(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – The United East Championship final will feature a rematch of 2025 as No. 2 Wilson swept No. 3 Cairn in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Jackson Wolfe (So., Abbottstown, Pa. / New Oxford) and
Ryan Koontz (Jr., York Haven, Pa. / Red Land) both hit in double figures to lead the attack, while
Demetrius Simmons (Sr., Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Mechanicsburg) and Wolfe led on the defensive side.
The win was also the seventh-straight for the Phoenix which sets a new program record for longest win streak, surpassing the six-game stretch set last season.
The Basics
Scores: No. 2 Wilson 3, No. 2 Cairn 0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-19)
Venue: Gannett Memorial Field House
Records: Wilson 17-8, Cairn 11-22
How It Happened
- Wilson started to create some separation with a 10-3 run to make the score 19-10 in the middle of the first. It was anything but smooth sailing however as Cairn roared back with six consecutive go get back within three. After a Highlanders service error, Cairn got even closer with the next two points. A pair of kills from Koontz helped right the ship, and a block by Koontz aided the Phoenix more to make it 23-20. Wolfe eventually put the set away with a kill.
- Defense shined in the second set as the Phoenix doubled up the Highlanders. It was a two-headed monster as Simmons and Wolfe paired up to reject three Highlanders attacks in a six-point stretch. It came during a 9-0 run by the Phoenix and opened the floodgates on the Highlanders en route to a 2-0 set lead.
- Cairn had the early advantage in the third and took a 7-5 lead after a Justin Panaia ace. Another patented run by the Blue and White helped flip the script as five-straight vaulted them into a 12-8 lead. Adan Rodriguez-Sapen (Jr., Newport News, Va. / Woodside) served up back-to-back aces to make it 20-13 and the Phoenix were able to keep the Highlanders at reach the rest of the way.
Inside The Numbers
- Wolfe came up huge with a double-double on 11 kills and 12 digs. He was also among the leaders up front defensively with three blocks.
- Koontz finished with 10 kills while hitting .333 for the night. He was also a figurehead up front with four blocks, two of which were of the solo variety.
- Simmons also posed problems for the Highlanders with five blocks to lead the Phoenix.
- Satvik Sharma (So., Hummelstown, Pa. / Hershey) set up the attack with 28 assists on the night.
- The Phoenix blocked a total of nine attacks by the Highlanders to match a season-best previously set at home against Neumann on March 7.
- Wilson has now won four consecutive matches against Cairn. This includes two semifinal contests as the two met last season in the semifinals as well. Wilson took down the Highlanders in five sets there.
Up Next
Wilson will now try to knock off the defending conference champion Lancaster Bible. The Chargers took the regular season contest 3-1 with the Phoenix handing LBC its first conference set loss in conference play in seven years. First serve is currently set for 2 p.m.
