Knights fine with flying under the radar
The Eastern York boys' volleyball team hasn't earned much statewide recognition this year. At least two of the teams' players said that could work to the team's advantage at the PIAA tournament in State College this weekend.
In the most recent poll of the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association, the recently-crowned District 3 champion Golden Knights are ranked sixth in the state, behind four teams from District 10 as well as top-ranked Ambridge, the District 7 champion. The week before the Knights were in the No. 8 spot after spending the entire season until that point out of the rankings.
Senior starters Eric Chronister and Mike Kraft both said they were unaware of and unconcerned with the latest rankings.
"It's not a bad thing not to be ranked," Kraft said. "You don't need to be noticed and you don't want to be noticed. You want to be under the radar and come in and surprise a bunch of teams. That plays a big part in the game. The below-the-radar team has got the advantage."
Eastern's boys' program is only in its eighth year competing at the varsity level and has never reached the state tournament before this year. So despite winning one of the state's most competitive districts, the Golden Knights are still relative unknowns at the state level.
"I don't pay much attention to the rankings," Chronister said. "Central was ranked 11th in the nation at one point and they only got third in the district in triple-A. We don't pay much attention to that and it's hard to compare teams from out in Pittsburgh, which teams are better, you don't know. Just the fact that we're finally getting recognized as maybe a state powerhouse that's cool, but where it falls, whether we're first or 10th, that doesn't matter."
Kraft also said it's hard to take the poll seriously because so many of the teams don't play each other until the state tournament. Even with all of the unknowns, the outside hitter said he likes his team's chances this weekend.
"You really can't tell, because we haven't seen any Pittsburgh teams," Kraft said. "But we've seen everybody on this side of the state and we know we can play with these guys over here. And there's not a doubt in my mind that we can play with them over there. When you come to states, everyone's on the same level. It's just a matter of who comes to play and who is consistent that day."
