Sports
Cedar Crest wins first boys volleyball league title in school history
EPHRATA — There’s a first for everything, but it’s rare to capture two milestones in one night. In its first L-L League volleyball title appearance, Cedar Crest’s squad battled through four games versus Manheim Central before finishing as league champions for the first time in school history. Following a 3-1 series over the No. 1 […]
EPHRATA — There’s a first for everything, but it’s rare to capture two milestones in one night.
In its first L-L League volleyball title appearance, Cedar Crest’s squad battled through four games versus Manheim Central before finishing as league champions for the first time in school history.
Following a 3-1 series over the No. 1 team in Section 2, the Falcons showed how they rally with “passion and trust” — and that factor proved to be game changing down the stretch of each match.
“Earlier (before the game), we just wanted to have fun. We love playing good opponents, and I feel like we rise to the occasion,” Falcons’ coach Monica Sheaffer said. “They all have a passion for volleyball and love to play at a high level, and I think that’s what binds this team together.”
“They’ve made lasting friendships through playing ball. They’re very tight knit, and I think having that drive at the same level brings them all together.”
The Barons came in at 14-0 and were hoping to defend their last two L-L League titles with a third consecutive championship. Since the Falcons’ 3-0 loss versus Manheim Central in April, Sheaffer said the team shifted its mindset to focus on challenging big hitters at the net.
“I told (our team) I don’t think we need to change anything lineup wise — We need to change how we approach opponents,” Sheaffer said. “We’ve got to hit the ball. It’s great to have trust in your hitters to put the ball away, but we got to cover them (at the net) just in case.”
Cedar Crest pushed through the last month of practices looking to find cohesion as a defensive unit, and it showed up with long sets won by the Falcons’ communication on the court.
Senior Jack Wolgemuth finished with a game-high 15 kills and 15 digs to lead the way for his squad. Wolgemuth said he expected some nerves, but that stepping into Game 1 on a 10-3 scoring run was a direct reflection of the Falcons’ preparation coming in.
“This was everybody’s first big game, and we take it seriously in practice,” Wolgemuth said. “We’re always communicating to each other who’s up and who’s back, and that helped for this game specifically — That’s all through watching film, and knowing (Manheim Central) as a team.”
Coming in with the right game plan was crucial to knocking off Section 2’s champions, and Sheaffer said it’s a combination of experience and leadership from her team.
“We’re doing a better job at reading our opponents. A couple years ago, we were here and we lost to Manheim Central,” Sheaffer said. “We weren’t able to read them — Our volleyball IQ wasn’t as high as it is now.”
“It’s been about defense. We’ve really pushed defense, blocking, passing and digging these last few weeks. We kept the mentality to give it your all, and that each point matters.”
A lifelong connection
Every time the Falcons needed a championship-level play, Wolgemuth answered in action.
Cedar Crest’s versatile senior has been ingrained in volleyball since before he can remember. It’s been a long path for Wolgemuth, and it led to a spot in his “biggest game yet.”
“I’ve been playing since maybe two years old. My family’s always been playing. We’ve always had courts in our backyard, and it’s just always been a volleyball family,” Wolgemuth said.
The senior’s background in volleyball runs deep, and Sheaffer got to witness it first hand.
“His mom coached me when I was younger, so I saw Jack when he was very young growing up and before he was even playing volleyball, he was still touching a ball,” Sheaffer said. “When I found out he was gonna come through (and play), I knew it was like a whole 360.”
“I’ve been able to see his progression. He’s smart, he can control the game so easily, and pass as well. He’s like our rock — He’s played setter, outside hitter and libero now. He really can do it all, he’s a great kid.”
Wolgemuth has always cherished his friendship with Sheaffer, and said it starts with a feeling of trust that makes the entire group special.
“I’ve known her since I was a kid, so I grew up with her. We’ve always been friends growing up, and now that she’s my coach I trust what she says,” Wolgemuth said. “She’s done a fantastic job with our team this season. The connection between us knowing each other, it really helps out on the court.”
“(Sheaffer) gives me the confidence to talk to my team — We all listen to each other, and we get that because we trust her first. We call for her word, and if we need to make small adjustments, then we trust each other.”
There was constant action around the net during the league title, but Wolgemuth’s presence was hard to miss. Between skying up for game-shifting spikes and talking with teammates through play, the Falcons’ senior leads the pack by instinct.
“As the season has gone on, I’ve seen more confidence (from Jack). He really put a couple balls down tonight which is awesome, but he’s been doing that the whole season with confidence,” Sheaffer said.
“He has a great personality, and our whole underclassmen group looks up to him — Jack plays all year round. I don’t think there’s been a time I haven’t seen him playing volleyball. He’s very volleyball-esque and it’s awesome.”
That passion has always remained the same for Wolgemuth, and he’s used it to fuel his path as a volleyball player. When it comes to his own experience, the Saint Francis commit still makes every effort to perfect his craft on the court.
“When I was younger, I would just play. I’d just go out there and start hitting the ball,” Wolgemuth said. “Now, I focus more on individual things at practice — passing and how my platform can be fixed, or how to stick a pass. It’s helped a lot.”
‘Together since elementary school’
The 2025 campaign has been long anticipated by the Falcons, but not because of a championship outcome.
All of the squad’s seven seniors saw action during the L-L championship, and lived up to the moment that some have waited on for years.
“Growing up we all went to the same elementary school, and we’ve just been friends ever since then. We started playing in middle school, had a bunch of the boys come out and they fell in love with the sport,” Wolgemuth said. “They started playing club ball, and we’ve been unbreakable since then.”
“We’ve all been really good friends, and it’s just grown more and more — We’re all one, and that showed tonight on the court. Everybody was clicking.”
Winning a championship is the goal for any team, but the Falcons did it with a staple of their program’s history.
After watching her team constantly come through in the clutch, Sheaffer said they’ll be remembered as the great unit they strive to be.
“They’re just tight knit. They’ve been friends for so long, and they’ve done everything together — they go golfing, mountain biking, or to the beach as a team,” Sheaffer said. “They do so many things together, and it’s all about friendship.”
As someone who’s invested countless time into the sport, Wolgemuth has been a foundation in the Falcons’ first boys volleyball team at Cedar Crest. He was able to lead the team’s beginnings, and now can take pride in calling it a championship group.
“I have no words for it. I’m so overfilled with emotions and feelings,” Wolgemuth said. “Making history itself is a fantastic start for any program, and I hope that this can run the program over the next couple of years.”
“It’s going to start to pick up in our school, people are going to start to recognize it. This is a good starting point for Cedar Crest volleyball.”