Frazier advances to semifinals
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Frazier’s Gabrielle Alekson jumps up for a spike during Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal playoff match against Deer Lakes at Moon Area High School.
Frazier’s Skye Eicher (7), Gabrielle Alekson (1) and Kaelyn Shaporka (10) are all business as they walk off the court after winning the first set of Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal match against Deer Lakes at Moon Area High School.
Frazier’s Sierra Twigg spikes the ball during Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal playoff match against Deer Lakes at Moon Area High School.
Frazier’s Skye Eicher jumps up for a spike during Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal playoff match against Deer Lakes at Moon Area High School.
Frazier coach Mandy Hartman talks to her team during a timeout during Tuesday’s WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal playoff match against Deer Lakes at Moon Area High School.
CORAOPOLIS — Deer Lakes gave Frazier everything it could handle, but the Lady Commodores came away with a 3-2 victory over the Lady Lancers on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class AA volleyball playoffs at Moon Area High School.
The Lady Commodores (19-1) advance to the semifinals where they will play No. 1 seed Freeport on Thursday at a site and time to be determined. Frazier, which was in Class A until this year, is headed to the round of four for the third time in a row.
“A win is a win, but it wasn’t pretty,” Frazier coach Mandy Hartman said. “You have to give Deer Lakes credit. They upset OLSH in the first round and almost upset us. They frustrated us and we made mistakes that are not typical of our team.
“We were the higher seed tonight and I think the pressure got to us. We will be the underdog on Thursday, so hopefully that helps take off the pressure.”
Frazier has already qualified for the state tournament as the top four out of District 7 advance in Class AA. The Lady Commodores advanced to the PIAA Championships last season.
“The girls have really stepped up this season in moving up to Class AA,” Hartman said. “I’m really proud of the girls and they came up big tonight for us. Skye Eicher had some huge points. We also made some mistakes that we can’t make on Thursday.”
The Lady Commodores won the first set, 25-22, before the Lady Lancers (9-5) picked up a 25-16 victory in the second set. Frazier won the third set in a tiebreaker, 26-24, but Deer Lakes came back with a 26-24 triumph in the fourth set to force Game 5. The Lady Commodores fought off four set points in the fourth set but the Lady Lancers won the next two points.
Frazier never trailed in the fifth set, but Deer Lakes kept fighting back. The Lady Commodores pushed their lead to 12-8 but the Lady Lancers cut the deficit to three.
Frazier held a 14-11 lead but Deer Lakes fought off one match point before Sierra Twigg ended things with a kill for the Lady Commodores.
“That was a huge win in the fifth set,” Hartman said. “They found a way to win and that takes a special group in this type of environment. This is a great group of kids.”
Eicher had 26 kills, 17 service points and 10 digs. Teammate Logan Hartman had 26 assists, 17 service points, 12 digs and six kills. Frazier’s Kathryn Barch had 25 digs.