Ford to set up titanic clash with PJP
KING OF PRUSSIA — Sophia Schwikert and Raven Albrecht had to endure almost a year of bitter waiting to play Spring-Ford again.
When that opportunity finally came again on Thursday night, the two Upper Merion volleyball stars did not shy away from the moment.
Schweikert registered 31 kills in a punishing attack in front of the net and Albrecht added 35 assists as the Vikings scored a straight-set, 3-0 victory over the team that eliminated them from the PAC semifinals a season ago. Set scores were 25-17, 25-8 and 25-22. The win just so happened to improve Upper Merion's record to 8-0 and 4-0 in league play, setting up next Tuesday's home showdown against Pope John Paul II — also unbeaten and in the same division as the Vikings (more on that later).
Before Upper Merion gets to face PJP, the team had to exorcize its Spring-Ford demons first.
"Today all of the components were good," Schweikert said. "We made plays we usually don't make and I think our chemistry on the court was really good today."
"I really believe in preparing for our opponent," Albrecht added. "We made sure we watched film and knew them well. That one time we played them last year unfortunately didn't go our way, so we had to have that extra edge and be prepared for what came next. Being able to bring that energy and having that commitment to finishing out points really helped us sweep."
Upper Merion had a strong season last year. Despite the slip up against Spring-Ford (2-2, 2-1) in the PAC semis, the Vikings finished fifth in District 1 and made it to the PIAA Tournament via playbacks. However, how last season ended has left the team wanting more ever since, and they came into 2024 hungry and determined, led by their two exceptionally-talented co-captains.
The Vikings are deep, too. In addition to Schweikert's domination at the net and Albrecht's facilitation in making sure the offense runs smoothly, Upper Merion also got 10 digs from Valeria Paneto, 13 service points from Emily Nguyen, four kills and three aces from Sydney Bright and another three aces from Amber Sanders. The team understands the opportunity in front of them, and Upper Merion certainly didn't waste Thursday night's chance to show this undefeated start is no flash in the pan.
"Hats off to Upper Merion — they came in prepared to play and we were a step behind everything," Spring-Ford head coach George Fuller said. "We especially didn't have an answer for Sophia Schweikert, who's first team all-conference and all-state for a reason. We got a little tense and have to trust each other and what we're capable of. We're a good team, but they were certainly the better team tonight."
Lila Olsen led Spring-Ford with 11 kills, while Marley Angelucci chipped in 20 assists and four digs. Anya Patel came up with nine digs and two aces, but anytime Spring-Ford indicated any type of forward momentum, Schweikert, Albrecht and company responded to turn it away.
The first set was back-and-forth to start until Schweikert began to exert control. Once the Vikings went up 13-9, the Rams didn't get closer than that the rest of the way.
Set two was complete domination for Upper Merion, who led comfortably from start to finish. The third set was much more competitive, and Spring-Ford even held its first lead since the opening set at 15-14, but it was short-lived. When a point she thought she had won didn't go her way late in the set, an intensely-motivated Schweikert buckled down and closed the Rams out by registering kills on five of her team's final seven points before Bright ended the match with an ace.
"If something doesn't go our way like one of the last points didn't, then I know I need to come back and get the one after that," Schweikert said. "Our energy got the whole team pumped up, which allows us to beat good teams like this."
Upper Merion still has a Saturday morning non-league road match at Great Valley first, but all roads lead to next week's battle with PJP. The Golden Panthers have won eight of the 11 total PAC championships, including the last two. PJP also won district and state titles last season and have established themselves not only as the PAC's gold standard for volleyball, but arguably the best program in all of Pennsylvania.
Schweikert said afterward that many of her friends play for PJP, including Maeve Gallagher, one of her closest friends and one of the Golden Panthers' biggest stars, so she's excited for that match in more ways than one. PJP entered Friday with a 7-0 overall record, tied with Upper Merion atop the PAC Liberty Division at 4-0. One team will no longer be unbeaten in a few days.
"I'm really excited to play them – the last time we beat them was our freshman year (in 2021)," Albrecht said. "Having that opportunity again could lead to a full-circle moment. No matter what, we're excited to play a good, competitive game. We play them twice a year and they are some of our biggest rivals."
"A lot of my best friends play for PJP, but I have to put that aside," Schweikert added. "They're our toughest competitors, so we need to take this win and bring it into that match. If we do that, I think it will be really good for us. We're going to need to play as hard and as fast as we can to take them off balance."
