Lenz, Eagles Soar Past Panthers Defense, Capture Trip to the Region Finals

By Megan Steimer

CHESAPEAKE CITY -

There’s always a little more excitement and anticipation when two county teams face each other in the playoffs– it was no different when the (1) Bo Manor Eagles hosted the (5) Perryville Panthers on Monday night in the 1A Region Semifinals. The Eagles came away with a 19-25, 25-10, 25-23, 25-18 victory over the Panthers, making way for a 1A Region Final contest against (2) Patterson Mill.

During the regular season, Perryville was able to take a game from Bo Manor in each match but had a hard time forcing the Eagles to a fifth set. After the Panthers’ 3-0 victory over Joppatowne in the quarterfinals, an opportunity presented itself yet again for Perryville to once and for all close the deal on county powerhouse Bo Manor. It was a strong start for the visiting Panthers, jumping out to a 14-7 lead behind a flurry of unforced errors on the Eagles’ side. Head coach Sabrina Larmer called a well-received timeout as her team subsequently went on a seven-point service run behind a couple of Rylee Lenz kills and consistent serving from libero Julia Holmes to put Bo Manor up 15-14. The next few points were back and forth before Perryville pulled away with a six-point win, keeping mistakes to a minimum and generating an all-around solid performance on the court. “We had a new lineup so we were just so excited and ready to put it into action” said senior outside hitter Riley Jackson, “we gave it everything we could and came out on top in the first set.”

With the game one jitters behind them, the Eagles came out in full force set two, grabbing a lopsided 25-10 win to tie the match. It was all about adjusting at the net for Lenz, “They (Perryville) started to get a lot of touches, so I had to get higher hands. Tips were open so coach just helped me fine the open spots on the court.” Game three started much the same, as setter Hannah Beck found Lenz, who recorded three kills and a block to go up 4-1 early but mistakes started creeping in on both sides of the court. It was clear whoever made the least errors would take the W for set three. After six lead changes, junior Ryleigh Racine knocked in two kills to put Perryville up 22-20 and force the Eagles to take a timeout. Moments later, a backrow kill from Holmes followed by a Panthers’ passing error tied the game for an incredible tenth time, compelling Perryville head coach Matt Borrelli to call a timeout to stop the momentum. The battle carried over from the court into the stands as fans on both sides started cheering louder and louder– this was no doubt, a playoff atmosphere. With the game tied yet again, Lenz logged one of her season high 11 blocks to put Bo Manor ahead where they capitalized and earned a hard fought 25-23 set three victory. “Everyone really hustled and tried their best to get to every ball,” said Holmes.

Down 2-1, the Panthers needed a win to keep their season alive. “I just kept thinking, ‘I don’t want this to be my last game.’ I was imagining what it would feel like if we didn’t win and that’s what kept me motivated,” said senior captain Emily Burchett. Unfortunately for Perryville, they found themselves in a 10-2 deficit early in game four but much like they’ve done all season, the Panthers fought back. Setter Taylor McGuirk found Jackson who made three attack attempts before successfully knocking in a kill down the line to give the Panthers a point. “We were in a big hole, but we tried to climb our way out. It’s how our entire season has been, we fight to break even” said captain Erica Schoerner, “we tend to fall short, but we always keep our heads up and make the best of the matter.” While Perryville was able to win points here and there, Bo Manor’s offense was unstoppable. Hitter Kylee Bergman knocked in one of her seven kills for the Eagles while Beck continued to find Lenz out of the middle. Down 21-14, Racine tallied back-to-back kills to bring the Panthers within five, but the Eagles never let up. Bo Manor was able to take the fourth set and capture a 1A Region Semifinals win, continuing their quest for a return to states.

Rylee Lenz led all hitters with a season high 25 kills to go with her 11 blocks and eight digs while

Bergman also recorded a personal best seven kills.

Julia Holmes commanded the defense with a match high 24 digs while Hannah Beck dished out a personal best 36 assists. It was an emotional end for the Panthers as Riley Jackson finished her last high school game with eight kills and eight digs followed by Scho- erner who recorded six digs and Burchett with a team high 21 digs to go with her 4 assists in her final game as well. Racine tallied a team high nine kills while McGuirk secured a block, 15 assists, and six digs. With the win, Bo Manor moved on to host Patterson Mill in the Region Finals this past Wednesday with a trip to the State Quar- terfinals on the line. The Eagles split the regular season with the Huskies but looked to add Regional Champs to their repertoire in front of the home crowd on Wednesday but the Huskies pulled off the win against the Eagles in a 3-1 upset ending Bo Manor’s season.