I was at Wilson on Tuesday night for the first round of the PIAA Triple-A boys’ volleyball playoffs, and Hempfield took care of business, blanking Council Rock North to advance to state quarterfinal pool play on Friday in Penn State’s Rec Hall. In the Double-A bracket, Lancaster Mennonite and Conestoga Valley also advanced to Penn State, keeping the three local rivals in line to win state gold. Here is my report from Wednesday’s New Era:

WEST LAWN – According to Hempfield senior outside hitter Ryan Haines, it takes three things to win a state volleyball championship.

“Brains, heart and confidence,” he said, tapping his head and his pounding his chest to stress his point.

Haines would know. He helped Hempfield win its eighth PIAA crown last spring.

And after helping the Black Knights breeze past Council Rock North 3-0 in a Triple-A first-round match at Wilson High School on Tuesday night, Haines helped Hempfield lock up a trip to Penn State, where the Knights will try and defend their state crown and make it nine PIAA titles.

Hempfield, the reigning Lancaster-Lebanon League and District 3 Triple-A champ, will join Pennsbury, Central York and State College in Penn State’s Rec Hall on Friday morning.

The top two finishers in the pool advance to Saturday’s semifinals, with the title match to follow at 3 p.m. Hempfield topped Fox Chapel in last year’s state finale.

“There is pressure to defend, sure, so we’ll have to play the best we possibly can because we know everybody is going to be trying to take us out,” said Haines, who had three kills against CRN.

“We won’t take anything for granted and we won’t take anyone lightly.”

Then Haines paused.

“We’ll be ready to go,” he added with a wink.

Hempfield will have some company in Happy Valley, as two other Lancaster County teams punched their tickets to Penn State with first-round victories in the Double-A bracket.

L-L League Section 2 champ and league semifinalist Lancaster Mennonite knocked off District 12 champ Masterman 3-0, while Conestoga Valley, another L-L League semifinalist, outlasted District 2 champ North Pocono 3-2.

Mennonite and CV will play in Pool A on Friday morning in Rec Hall, joining District 3 champ Exeter and District 7 runner-up Latrobe. The top two finishers advance to Saturday’s semifinals, with the winners meeting at 1 p.m. in the state title match.

Hempfield is headed back to Rec Hall thanks to a strong showing against CRN, the District 1 fourth-place finisher. The Knights cruised, winning 25-19, 25-15, 25-16 as junior opposite hitter Shawn Sangrey had 18 kills, senior outside hitter Chris Ostrander added 10 kills, and senior middle hitter Jason Graham had four blocks.

“It feels good knowing we’re moving on and going back to Penn State,” said Hempfield sophomore serve specialist Mike Becker, who won six straight service points midway through the second game, giving the Knights a cozy 17-9 lead.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he said. “It’s a tough pool, and it’s going to take a lot of hard work. But winning two in a row would be a great feeling.”

Hempfield defeated CRN 2-0 in the semifinal round of the Knights’ Hempfield Joust Tournament earlier this season, and CRN didn’t put up much of a fight Tuesday, taking a lead a grand total of just four times.

“We’re going to Penn State and we’re elated for that,” Hempfield coach Mike Vogel said. “It’s going to be difficult up there. Hopefully we’ll play well Friday and make it to Saturday. That’s our goal.

“We have a chance, and that’s all you can ask for because it’s so hard to just get back there and get another opportunity. We’ve been blessed to win this a few times in the last couple of years, and if we can pull it off again, that would be great.

“But going in, our goal is to get to Saturday, and then let the chips fall where they fall.”

In Tuesday’s Double-A first-round matches:

CV 3, North Pocono 2 (17-25, 25-19, 9-25, 25-17, 15-13)

In Nanticoke, Kevin Wile had 14 kills, Joseph Hughes added 13 kills, and the Buckskins overcame a 2-1 deficit and rallied past
North Pocono.

Matt Kauffman had seven blocks and Chris Cannon added six blocks for CV.

Lancaster Mennonite 3, Masterman 0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-19)

At Philadelphia Community College, Zach Kindrew had 12 kills and Ben Rittenhouse had seven kills and five blocks for the Blazers, who swept Masterman.

Mennonite dominated at the net, piling up 19 kills – six by Dan Collins.