Can anyone catch Warwick, Manheim Central: 5 things to watch in L-L League boys volleyball 2024 season (2024)

The 2024 Lancaster-Lebanon League boys volleyball season is off swinging, blocking, digging and serving. Section play gets started on Tuesday, with Warwick, in Section 1, and Manheim Central, in Section 2, out to defend their titles.

The Barons are the reigning league champs, after they captured their first L-L crown last spring with a victory over Warwick.

There are sure to be plenty of twists and turns and plot changes along the way this spring.

Here are five things to watch in boys volleyball circles this season:

Making sense of Section 1

Warwick has been perched atop this race the last couple of years, and the Warriors have the goods to make it three straight section crowns — and make a return trip to the league finals for the fourth year in a row. Keep your eyes peeled on Lititz.

The big story last spring was Cedar Crest, which KO’d Warwick in the District 3 third-place match and went to the PIAA playoffs for the first time in program history. The Falcons return a nice nucleus, and should battle Warwick to the bitter end for section supremacy.

Hard to believe Hempfield missed the L-L League playoffs for the first time ever last spring. Yes, ever. The Black Knights took some lumps, and then lost some heavy hitters to graduation. There should be plenty of motivation in Hempfield’s camp to get back to the top of the mountain this time around.

Conestoga Valley and Penn Manor have been stuck in the middle of the pack for the last couple of seasons. The Buckskins and the Comets have tossed some slippery monkey wrenches into the race along the way as of late, but neither has gotten completely over the hump the last few years. Penn Manor did make the district playoffs last spring, and a postseason bid for the Comets and CV should be a goal.

Keep an eye on Manheim Township, which opened its season with a nonleague win over Wilson. The Blue Streaks have been lodged in rebuild mode for the last several seasons, but this might be the year that Township turns the corner.

McCaskey will be breaking in a new coach and doing some re-tooling. The Red Tornado should keep everyone honest.

Bull’s-eye on the Barons in Section 2

Manheim Central is loaded. The Barons return all of their top talent from last spring, when Central won its first L-L League crown, finished third in the district, and went to the state quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Do not miss the Barons in your travels this spring. They have a special group.

Happy days in New Holland, where Garden Spot has made itself a legit player in section, league and district circles. Section MVP Tanner Laukhuff graduated, but the Spartans have the pieces to challenge.

Elizabethtown shared second place with Garden Spot last year, but the Spartans gobbled up the league playoff seed based on district power rating. The Bears will have a new coach directing traffic, but they should be motivated for another postseason push.

Cocalico has also been on a roll lately, with back-to-back district trips. And the Eagles are bringing back some key parts to make another run.

Ephrata and Lancaster Mennonite are looking to break out of the middle of the pack and do some damage. The Blazers are two years removed from a section title and a playoff run, and they return all of their starters from last year.

Be patient, Lebanon. The Cedars have been stuck in re-boot mode, and they’ll be looking to improve on the fly, while keeping everyone in this tricky section honest.

FYI: Northern Lebanon will join Section Two in 2025. Once again, the Vikings are playing an independent schedule, getting ready to join the L-L League full-time next spring.

Players to watch

A lot of eyeballs on Warwick hitter du jour Kyle Charles, who took home Section 1 MVP honors and a PVCA all-state nod last spring. He’s a four-year starter for the Warriors, and he can jump out of the gym and finish with authority in the front row.

There are three other PVCA all-state picks due back this season: Cedar Crest defensive wiz Jack Wolgemuth and Manheim Central standouts Dylan Musser and Jacob Moyer.

There will also be 21 returning league all-stars from last spring — 11 in Section 2 and 10 in Section 1.

The Section 1 list: Charles, Wolgemuth, Warwick’s Parker Gooding, Cedar Crest’s Aaron Walters, Cedar Crest’s Tate Tadajweski, Warwick’s Nathan Wenger, Hempfield’s Brady Rigard, Penn Manor’s Harry Whited, Penn Manor’s Noah Reen and Manheim Township’s Connor Himelfarb.

The Section 2 list: Musser, Moyer, Cocalico’s Yohanis Hildebrand, Elizabethtown’s Cooper Torborg, Manheim Central’s Landon Mattiace, Manheim Central’s Toby Frey, Lancaster Mennonite’s Adam Nolt, Lancaster Mennonite’s Jesse Longenecker, Cocalico’s Mason Lesher, Ephrata’s Austin Fries and Garden Spot’s Ezra Hubik.

New skippers

There are three new coaches in the league this spring: Nate Lyons at McCaskey, Dustin Hornberger at Penn Manor, and John Barrick at Elizabethtown.

Lyons replaced Jeff Kindrew, who stepped down last spring after a lengthy coaching career in the L-L League.

Hornberger is back for his second stint with the Comets; he was the coach in 2021 before moving out of the area. He came back last year to help out Chris Telesco, who came out of retirement to coach Penn Manor for one season last spring. Now, Hornberger is back in the saddle.

Barrick knows his way around a volleyball sideline; he formerly coached Central Dauphin’s boys team and Trinity’s girls team. He took over for David Hoffmann in E-town.

Predictions

Warwick — at No. 8 in Class 3A in the PVCA preseason state rankings — knows Cedar Crest is gaining ground, and that should motivate the Warriors to defend their Section 1 banner. That race should be a beauty, because you know Hempfield will work its way into the lead pack.

We’ll go Warwick to defend its title. But it won’t be easy.

Manheim Central is the runaway favorite in Section 2; the Barons ran the table in league play last spring, and they’re poised to do it again.

The race for the No. 2 spot, like last year, should be interesting. Garden Spot, Elizabethtown and Cocalico have the goods to make a run, and don’t be surprised if that trio spends the spring beating up on each other.

We’ll go Manheim Central — at No. 3 in Class 2A in the PVCA preseason state rankings — to defend its section crown, and get a repeat in the league tournament. Don’t be surprised if it’s a rematch, too, against Warwick.

Best bet for a district or even state championship? Also the Barons, although they’ll have to tangle with PVCA preseason No. 1 Exeter and three-time reigning PIAA champ Lower Dauphin in 2A.

In 3A, usual suspects Central York and Cumberland Valley should be there come May. We’ll see if Warwick, Cedar Crest and maybe even Hempfield can crash that party.

TWITTER-X: @JeffReinhart77

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