Derry sweeps Deer Lakes boys volleyball in battle of Section 2 favorites

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 | 9:57 PM

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Deer Lakes and Derry. The mention of those two schools at this time of year could mean only one thing.

It's boys volleyball season.

While they've had some epic battles through the years, the outcome of their WPIAL Section 2-AA match Wednesday night doesn't seem to reflect that sort of intensity, even though, indeed, there were some tense moments for both.

On paper, it was homestanding Derry, which went on to a 3-0 victory in the best-of-five match, that enjoyed all the success.

“These are the types of games you play a sport for,” Derry coach Shawn Spencer said. “It was good to get over the hump, finally, against those guys. That's a good team they have. We're both good teams.”

John Kerr registered 14 kills, and Jake Griffin notched 21 digs for Derry (2-0, 2-0), which defeated Deer Lakes (2-2, 1-1) by scores of 25-23, 25-20 and 25-18.

“We played them twice last year,” Spencer said, “and we couldn't hold on either time. We had them 2-0 here and 2-1 at their place and lost both times. I thought all our kids tonight at one time or another gave us a lift.”

Derry rallied to take the first game 25-23, coming back from five points down, before controlling the second game en route to a 25-20 victory. Jeff Perratone's decisive kill provided the winning point for the Trojans in Game 2.

Deer Lakes, which lost to Beaver County Christian in the 2017 WPIAL championship match, seemingly was on its way to a victory in the first game, but the Lancers lost momentum late and stumbled.

“We had the momentum to start with, and then we lost it,” Deer Lakes coach Brady Schuller said. “We got it back there for a while in the third, too. Then, we lost it again.”

Schuller stood off to the side afterward and leaned on a chair, reflecting back to his days as a player at Deer Lakes. He was a senior on the team's most recent PIAA championship team in 2011.

“Derry,” Schuller said, “it's been a battle with those guys ever since I was playing.”

And, most likely, before that.

Both teams are highly ranked in the early going in the Western Pennsylvania Boys Volleyball Coaches Association poll, Deer Lakes at No. 2 and Derry at No. 3. They trail only top-ranked Ambridge in the latest poll.

Derry, which lost in the WPIAL semifinals a year ago, took advantage of its decisive height advantage over Deer Lakes to control the net for much of the night.

As the Trojans did in the first game, they rallied in the deciding Game 3 by outscoring Deer Lakes, 10-2, to take a 17-13 lead. The Lancers got within 19-17 but went cold down the stretch.

Dom DeLuca's spectacular dig for Derry kept the deciding volley going, and the Trojans scored the final point to ice the sweep.

“They have a nice front line,” Schuller said. “Some of those guys didn't have as much experience last season, but they're back this year, and they've got the experience now. We'll take this match and, hopefully, we'll learn something from it.”

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Derry Area