La Salle College High School 2023 PCL Volleyball Champions
La Salle College High School - 2023 PCL Volleyball Champions - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
BY MATTHEW ZWIERCAN
(Photos by Zack Beavers for PSD)
ASTON, PA. - The La Salle Explorers exemplified their continued dominance by winning their 7th consecutive PCL title over Saint Joseph’s Prep (SJP) in straight sets (25-21, 25-14, 25-11).
Monday night's match at Neumann University’s Mirenda Center capped off back-to-back undefeated seasons for La Salle.
Coming off their 3-2 win against Lansdale Catholic in the semi-finals, the Hawks played inspired, going back and forth with the undefeated La Salle. Throughout the first set, the score took a ride on a seesaw, with multiple ties and lead changes.
The wave of momentum that SJP rode in the beginning of the set crashed, allowing La Salle to win the first set 25-21. After that first, tightly contested game, the Explorers locked in and went to work.
La Salle started the second game on an 8-4 run, which grew to a 18-9 lead. The Hawks, not going down without a fight, cut the lead to 6, which forced a La Salle timeout. Out of the break, The Explorers took control and finished the set 25-14.
La Salle College High School vs. St. Joseph's Preparatory in PCL Championship Match (video highlights by Matt Zwiercan for PSD)
La Salle Junior Matthew McNesby said the team’s mentality shifted towards the end of the first set, which fueled their run throughout the rest of the match.
“We started off slow a little bit,” McNesby said. “But we came back together, worked as a team and figured it out, put the ball down.”
While the second set was the one where La Salle righted the ship, the third was pure excellence.
The Explorers' celebrate after winning 7th straight PCL title - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
Final Game Point and Match by La Salle. (video/ Matt Zwiercan for PSD)
After jumping out to an early 5-0 lead, the Explorers, led by coach Jason Eisele, never let up. Extending the lead to 9-3, then 14-6, and 23-7 before reaching a final score of 25-11, with the final point coming on a spike from senior Matt Jones.
La Salle Junior Matt McNesby talks about Locking in and getting down to business after first set. (video/ Matt Zwiercan for PSD)
La Salle senior Owen Huy talks about being a part of winning the PCL Title for the past 4 years. (Video/ Matt Zwiercan for PSD)
This victory is merely a steppingstone for La Salle, whose focus now shifts to both the district and Pennsylvania State tournaments, where Explorers like senior Owen Huy hope to keep the good vibes rolling.
“As a team, we’re doing well,” Huy said. “We’re getting better and better as it keeps going on.”
Up next for the Explorers is the District XII 3A Championship.
That match is set for 5:00 p.m. on May 25th, at Lincoln High School.
