Game of the Week: It’s win or go home for the top-seeded Greencastle-Antrim volleyball team

The Greencastle-Antrim girls volleyball team spent the entire regular season building a strong playoff resume.

Now it’s time for the Blue Devils, the No. 1 seed in the District 3-3A tournament, to showcase their mettle in the postseason.

After a first-round bye, Greencastle begins its playoff journey Thursday with a quarterfinal game against No. 9 Susquehannock. We have chosen this powerful elimination competition as our match of the week.

Over the coming weeks and months of the high school sports season, we plan to spotlight multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming games we should know about? Email suggestions to Andy Sandrik at [email protected].

Susquehannock in Greencastle Antrim

Start time: Thursday, 7 p.m., in Greencastle-Antrim

Records: Greencastle-Antrim, the No. 1 seed in the District 3-3A tournament, comes into the game at 16-2. Susquehannock, seeded No. 9, comes into the game at 12-5.

Last game: The Blue Devils defeated Shalom Christian 3-0 in their regular season finale, while the Warriors opened districts with a 3-0 win over No. 8 Octorara.

What’s at stake: The winner advances to the district semifinals on Tuesday, Oct. 29, where they will face either No. 4 Big Spring or No. 5 York Suburban. The season is over for the loser.

Meet the Blue Devils: Madee Goodwin’s powerhouse, playoff-proven Greencastle-Antrim squad enters the postseason with the goal of advancing even further than last year, when the Blue Devils advanced to the district semifinals. Greencastle, which hasn’t lost a game since Oct. 3, is led by two 2023 Colonial Division First Team All-Stars: Abby Eagler and Kylie Kerns. Eagler, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, has collected 288 kills, 51 aces, 238 digs and 11 blocks, while Kerns, a 5-foot-8 setter and middle hitter, has logged 151 kills, 39 aces and 382 assists, 190 digs and 20 blocks. The Blue Devils will rely on 5-foot-10 Emma Pool, who played as Colonial’s second teamer last fall, to protect the net after a regular season in which she had 79 kills and 39 blocks. In case these three girls can’t make it, Alaina Garling (107 kills, 52 aces, 302 assists) and Wren Roberts (128 kills, 192 digs) have proven they can. Greencastle is the favorite to win this game, and if the Blue Devils can stay cool under pressure, they should be able to do just that.

Meet the Warriors: Susquehannock lost three YAIAA II All-Stars from the playoff team last year, but Jackie Saad’s Warriors haven’t missed a step this fall. In fact, Susquehannock took a step forward by winning its first district game, something it failed to do last year. If there was only one word to describe the Warriors, it would be “great.” Susquehannock brings a trio of outstanding players to the net, including two 6-foot-2 players Sophia Apostolov (121 kills, 53 blocks) and Olivia Fried (78 kills) as well as the 5-foot-10 Ariana Pecunes (178 kills). , 33 aces). The Warriors’ offense runs through setter Mackenzie Turk (259 assists, 32 aces), while Lily Morton (288 digs, 34 aces) leads the defense. Claire Somerville does a little bit of everything for Susquehannock: The setter/outside attacker recorded 74 kills, 34 aces and 107 assists this season. Greencastle will be a tough matchup for the Warriors, but if they can hold their own at the net, they have a good chance of knocking off the Blue Devils.

Sandrik’s choice: Blue Devils in 4th