Oct 29, 2019 3 min read

McMURRAY – Jadyn Hartner had the Vincentian Academy volleyball team running in all different directions.

She enjoyed every second of it, too.

“I try to always help us be in unison because we all have to know what we’re doing,” Hartner, the Fort Cherry setter, said. “It’s all about communication.”

There was no interference in the Rangers’ communication Tuesday night.

Behind the strong play of Hartner, who had 31 assists, second-seeded Fort Cherry made quick work of No. 7 Vincentian Academy, sweeping the Royals, 25-12, 25-19 and 25-16, in a WPIAL Class A girls volleyball quarterfinal match at Peters Township High School.

“Tonight was probably one of the best nights she has had all season,” Fort Cherry coach Mackenzie Biggs said of Hartner. “She came into the gym and was focused from the start. She controlled the offense. She runs everything, making sure the ball is in the right place and adjusts.”

There was little adjusting needed by Hartner, who placed perfect sets and backsets to the dominant middle and outside hitters of Fort Cherry (12-2), forcing the young Royals to scramble most of the match.

The win advances the Rangers to a semifinal match Thursday against third-seeded Shenango at a site and time to be determined. The last two semifinals Fort Cherry has played in – 2016 and 2018 – the Rangers lost to the eventual district champion.

Making a third semifinal in the four years was in little doubt against Vincentian (13-3).

“(Fort Cherry) is very creative with their hitting,” said Vincentian coach Joyce Brown. “Their middles are very advanced. Tonight was about confidence. With a young team, it’s really hard to keep them out of their own head. When my team is on and confident in themselves, they could have beat them. Tonight, we lacked confidence.”

Vincentian has no seniors on its team, compared to eight for the Rangers.

“We tend to jump out and have leads,” Brown continued. “We then get content and comfortable. They just don’t know how to squish the bug yet.”

There was no squishing for the Royals to do as Fort Cherry jumped out to early leads in all three games. The biggest lead Vincentian had was 11-8 after a six-point burst in the third game. The Royals held a two-point lead later in the game but Hartner quickly found go-to hitters Allie McKean and Reagan Carter to score the final 13 of the final 15 points to win 25-16.

McKean finished with a team-high nine kills for Fort Cherry. Katie Nemec added seven kills.

“Good setters need to be vocal and run the court, and Jadyn does that very well,” Biggs said. “The communication between hitters and the setter is everything.”

After jumping out to an 11-6 lead in the first game, Fort Cherry kept the pedal to the floor with six- and four-point runs for the 25-12 win to take a 1-0 lead. With a narrow lead in the middle of the second game, Hartner led a four-point run with a pair of aces to build a comfortable advantage.

The Rangers also won the play at the net, something that has been a work in progress, at least defensively.

“Our blocking was a little rough (to begin the season),” Biggs said. “It was new going over that and how we should be moving. Our hitters are doing much better being ready at the net. That is critical because so your defense can set up behind that.”