Abington Heights’ Hilde Temblador rises to attack the ball against Dunmore.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Alaina Krempasky gets the block at the net for the Lady Comets.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Alaina Krempasky serves the ball for the Lady Comets during their match with Dunmore.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Lady Comets Abby MacDonald connects with the tip against Dunmore.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
A Dunmore bunch is blocked at the net by Hilde Temblador of the Comets.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Abington Heights Lady Comets defeat the Dunmore Lady Bucks to finish their regular season undefeated.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Factoryville, Payton Laytos of Lackawanna Trail taps the ball over a Mountain View defender during their match on October 9.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Factoryville, Trail’s Tiah Stroble blocks the ball at the net against Mountain View.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Factoryville, a block at the net for Lackawanna Trail’s Emily Kimmel during their match with Mountain View.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Factoryville, Elizabeth Harvey serves the ball during the fifth set at Lackawanna Trail High School against Mountain View.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Factoryville, Lackawanna Trail celebrates their first win of the year after successfully completing a comeback win over Mountain View.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Abington Heights faced two long-awaited girls volleyball championship showdowns in October and split them, winning one and losing one.
By the time the Lady Comets met Blue Ridge in the match that decided the Lackawanna League title for Abington Heights, the teams had shared the distinction of the last two unbeaten league records for weeks.
That victory set the stage for Abington Heights and Berwick to eventually play for the District 2 Class 3A title in a meeting of conference champions.
Berwick 3, Abington Heights 1
WILKES-BARRE — Berwick found itself in slightly unfamiliar territory in the Oct. 30 district championship match.
The Bulldogs lost just five sets all season, only two to District 2 opponents — but Abington Heights had a plan and took the first set in the district final.
A quick regroup and three set wins later, and things looked a bit more familiar for the Bulldogs: a fifth district title in seven years.
Lea Adamo and Angie Colone led the way with nine kills each as Berwick withstood an early shot from Abington Heights to win the match and claim the championship at Wilkes University’s Marts Center.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the fourth and final set in dramatic fashion: trailing 24-20 with a fifth set looming, a huge service game from Zoey Force rattled off five straight points for Berwick to make it 25-24.
Abington Heights extended the match with a point to tie the set at 25, but the Bulldogs had one final push to win the next two points for a 27-25 win to secure the gold medals.
With Alaina Krempasky leading the way early, the Lady Comets took the lead midway through the first set and held it all the way to a 25-20 final.
Then, Berwick got going: the Bulldogs led nearly wire-to-wire in a 25-22 second set victory, and withstood a mini Lady Comets flurry in the third set to win it 25-19.
Berwick led most of the fourth set as well, but Abington Heights was able to take their first set of the lead at 20-19, on the strength of some strong serving from Hilde Temblador and Brielle Wentz.
Julia Rauch had 28 assists and 11 digs for the Bulldogs. Makayla Brown led the team with 15 service points, and Jaiden Laidacker added three aces.
Krempasky had 14 kills to lead Abington Heights. Temblador added 12 kills and an impressive six aces on serve.
Abington Heights 3, Crestwood 1
Temblador had 11 kills, 10 digs and 12 assists as Abington Heights reached the district final with the four-set victory Oct. 27 in a doubleheader at Berwick.
Abington Heights won by set scores of 25-14, 25-19, 16-25, 25-13.
Krempasky and Abigail MacDonald had 10 kills each.
Brielle Wentz contributed 24 assists, 13 service points and six aces.
Madison Smith, who had 19 digs and 12 points, and Bella Carr each added four aces.
Mountain View 3, Lackawanna Trail 0
Top seed and eventual champion Mountain View avenged a regular-season upset loss to Lackawanna Trail with the 25-16, 25-14, 25-14 victory while hosting the Oct. 27 District 2 Class A semifinal.
Kilmer had 12 kills and Karley Norton added six.
Sanders had 21 assists and nine service points, five of which came from aces.
Kilmer had five blocks.
Abington Heights 3, Nanticoke 0
Abington Heights opened the district playoffs with a home-court rout Oct. 24.
The Lady Comets won by scores of 25-14, 25-9, 25-12.
Madison Smith, who had 13 digs, and Veda Dickinson had 12 service points each. Carr served for 11 points, six of them with aces.
Krempasky had eight kills and Wentz 17 assists.
Abington Heights 3, Blue Ridge 1
Temblador had 19 kills, 11 service points and 10 digs to lead the way as Abington Heights took control of the league race Oct. 8 at Blue Ridge.
Krempasky added 10 kills and Kathryn Beck had 10.
Smith chipped in with 37 assists, 13 digs and six aces.
Carr had 14 digs and 13 assists while Katherine Hastie had 10 assists.
Regular-season recap
Abington Heights lost just two sets prior to the district semifinals in a 22-1 season.
The Lady Comets went 15-0 to win the Lackawanna by one match over Blue Ridge.
Lackawanna Trail tied with Forest City at the bottom of the standings with a 1-14 record and went 1-18 overall. The only win was the victory over District 2 Class A champion Mountain View, a .500 team going into the state tournament.
