WAYNESBURG — The Waynesburg Central girls volleyball team showed resilience Tuesday night, turning a slow start into a decisive 3-0 victory over No. 15 Quaker Valley in the WPIAL Class 3A first‑round playoffs. The win moves the Raiders, the No. 2 seed, into Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 10 South Allegheny.
Early pressure and a comeback
Quaker Valley jumped ahead in the opening set, taking an 11-6 lead. Their tight defense limited the Raiders’ offense, keeping the score close. Waynesburg’s turning point came when senior Chatham Knight stepped up at the service line, delivering five straight points, including two aces, to give the Raiders a 12-11 edge.
“I tell the team we have to control what we can control, and serving is one of those things,” Knight said after the match. “There was a lot of emotion and passion because we didn’t want this to be our last game.”
After gaining the lead, the Raiders built momentum. A block kill by Railey Bochna sparked a 4‑0 run, and a pair of kills from Emma Blair and Emily Rafferty pushed the set to a 25-19 finish.
Second set dominance
Quaker Valley again started strong, leading 10-7, but Waynesburg responded with a 10‑0 run to seize a 17-10 advantage. Libero Leila McCollum contributed an ace, while Bochna added three kills during the surge. Rafferty’s two kills and a middle‑court finish by Harper Grimes sealed the set 25-14.
Bochna highlighted the depth of the Raiders’ lineup: “That’s huge for us, because if I’m struggling, we have so many other hitters who can put the ball down just as well.”
Third set clinches the sweep
The final set saw the Raiders explode out of the gate, jumping to a 9-2 lead thanks to Bochna’s powerful kill off a block. The team never looked back, closing the set and the match with a decisive win.
Coach Dan Higginbotham praised his squad’s composure: “Our serve‑receive was constant the whole night, even when we were missing shots early. I felt they were more like an 8‑10 seed, not a 15 seed, and I’m glad our girls prevailed.”
Looking ahead
With the quarterfinals set for Thursday, Waynesburg will face South Allegheny, the team that defeated McGuffey earlier in the tournament. A potential semifinal showdown with Avonworth looms if both teams advance.
“We want to prove ourselves,” Knight added. “We all wear Waynesburg proudly on our chest, and we have a lot more to prove. Getting back to the semifinals is our goal, and we’re ready to fight for it.”
The Raiders improve to 18‑0 on the season, reinforcing their reputation as a dominant force in western Pennsylvania high‑school volleyball.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
