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First Posted: 4/25/2014

CLARKS SUMMIT — In a match that didn’t feature much separation throughout the first two and a half sets, Abington Heights ended the third on a 8-3 run to take a 2-1 set lead in their match against Susquehanna. Senior middle hitter Mike Fitzpatrick contributed a block and kill during the closing spurt of the set.

The Comets carried that momentum into the fourth set with a 14-1 run and won the set 25-10 to defeat the Sabers, 3-1, in a Lackawanna League boys volleyball match on Tuesday.

“I think it took us about three sets to wake up,” Abington Heights head coach Jamie Spangler said. “We were sleepwalking in the first couple sets. When we’re able to serve aggressively and inbounds, we’re a much better team overall. That was the big difference.”

The fourth set run was sparked by senior outside hitter Kevin Schumacher, who scored the Comets’ first point of the set and then controlled the serve for 13 consecutive points to take control of the match. Junior middle hitter Shreyas Chandragiri and senior outside hitter Joe Dietzer each contributed two points during the rally.

Susquehanna closed to within 12 points at 20-8, but the Comets rattled off five of the next seven points, including two from junior middle hitter Griffin Joyce to close out the win. Joyce led the Comets with eight kills and four blocks. Sean Salmon, who led Abington Heights with 17 assists, also picked up an ace.

“We started passing and picking up the ball a lot better,” Schumacher said. “It was really a team effort. We just got in a zone and everybody was playing the game well.”

Abington Heights took a 7-3 lead in the first set on a kill from Dietzer. Susquehanna rallied to take a 14-13 advantage on a kill from Steven Frye, but the Comets scored four of the final five points, including a block and kill from Fitzpatrick, to win the set 25-21.

The second set featured 10 lead changes and Susquehanna scored the final three points to even the match 2-2. Frye contributed two kills and two aces during the set and Nick Lloyd, who chipped in with nine digs, added an ace for the Sabers. Frye led the Sabers with nine kills and three aces. Nate Carpenter led Susquehanna with 11 digs.

“That 13 point run in the fourth set was too much for us,” Susquehanna head coach Bill Albert said. “We have a young, inexperienced team and it just got the better of them, but we played great the first three games and we’re real happy with that.”

Abington Heights (9-2) will travel to play Elk Lake on Thursday at 5 p.m.