Lady Tigers cap season of growth with district title
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CRESSON -- Over the first month of the season, the Hollidaysburg girls volleyball team saw just one match go beyond a third set, although some were close.
Since the calendar switched to October, playing four and five set matches have become more of a common practice for the Lady Tigers without a senior on the roster.
They are now showing that they can handle more prolonged fights, and Saturday night proved no different in the first-ever District 6-8-9 Class 5A championship at the Mount Aloysius College Athletic Convocation and Wellness Center.
The Lady Tigers (20-1) took control for good in set four thanks to a 5-1 run late powered by Lena Ransom's match winning slam to capture their fifth District 6 title in the last eight years -- and back-to-back titles -- 25-22, 18-25, 28-26, 25-19.
"I gave them credit in the beginning of the season when we weren't even losing sets," Hollidaysburg coach Brandon Stitt said. "We found ourselves in tough positions, and they kept answering the bell.
"Then we started losing some sets, and we started not really knowing how to respond to that. We're learning, and we're responding, and it's so awesome to see. These guys battled so well. Credit to DuBois -- that's a tough team over there."
Hollidaysburg's reward is a date hosting the WPIAL's third-place team Shaler on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the PIAA Class 5A first round. The Lady Tigers will be seeking their first state playoff win since 2022.
"The mindset during that whole last part of the set was dominate, dominate, dominate," Ransom said of the lead-up to the winning point. "Everybody on the court, we all wanted to win. (DuBois) wanted to win also. I just knew that Delayni (Baird) had the right choice.
"I knew she would set me or set Bella (Basenbeck), and she would know what to do. When I went up there and I saw the middle's hands there, I obviously, strategically didn't hit it into her hands. It was spur of the moment."
Ransom finished the night with 12 kills and four blocks.
"She did a great job blocking tonight," Stitt said. "She takes up a large portion of the court for us, helps our defense out. Anytime we can get her the ball in the front row we try to. Lena's a warrior; she's a great kid."
Kynlee Budny -- who had 16 kills with eight digs and three aces -- felt the chemistry the juniors have built helped them develop into the leaders this team has needs.
"Kenzi (McLanahan), Delayni (Baird), and I have been playing together for over a decade," she said. "Delayni has always been my setter. Coming together, us three, we're the captains. We've always been leaders, group leaders, team leaders. Even in junior high, we were captains. Everyone gets better here, and we just want to be the help that push them that way."
The first set Hollidaysburg had to rally back as a Baird kill along with a pair of Jessica Becker aces helped take the opening stanza.
There was some turbulence to manage in set two as the Lady Beavers (18-2) went on a 13-4 run. That was powered in part by kills from Tristin Fontaine (two) and Clare Kennis, while Fontaine and Kylie Burns added aces to power the outburst.
Set three was tight from the first serve as neither side led by more than three points. Ransom forced extra points with a kill before Budny slammed home the deciding point following a Lady Beaver service error.
"We didn't pass well to be able to run a legitimate middle like we were hoping to," DuBois coach Jason Gustafson said. "On the opposite side of the rotation, I wasn't as concerned because our right side and our outside, they balanced things out."
Budny, though, did have to fight through injuries, and it did raise some concern for her coach at the end of set three.
"She came over here, gave me a scare, but she was able to go," Stitt said. "Credit to our trainer Amy (Smearman) for putting in big work over here. (Budny)'s a warrior. She's been battling shoulder injuries, back issues, all kinds of crazy stuff. She shows up every day with a smile on her face and leads these guys."
The fourth set was more of the same, but Hollidaysburg stretched its lead to five thanks to kills from Ransom, Budny and Becker.
DuBois put up one last gasp cutting the deficit down to two, before Baird, Bella Basenbeck and Ransom put away the match deciding points for the Lady Tigers.
Stitt saluted his team's leadership for helping to get the Lady Tigers to another district title.
"There's times where I call a timeout, and I don't have to say anything in the huddle -- they got it," he said. "What else can you ask for as a coach? When players are holding each other accountable, they're not afraid to speak up in the huddle, it makes my job 1,000 times easier. Credit to them, it's not easy. That maturity, it's huge for us."