahead of Hopewell’s Senior Night festivities.
Here’s the play-by-play recap:
Set #1
1-1 Alyssa Philips with a free ball that finds the floor
2-2 Lillian Otto with a kill off the Brooke Otto set
3-3 Beaver Falls with an error
4-4 Otto with another kill. Back and forth so far.
5-6 Sam Holsinger with a good read on a long return
6-6 Bella Cipolla with a great serve, forcing the error
7-6 Phillips and Abby Babinsack with a block at the net
8-9 Philips with a good down-ball for a kill
9-9 Ava Ray with an ace
10-9 Ray with another good serve, Hopewell grabs a lead
11-10 Babinsack drills a kill in the middle
12-11 Babinsack with another kill. Good pass by Liliana Katcher to Otto for the set.
14-11 Sam Holsinger on the serve, forcing a Tigers error. Timeout Beaver Falls
15-11 Holsinger with an ace
16-11 Ellie McCoy with a kill that just gets over the net
18-11 Holsinger with another ace
19-11 Otto with a nice hit, Beaver Falls returns it long
20-11 Holsinger still on the serve. A wide return by Beaver Falls
22-12 McCoy with another kill, using the net for assistance
23-12 Brooke Otto on the serve. Sophia C pushes one over for a point
24-12 Otto with a kill. Great defensive rally from Hopewell.
25-12 Hopewell finishes off Set #1 on a 14-2 run.
Set #2
1-0 Bella Cipolla with a great defensive play to one-arm a dig across.
3-2 McCoy with a nice tip shot at the net, forcing the error
5-3 Katcher and Gianna Rossi with a good read on a long return
5-7 Beaver Falls on a run 5-8 Hopewell calls timeout to regroup
6-10 Ray with a nice down-ball to stop the run
7-13 Philips tips one over for a point
8-14 Beaver Falls with an error
9-14 Ray with an ace
10-14 Ray with another nice serve, forcing the error
11-14 Hopewell regaining their form, timeout Beaver Falls
12-14 Ray with another strong serve. Babinsack places a shot to the middle
14-14 Ray with an ace to tie it up
14-16 Beaver Falls back in front
15-16 Philips with a nice kill. Ray with a great dig, set by Otto
16-16 Babinsack with a nice adjustment on a swing
17-16 Katcher with an ace. Timeout Beaver Falls
18-16 Otto with a kill to the middle
20-16 Katcher with an ace
21-16 Otto with a nice hit from off the net. Cipolla with a great pass.
22-20 Beaver Falls climbing back in it
23-20 Babinsack places one in the middle to stop the run
24-21 Otto with a hard hit. Beaver Falls with the error
25-22 Hopewell finishes off the match.
