Parkland remains team to beat in Lehigh Valley

By MICHAEL BLOUSE | Special to The Morning Call
UPDATED: July 16, 2024 at 1:43 p.m.

Parkland's 2023 boys volleyball season was one for the ages.

The Trojans went 23-0 overall and they lost only five sets (won 65, lost five) en route to the extremely rare championship trifecta – Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, District 11 Class 3A and PIAA state titles.

Their 2024 campaign wasn't as perfect but it was still superb.

Coach Scott Trumbauer's squad finished 21-4 and the Trojans again captured EPC and District 11 titles, while returning to the state final – where they fell to a Shaler program they'd defeated the previous year.

Easily the area's elite, Parkland is The Morning Call's team of the year.

"We were kind of in a shock when we lost to Whitehall," senior captain Owen Rodgers said of a five-set defeat on April 9. "We were too overconfident. We were humbled that night. It was a great re-set for us and we came back very determined."

Trumbauer agreed, calling that setback the turning point in the Trojans' season.

"We'd lost to Exeter at the start of the year but that was unfortunate timing," the longtime coach at his alma mater said. "The Whitehall match, that one was much more on us. Whitehall was a shock. We had a team meeting after that. I spoke, then the senior captains took over. We were a very focused team from then on."

They avenged the Whitehall defeat with wins over the rival Zephyrs in the EPC and District 11 finals.

This year's Parkland team featured four players who received Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association All-State recognition – senior middle hitter Luke Smith (first team), junior outside hitter Josh Nation (second team), senior opposite hitter Owen Rodgers (honorable mention) and senior setter Will Stiles (honorable mention).

The Trojans graduated 12 seniors, an unusually large number that was matched in 2015.

"I think the uniqueness of this team was the roster included 12 seniors," Trumbauer said. "They oversaw the younger players and they did the right things. There was excellent team leadership."

Nation (293 kills), Rodgers (173 kills, 52 blocks), Smith (201 kills, 74 blocks) and Stiles (827 assists) all posted huge numbers in powering Parkland. Trumbauer also pointed to the underappreciated contributions of senior outside hitter Alex Wilby.

"Alex was in a slump early in the season. He was lacking confidence," Trumbauer said. "When the time was right, he came up big. He was one of our best passers and he was an excellent blocker. He was an unsung hero."

Parkland's peak, according to Trumbauer, came in the EPC championship at Allen. The Trojans took out Whitehall 25-9, 25-18, 25-15 for their third straight conference crown.

"It was our first match with Whitehall since they'd beaten us. The way we came out and set the tone at the start, we went up 15-0 in the first set, was important," Trumbauer said. "That kind of propelled us through the postseason."

After another championship victory vs. the Zephyrs in the district final, Parkland knocked off Red Lion (No. 9 in the final state rankings), Pennsbury (No. 6) and Central York (No. 3) en route to the state final.

The Trojans (No. 2) lost in three sets to District 7 champ Shaler (No. 1) in State College.

"Obviously, we progressed a lot throughout the season and it all became more and more exciting once we reached the playoffs," Rodgers said. "I thought in some ways what we did this year was even more impressive than last season. We made it back to the same point and got to play again at Penn State. This time, it didn't go our way but it was still a season I'll never forget."

Michael Blouse is a freelance writer