Pictured above: Blue Ridge’s Connor Cranage in action in last week’s District 2 championship match against Holy Redeemer. (Tim Drewes Photo).
Connor Cranage had 13 kills and Nick Laude reached a career serving milestone Tuesday as Blue Ridge made the most of its home state boys volleyball match with a sweep of Academy at Palumbo.
The Raiders won by set scores of 25-17, 25-18, 25-15, repeating their Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 2A first-round victory in the same matchup from a year ago.
The win set up another rematch and a meeting between two of the three unbeaten teams in the bracket. Blue Ridge, the last unbeaten District 2 team in any sport, takes on defending state champion Lower Dauphin, the District 3 champion, Saturday at 4 p.m. at Holy Redeemer in Wilkes-Barre.
Cranage also had two blocks in Tuesday’s win.
Laude had seven of the team’s service aces. The first was the 100th of his career.
The team leader in aces has 66 this season after recording 40 a year ago as a sophomore.
Morgan Thomas had nine kills while Laude had seven.
Carson Gallagher distributed the ball with 27 assists.
Aiden Glasgow and Owen Martin had 12 digs each.
Blue Ridge beat the Philadelphia school, 25-13, 25-17, 25-13, a year ago for its first state tournament win.
Lower Dauphin swept last year’s quarterfinal matchup with Blue Ridge, 25-14, 25-20, 25-12.
MORE COVERAGE
District 2 championship match story: Raiders dominate in title match – NEPA Sports Nation.
District 2 championship match Photo Gallery: District 2 Class 2A Boys Volleyball Championship Photo Gallery Blue Ridge vs. Holy Redeemer – NEPA Sports Nation.
