Hempfield boys volleyball program continues surge

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, April 14, 2018 | 6:30 PM

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The turnaround has been quick for Hempfield's boys volleyball team.

Two years ago, a postseason spot seemed distant for the Spartans. Now, they are WPIAL Class 3A championship contenders.

Hempfield took huge strides last season when it finished third in Section 3 with a 9-5 mark and earned a playoff spot. However, Peters Township ended the team's season with a 3-1 win in the WPIAL first round.

That loss set the tone for this season.

“They remember that playoff loss and what that felt like and have been building from there,” Hempfield coach John Howell said. “We want to return to the playoffs and see what we can do — hopefully bigger and better things. … We began last year with no expectations and finished third in our section and have been ranked as high as fifth in the coaches' poll this year.”

Howell, in the second year of his second stint as coach, welcomed back plenty of experience in seniors Logan Horwatt, Jordan Dedo and Scott Yurek and sophomores Will Kuhns, Gavin White, Ryan Horwatt and Randy Nelson. Senior Nick Blahovec is back this year after missing last season with a knee injury.

“We have a little more experience than last year, but it's young experience still,” Howell said. “There's a whole different perspective for these kids. Now, people expect us to win. It's nice to know we're respected that way, but there is a target on our backs right now. We have to play better because of it.”

The Spartans learned that lesson in their second section match against defending champ Penn-Trafford. Hempfield surrendered a 19-14 lead in the second set. The Warriors rallied for a 3-1 win.

“We had them and unfortunately gave up a game. We're still learning how to finish out matches,” Howell said. “We have to get them to grow faster. Older teams know how to do that because they've seen it before. That's a major emphasis for us. We need to get better at blocking, too. That comes with experience. If we can improve on those two things, that'll make us quite solid. We're playing with the big boys right now.”

Despite that early stumble, the Spartans posted a 5-1 overall record and a 4-1 mark in section play with wins over Penn Hills, Norwin, Plum and Armstrong. The team, which finished third in the Norwin tournament, will play in its own tournament Saturday and head to the State College tourney at the end of the month.

“Prior to the season, I toughened the schedule a little. … I did that so we could play some of the tougher teams and see how we handle the stress of it all,” Howell said. “I think the section will help us this year, too. Penn-Trafford, Norwin and Latrobe are all so competitive, and Armstrong has improved this year.”

Though the team has a young rotation, Howell has been impressed with the maturity.

“This group knows how to come back. It doesn't matter what happens. It doesn't matter if we're down by two or six points, they keep coming back,” he said.

“It's shocking for me that, as such a young team, they are very composed and find a way to come back. I think that'll serve us well. No matter what is happening, they don't lose their composure. They know they have potential, but we have to clean up our game a little bit.”

Joe Sager is a freelance writer.

Tags: Hempfield Area