Pine Bush tops Valley Central in Class AA semifinal

By Mike Zummo
Posted 11/10/21

The Valley Central volleyball team made Pine Bush fight for every point in the first two sets of Thursday’s Section 9 Class AA semifinal.

But things fell apart in the third as the …

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Pine Bush tops Valley Central in Class AA semifinal

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The Valley Central volleyball team made Pine Bush fight for every point in the first two sets of Thursday’s Section 9 Class AA semifinal.

But things fell apart in the third as the second-seeded Pine Bush got ahead early and ended the No. 3 Vikings’ season with a 3-0 victory at Pine Bush High School.

“The first two sets were awesome,” Valley Central coach Paige Matuszewski said. “They came out ready to go, and that third set was just defeating. They just did not come out with the same energy after playing so close and losing. They just did not come out with the right mindset.”

The Vikings played Pine Bush the closest in the first set, even leading Pine Bush by one point before falling behind by five points on a service run by Pine Bush’s Zoe Rodi. Still, they fought back to tie the set on an ace by Bella Frangione. However, two Valley Central hitting errors and an ace by Pine Bush’s Jones ended the first set with a 25-22 Pine Bush win.

The second set was similar, and the Vikings held an early three-point lead. The set was tied at five different points before Pine Bush broke a 13-13 tie and scored three straight points to take a 16-13 lead. Valley Central pulled to within two points three times before three service points by Maggie Goodenough gave Pine Bush a 25-20 win in the second set.

“They gave it their all in the first two,” Matuszewski said. “And I think without winning a set, they felt a little defeated going into the third, and it showed.”

It showed as Pine Bush quickly built a 13-3 lead in the third set and cruised to a 25-16 win to end the match and the Vikings’ season.

“It hurts a little bit,” Matuszewski said. “Every year we’ve gotten closer. Last year was the quarterfinals and this is the first time we’ve ever made the semifinals, but it’s a tough way to lose, especially in three.”

The Vikings will lose four seniors – their co-captains Bianca Staples and Riley Schoonmaker, Hailey Nop and Julia Wilson. That covers the Vikings’ setter (Nop) and two of their best hitters (Staples and Schoonmaker).

“It’s going to be a tough offense that we’re going to have to make up for next year,” Matuszewski said.

Schoonmaker had 11 kills, one assist, two digs and two blocks, while Nop had 25 assists, two kills and an ace.

Staples had six kills, three aces, two digs and a block. Bella Frangione had a kill and 16 digs, while Autumn Singleton had five kills, three aces and two blocks.

“I told them they played awesome,” Matuszewski said. “That was the best match they’ve ever played against Pine Bush. Pine Bush is the best. They won three years in a row, and it really could have been anyone’s game in those first two sets. So, they played great.”