Lady Devils volleyball team raises level of play

BELLWOOD - Last week in the St. Francis University High School Volleyball Tournament, Bellwood-Antis went 0-9.

B-A certainly turned it around Saturday in the 18th annual Bellwood-Antis Lady Blue Devil Invitational Volleyball Tournament.

The Lady Devils finished second to McConnellsburg in Pool A play with a 3-2 record and knocked off Pool B champion Everett, 16-25, 25-16, 15-10, in the quarterfinals before falling to McConnellsburg, 25-20, 25-20, in the semifinals.

The Lady Spartans went on to beat upstart Lewistown, 25-18, 25-12, to win the tournament title.

B-A first-year coach Annette Wilkins says her team's performance Saturday might have been a matter of rest and relaxation.

"In the St. Francis tournament, they just weren't awake," she said. "They weren't playing their game. This morning, I don't know if it was home-court advantage or what, they actually came ready to play."

"I think we played really well," B-A co-captain Emily Crook said. "The last couple years [in the tournament] we haven't even made the playoffs. To make the semifinals, was a good accomplishment."

Everett went 5-1 in pool play to get a quarterfinal matchup against B-A, which the Lady Warriors had beaten earlier this month. The Lady Devils, however, found a little motivation for the match.

"We were really excited," Wilkins said. "We were really gunning for them. We didn't like that they were joking after the first game that they were going to take it again. They were determined to show that they weren't going to roll over and they were just as good as [Everett], and they did."

McConnellsburg beat the Lady Devils, 25-17, 26-24, in pool play. B-A arguably gave the Lady Spartans their stiffest competition of the day in both matches. The score was 11-11 in the second game before the Lady Spartans reeled off eight unanswered points to gain control.

"It definitely gives the girls a better sense of the fact that they're up there on that level where they should be now," Wilkins said, "instead of slow starts and getting behind. I have a nice patchwork of girls who are still learning to play alongside one another. They're doing a really good job."

Four other area teams in the 18-team tournament didn't reach the playoff round. Hollidaysburg went 3-3 to finish third in Pool C. Cambria Heights went 2-4 in Pool A to take third, and Juniata Valley finished 2-4 to take third in Pool D. Tussey Mountain was 0-6 in Pool C.

Pool records

Pool A

McConnellsburg 6-0, first place; Bellwood-Antis 3-2, second place; Cambria Heights 2-4; Shanksville-Stonycreek 1-5.

Pool B

Everett 5-1, first place; Rockwood 3-3, second place; Mount Union 2-4; Central Mountain 2-4.

Pool C

Penns Valley 5-1, first place; Meyersdale 4-2, second place; Hollidaysburg 3-3; Tussey Mountain 0-6.

Pool D

Berlin Brothersvalley 6-0, first place; Lewistown 4-2, second place; Juniata Valley 2-4; Clearfield 0-6.

Quarterfinals

Bellwood-Antis def. Everett, 16-25, 25-16, 15-10; McConnellsburg def. Rockwood, 25-19, 25-16; Lewistown def. Penns Valley, 25-18, 13-25, 15-13; Berlin Brothersvalley def. Meyersdale, 25-20, 23-25, 15-13.

Semifinals

McConnellsburg def. Bellwood-Antis, 25-20, 25-20; Lewistown def. Berlin Brothersvalley, 25-22, 14-25, 15-13.

Championship Finals

McConnellsburg def. Lewistown, 25-18, 25-12.