Previewing L-L League Section 2 boys volleyball for 2024 season (2024)

Previewing Lancaster-Lebanon League boys volleyball Section 2 action for the 2024 season …

COCALICO EAGLES

COACH: Dwayne Kieffer (6th season).

2023 RECAP: 8-4 league, 11-6 overall (Lost to Garden Spot 3-1 in the first round of the District 3 Class 2A playoffs).

KEY PLAYERS LOST: OH-S Craig Fair, S Giovanni Perez, OH Chase Stark.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OH Colson Hildebrand, OH Yohanis Hildebrand (L-L League Section 2 all-star; District 3 all-star), MH Andy Kirk, L Mason Lesher (L-L League Section 2 all-star), OH Cyprus Rohrer.

KEY NEWCOMERS: MH Reilly Stark, OH Jacob Wambolt.

OUTLOOK: Back-to-back district playoff trips for the Eagles, who took a gut-punch when stalwarts Fair, Perez and Stark graduated last spring. But there’s plenty back in the tank for Cocalico to make a push in the section, and make a return trip to districts. It will all start up front with Yohanis Hildebrand, a fabulous swinger and finisher. He’ll draw plenty of double-blocking at the net. And the Eagles will be strong in the back with Lesher returning to take care of the dig department. Some newbies stepping in, yes. But there are a lot of good vibes wafting in Cocalico’s program these days. FYI: Cocalico reached the semifinals of its own Eagle Challenge season-opening tournament. Cocalico fell to eventual champ Cedar Crest in the Final Four — but a nice way to get the season cranking for the Eagles.

COACH SAYS: “We are very excited to see where this strong senior class and a very talented surrounding group can take us,” Kieffer said. “We have high expectations and we believe we’re doing what is necessary to reach them.”

ELIZABETHTOWN BEARS

COACH: John Barrick (1st season).

2023 RECAP: 8-4 league, 9-8 overall (Lost to Northeastern York 3-0 in the first round of the District 3 Class 3A playoffs).

KEY PLAYERS LOST: OH Josh McCoy, S-L Eli Miller.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OH Cooper Torborg, OH Prabin Bhattarai, OH Seth Rajnic.

KEY NEWCOMERS: S Matthew Kerin, OH Finn McCoy.

OUTLOOK: Barrick, the former Central Dauphin boys and Trinity girls coach, came on board a little late in the process. But he has the reins to the Bears’ program, and E-town should have some momentum after going to districts for the second year in a row last spring. The Bears also finished in a tie for second place in the section race with Garden Spot, but the Spartans nabbed the L-L League bid based on a better district power rating. That should also serve as motivation for E-town, which should benefit from the return of front-row stalwarts Torborg and Rajnic.

EPHRATA MOUNTAINEERS

COACH: Bob Witwer (16th season).

2023 RECAP: 4-8 league, 6-11 overall.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: MH Dana Belfiore, OH Chanvir Bhandal, OH Sawyer Jones, S Collin Martin, MH Clay Sholes, OH Luke Wingenroth, L Grant Zook.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: MH Austin Fries (L-L League Section 2 all-star), OH Owen Weaver.

KEY NEWCOMERS: S Brayden Fries, OH Austin Greiner, OH Josh Oberholtzer.

OUTLOOK: Witwer is now the dean of L-L League coaches, as he’s set for his 16th season at the helm for Ephrata. His first order of business this spring was breaking in some newbies to replace seven players who got regular rotation time last year. The good news: Fries is back to anchor the front row, and Weaver returns on the outside to take plenty of swings. Witwer likes Greiner and Oberholtzer to step in and step up at the net. And there’s another Fries — Brayden, who will set — in the mix. The Mountaineers always keep everyone honest, and don’t be surprised if they knock off one of the section heavyweights along the way. Ephrata is itching for a playoff invite; will this be the season? The Mounts certainly got off to an encouraging start, reaching the quarterfinals of Cocalico’s Eagle Challenge season-opening tournament. Ephrata fell to Hershey there, but got some great experience to get the season rolling.

COACH SAYS: “We won our pool at the Cocalico tournament, losing to a very good Hershey squad in the playoffs,” Witwer said, “and we’re expecting a continued high level of play out of all of our players this season. One way or another, this team will be an exciting team to watch offensively. What we lost from last season is many years worth of setting, serve-receive and defensive experience. But this team is definitely talented enough to have a chance."

GARDEN SPOT SPARTANS

COACH: Ben Rutt (13th season).

2023 RECAP: 8-4 league, 10-6 overall (Lost to eventual runner-up Warwick 3-0 in the L-L League semifinals; beat Cocalico 3-1 in the first round of the District 3 Class 2A playoffs; lost to eventual champ Lower Dauphin 3-0 in the District 3 Class 2A quarterfinals).

KEY PLAYERS LOST: OH Tanner Laukhuff, L Josh Martin, L Justin Mininger, S Keegan Redcay, OH Rowen Sensenig.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OH Brennan Esh, OH Ezra Hubik (L-L League Section 2 all-star; District 3 all-star), S Ari Morales, MH Nick Smucker, MH Dylan Zeiset.

KEY NEWCOMERS: MH Jonas Albrecht, OH Dylan Fowe, MH Alex Horst, L Unai Sáez Maturana.

OUTLOOK: There is a lot of good mojo in the Spartans’ program, which Rutt has chiseled into a year-in and year-out contender. Garden Spot shared second place with Elizabethtown in the section hunt last year, and earned the L-L League playoff bid based on a better district power rating. The Spartans should get a big boost in the power-rating department this spring with a beefed-up nonleague slate. That key-players-lost list is pretty daunting — Laukhuff was the Section 2 MVP and an all-state selection last spring, and Redcay, Martin and Mininger were great in the back row — but there are some familiar faces due back. Like Hubik, a power pin-hitter who should get more swings. And Smucker and Zeiset know their way around the front row, and they’ll need to come up big in the block department. Gotta believe Garden Spot is with the lead pack come early May. It might look a little different at the outset. But again, the mojo in New Holland is real. FYI: Albrecht, Fowe and Maturana are all foreign exchange students. That’s a neat tidbit. We’ll see how those guys fit in on the court for the Spartans this season.

COACH SAYS: “This team is a hard-working bunch with a never-say-die attitude,” Rutt said. “We need to show we can ball-control consistently, and have a relentless pursuit of the volleyball attitude on defense if we want to hold down our spot as one of the top teams in Section 2.”

LANCASTER MENNONITE BLAZERS

COACH: Gary Martin (11th season).

2023 RECAP: 2-10 league, 3-13 overall.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: None listed.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OH James Eshleman, MH Jackson Harbaugh, L David Lapp, S-OH Jesse Longenecker (L-L League Section 2 all-star), OH Nik Martiny, S Lukas Munstermann, MH Adam Nolt (L-L League Section 2 all-star).

KEY NEWCOMERS: OH Gianlucka Barboza.

OUTLOOK: The Blazers dipped back in the pack last spring after an outstanding ride in 2022. They took some punches, but with pretty much the whole crew due back this spring, Mennonite is poised to make some noise this time around. Section all-stars Longenecker and Nolt will be the key cogs; Longenecker is a jack-of-all-trades player who can pass and swing, and Nolt will be called upon to block the top opposing swingers in the section. Familiarity and experience should help the Blazers, who are itching to work their way back up the section charts, and push for a playoff spot. Do not sleep on this bunch.

COACH SAYS: “We are very excited to be back in the fold this year,” Martin said. “Last season was a year of growth and gaining experience. Now, with everybody back for another season, we expect to compete night in and night out. We have a hard-working group of guys, and I look forward to seeing their progression each time we play.”

LEBANON CEDARS

COACH: Kyle Zehner (2nd season).

2023 RECAP: 0-12 league, 0-14 overall.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: MH Kalib Porter.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OH-MH Elias Feliciano, OH-MH Brian Marshall.

KEY NEWCOMERS: S Tyson Griffith.

OUTLOOK: We’ll go old-school cliche here: The only way to go is up for the Cedars, who did not crack the win column in 2023. Hey, it happens. It’s all about doing the little things for Lebanon. Fundamentals. Learning the system. Getting better at practice. And keeping everyone honest in matches. Feliciano and Marshall will be the key cogs up front; Griffith returns to the lineup after playing baseball last spring.

COACH SAYS: “I’m challenging my team to break a record in every major stat this year,” Zehner said. “From the records I was given, the current single-season bests are 149 kills, 79 blocks, 25 aces, 250 assists and 234 digs. I’m challenging my team to surpass each record this season.”

MANHEIM CENTRAL BARONS

COACH: Craig Dietrich (15th season).

2023 RECAP: 12-0 league, 17-2 overall (Section 2 champs; beat Warwick 3-1 in the L-L League championship; lost to eventual runner-up Exeter 3-2 in the District 3 Class 2A semifinals; beat York Suburban 3-1 in the District 3 Class 2A third-place match; beat Obama Academy 3-0 in the first round of the PIAA-2A state playoffs; lost to Mercyhurst Prep 3-1 in the PIAA-2A state quarterfinals).

KEY PLAYERS LOST: Serve specialist Kevin Saengdara.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OH Peter Burkhart, MH Toby Frey (L-L League Section 2 all-star; District 3 all-star), MH Landon Mattiace (L-L League Section 2 all-star; District 3 all-star), OH Reagan Miller, OH Jacob Moyer (L-L League Section 2 all-star; District 3 all-star; PVCA all-state), S Dylan Musser (L-L League Section 2 all-star; District 3 all-star; PVCA all-state), L-OH Colin Rohrer.

KEY NEWCOMERS: S Caleb Groff, MH-L Jay Hollinger, OH Weston Longenecker, MH Blake Neiles.

OUTLOOK: Where to begin? Fresh of their first L-L League championship and another deep postseason sojourn, the Barons are bringing back pretty much the whole crew. That key-players-returning list is stuffed with all-stars aplenty. Musser is the catalyst, and he’s a magician with the ball. Moyer, Miller and Burkhart are experienced hitters who know how to finish — especially in crunch time. And Frey and Mattiace are studs in the middle; they both became legit, reliable blockers and swingers up front last spring. Central’s entire front row will be a major headache to block. Section 2 favorites for sure. And probably the early season favorites to defend their league crown — although Warwick and Cedar Crest might have something to say about that when the calendar flips to May. After that, the sky is the limit. Class 2A — with Lower Dauphin and Exeter lurking — will be no walk in the park. But with so much talent back in the saddle, the thinking here is that Central will absolutely challenge for D3 and PIAA titles. They’ve already got a glimpse of what’s out there, when the Barons played in North Allegheny’s powerhouse season-opening tournament. Central roared all the way to the finals, but dropped a 25-23 squeaker to Central York in the finale. And this: Central is at No. 3 in the PVCA preseason state rankings. Exeter is No. 1.

COACH SAYS: “Everyone across the state knows we have every starter returning, and we’re not shying away from the collective targets on our backs,” Dietrich said. “We feel we have a lot to accomplish and to prove this season. We expect to play for league, district and state titles this season. That’s the expectation with a group this talented and experienced.”

TWITTER-X: @JeffReinhart77

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