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Elder advances to third consecutive State final with straight set win over Centerville June 12, 2009 by Jim Jicha Defending state champion Cincinnati Elder advanced to its third straight state championship match with a 25-18, 25-18, 25-19 win over Centerville, in the first Division I semifinal played May 31 in Walsh Jesuit High School’s Dome. Elder had also won the teams’ previous meeting in mid-April 25-23, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20. The Elks played this time without the services of senior Honorable Mention All-Ohio outside Sean Hayes, who had injured an ankle in Saturday’s quarterfinal against St. Ignatius. The Panthers beat St. Xavier in last season’s final to cap off an undefeated season. They almost ruined Moeller’s perfect record in 2007, bowing to the Crusaders 22-25, 25-19, 27-29, 26-24, 15-12. Elder lost several starters from last year’s 29-0 squad, but returned a lot of talent and height. They had come a long way since their carry-over winning streak was abruptly ended by St. Xavier 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 in this year’s season opener on March 31. The Panthers fell to the Bombers again in the Centerville Elite by a much closer 32-30, 26-24, 25-23, and had the last laughs by handing the GCL South champions their only conference loss, and then knocking them out in the regional final. Against Centerville, Elder did a great job of protecting the net with partial blocks, rejections, and several block kills. For the match, 6’5” Second Team All-State senior middle Jake Neiheisel had eight blocks, and 6’8” junior middle Matt Harpenau six, while 6’6” junior C.J. Zureick and senior outside Clancy Gay combined for seven more. Centerville, meanwhile, had difficulty keeping Elder spikes from getting through, although libero Eric Schreck, who led the defense with eight digs, kept some off the floor. Nevertheless, game one was vigorously contested with 12 ties and five lead changes until Elder ran away at the end. The Elks scored first on a kill by 6’4” sophomore opposite Johnny Glover, and Elder tied when Zureick terminated a quick set from junior Steven Kent. But Centerville added two more on a kill by 6’4” senior Eric Wohlford, and a hard to field serve by setter Bryan Gorsuch. The First Team All-State Wohlford, who paced the Elks with ten kills, will continue his career with 2009 NAIA champion Lindenwood University next year. Centerville moved further ahead 6-3 as junior outside Sam Sheers pounded an Andrew Ervin set into oblivion and middle hitter John Griggs served an ace. But Elder evened the score on two kills from Harpenau and a block by 6’4” senior right side Bryan Scheck. The Panthers went up 9-7 on another three-point spurt as Scheck terminated and block killed and Neiheisel added a kill in between. Centerville junior outside Steve Splawinski ended that run with a soft tip from the right and the teams traded the lead and two errors apiece, leaving Elder in front 11-10. The Elks retook the lead 13-11 after an off overpass shot by Griggs and an ace from senior defender Ian McGeady. But Zureick delivered an off speed spike into an empty back court and Neiheisel and 6’6” senior right side Curt Graman double blocked to force another tie. Glover kept Centerville a step ahead with a termination and the teams traded points until Elder retook the lead 18-17 on a termination by Zureick and an Elk’s hitting error. The Panthers’ next service was wide, but after a net infraction by Centerville, all point trading abruptly ceased and Kent served out. Neiheisel popped an off set into a hole, and Centerville couldn’t return a diving dig by Panther libero Elliott Miller. Harpenau blocked in the middle to make it 23-18, and after a long hit by the Elks, Zureick ended the game with a spike that was blocked over but out. Zureick opened game two with a kill and Neiheisel block killed, and Elder led all the way, increasing their lead from 3-0 to 5-1, 9-4 and 13-5. Wohlford sparked a 4-1 Elk spurt with two kills. And Centerville rallied with four more as Griggs and Sheers alternated kills. That narrowed the gap to 16-14. Elder, however, replied with three, as Gay spiked down the right and aced, while in between Scheck tipped into the middle after a nice defensive play by junior setter Chad Thornton. Centerville was unable to close again, and with the score 23-18, Kent turned a too-close-to-the-net pass into a great short set to Gay who pounded it into the middle. Gay followed with a game ending serve that was dug over and out. Game three started back and forth with four ties to 5-5, but it was all Elder afterward as they roared away to a 20-10 lead. The Panthers scored first on a hitting error and the Elks moved up 2-1 on a kill by Glover and a serve by McGeady that was dug out of bounds. But Neiheisel and Gay followed with terminations and Gay added a tip, and Elder was never headed. The Elks tied at four on Panther miscues and again at five on a termination from Wohlford. But two blocks by Harpenau and one from Kent fueled a Panther run to 9-5, and after a kill from backcourt by Wohlford, Harpenau and Zureick spiked points and Harpenau block killed again. With Elder up 16-10, Graman and Neiheisel added three more points and defensive specialist Max Monk aced for good measure. The teams traded points from there to 24-15. After a kill by Wohlford, and three Panther miscues, Neiheisel demolished a short set from Thornton. That left Neiheisel and Gay co-leaders in kills with eight, one ahead of Zureick who had seven. And it sent Elder to the State final for a title defense opportunity that might have been been deemed an April Fool's joke had someone called it the day after their first match.
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