Lady Gators top Leechburg, 3-1, set up showdown with Lady Mikes
Geibel Catholic lost the first set, but battled back for a 3-1 victory over Leechburg on Thursday in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs at Freeport High School.
The Lady Blue Devils (10-5) won 25-23 before the Lady Gators (14-1) came back with a 25-23 victory over their own in the second set. Geibel Catholic won the third set, 25-19, and the fourth, 25-21.
“We didn’t start out aggressive,” Geibel Catholic coach Rick Watkins said. “We had hitting errors and serve-receive errors. Our go-to players weren’t stepping up. In the second half of the second set, we starting to play and that made a difference.
“I reminded them that teams aren’t going to beat themselves in the playoffs.”
Watkins knew that Leechburg would present a challenge.
“This was a pretty good team,” Watkins said. “They played close sets with teams they finished behind in their section. They went five sets with Greensburg Central Catholic and Vincentian Academy.”
The Lady Gators’ Shannon Watkins led the match in assists with 40. Teammate Lauren Tomasko had 20 kills.
Geibel Catholic’s Kennedi Stockey had 13 kills and five aces.
The Lady Gators meets Section 2-A rival Carmichaels (14-1) on Tuesday in the quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined. The two split their regular-season matchups with Geibel winning the first, 3-0, and the Lady Mikes the second, 3-2.
“We are certainly familiar with them,” Watkins said. “We want to move on, and so do they. It is going to be a dogfight. We are looking forward to it, and I’m sure they are, too. Hopefully, it will be some place close.”