Shawn Theodore, Ryan Horutz and Shane Brower teamed up for one last surge Wednesday night, finishing off an Abington Heights rally from the brink of elimination to the first state boys volleyball tournament win in the history of the program.
Theodore finished one point at the net with Bethlehem Freedom serving for match point, then delivered his own serve that the Patriots could not return. That combination paved the way for one last perfectly placed Horutz set that Brower powerfully finished for the winning point that ended the lengthy five-set match.
The final Brower kill capped a comeback from being down two sets to one and from trailing by three points twice in the final set, which was supposed to be a race to 15.
Abington Heights won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A tournament match on its home court by set scores of 25-19, 16-25, 20-25, 25-21, 23-21.
The last set kept coming because rules require a team to win by two. The Comets and Patriots were not only tied at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12, but also at every point from 14 to 21, requiring the match to keep going until that final Abington Heights streak of three decided a set that had been tied 16 times.
Theodore finished with 26 kills. Horutz had 49 assists and three blocks. Brower’s winning kill was his 16th of the match to go along with two blocks.
There were many other contributors to the win, which sends Abington Heights (16-4) into Saturday’s quarterfinal against unbeaten District 3 champion Cumberland Valley.
Dan Beck had nine kills and two blocks. Nolan Moore had eight kills and two aces. Chase Beerman had four aces. Chris Cummins had two aces. Ben Reese had two blocks.
The match featured several swings of momentum, including Abington Heights starting out with a 7-1 lead in the first set, then Freedom scoring the first nine points of the second.
Theodore got the Comets going by finishing the first two points of the match through double blocks from Freedom.
Cummins served three straight points for a 4-0 lead, then a Brower smash off another Horutz set, a Beerman ace and a Horutz block made it 7-1.
Beck’s kill closed out the first set at 25-19.
Freedom not only scored the first nine points of the second set on the way to an 11-1 lead, but the Patriots also put together a streak of seven points to make it 21-8.
After evening the match with the 25-16 win in the second set, Freedom again took charge. The Patriots led through the third set although the Comets did manage to close to within 17-16 before falling 25-20.
Abington Heights forced the fifth set by winning the fourth 25-21 on a kill by Theodore.
Freedom led 9-6 and 10-7 in the deciding set and its chances to conclude the match include when it led 21-20.
Theodore won a battle at the net for the tying point, leading to the dramatic finish and ensuing celebration.
Abington Heights will play in a doubleheader at Exeter Township High School near Reading Saturday.
Unbeaten Wyoming Valley Conference and District 2 champion Holy Redeemer faces York Suburban in the Class 2A opener at 3 p.m. Lackawanna League and District 2 Class 3A champion Abington Heights meets Cumberland Valley, which routed Unionville (17-5) by a 25-7, 25-22, 25-16 sweep, to improve to 19-0.
The Class 3A match will follow Class 2A and, depending on the length of that match, start at approximately 5 p.m.
