Bulldogs with chance to repeat as state champs

Alex Topor, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 12—The Meadville boys volleyball team went 55 years without a state championship, but now they have a chance for two titles in as many seasons.

In 2019, the Bulldogs won their first title since 1964 and after last season's cancellation, look to defend their title today.

The 'Dogs face off against Lower Dauphin at 11 a.m. at Penn State University's Recreation Hall in the PIAA Class 2A Boys Volleyball Championship.

Meadville is ranked first in the latest Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association's Top 10 rankings. Lower Dauphin is ranked second.

All season, the Bulldogs have been led by a strong three-headed offensive attack. Sophomore Jackson Decker, junior Julian Jones and senior Charlie Waid are all capable of generating big kills.

Meadville punched their ticket to the title in Tuesday's 3-1 win (25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-16) against York Suburban at Altoona High School. In the game, Decker led the way with 17 kills, while Jones and Waid had 14 and 12, respectively.

A key to the game was dealing with 6-foot-7 Brady Stump. Stump finished with a game-high 25 aces, but the 'Dogs corralled him enough to win the match.

Meadville head coach Nick Bancroft compared Stump to Nathan Zini, a 6-foot-7 hitter from Seton LaSalle the team battled during the road to the 2019 title. Lower Dauphin doesn't have a monster hitter, but Bancroft said the Falcons are solid everywhere.

"They don't have a Zini or a Stump, but they are solid all around and play good defense. We preached that we just need to keep playing good ball and take care of our side of the court," Bancroft said. "They are going to try and frustrate us by keeping the ball alive. We need to stay composed and continue to play well."

Lower Dauphin is the District 3 Champion. The Falcons advanced to the title with a 3-0 sweep (25-17, 25-16, 25-18) against Garden Spot on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs head into the game with a 20-0 record. Bancroft took over as head coach in 2019 and led the team to an undefeated title run. With a win, Bancroft would have two state titles in two seasons and own an unprecedented 41-0 record.

Despite his own resume, Bancroft redirects attention to the team. This year's 'Dogs are much different from the last time they played in State College. Only Waid and Jones return from the last title run and Bancroft said this year's team wants to make their own mark.

"They're excited to show what they have," Bancroft said after Tuesday's win. "For the most part it was a different team two years ago so they're excited to show what they worked really hard for."