The Emmaus Green Hornets repeated as District XI Class AAA champions Wednesday night, defeating Whitehall in straight sets, 25-21, 25-16, 25-23, in the district championship match at Catasauqua.
Emmaus secured its second consecutive District XI AAA title by holding off Whitehall in a competitive opening set, controlling the second, and surviving a late push in the third to complete the sweep.
Despite the loss, Whitehall battled throughout the night behind strong defensive efforts and steady play from several key contributors.
Setter Ben Skekel anchored the Zephyrs’ offense, recording 40 assists while adding eight digs and three block assists in a strong all-around performance. Skekel kept Whitehall competitive by distributing the ball efficiently throughout the match.
Defensively, Jesse Owusu led the Zephyrs with a team-high 14 digs while also contributing three assists and four free balls sent. Miles Bourice added nine digs to help stabilize the back row, while Grayson Answini chipped in eight digs.
At the net, Kai Lipski provided a strong presence with four total blocks, including one solo block and three block assists. Chris R. and Bilaal Kerim each added a block, with Kerim also collecting five digs.
Josiah Brown contributed two digs, while Sander Houtz added depth for Whitehall in the district championship matchup.
Although the Zephyrs came up short in their quest for district gold, Whitehall showed resilience against one of the area’s top programs, pushing Emmaus in the opening and closing sets. Emmaus now advances to face a District 3 opponent in the opening round of the PIAA state tournament next week.
