BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Abington Heights, Valley View to battle for league title

When Abington Heights and Valley View squared off the first time, it was so thrilling and intense that they will do it again.

The regular season concluded, and the two teams were tied for first place with 9-1 records in the Lackawanna League. That forced the rematch Monday at 6 p.m. at North Pocono High School.

Days after the title tilt, both teams head to their respective District 2 playoff tournaments. Abington Heights will defend its Class 3A title as the No. 2 seed. Valley View is the No. 3 seed in Class 2A.

First, they will settle the debate as to which team is best in the league. The outcome will not count in the District 2 power rating standings.

Luke Stevens is a force for the Cougars, a three-year varsity program contending for its first league championship. An All-Region player in 2025, he has 194 kills to lead Valley View. He also has 102 service points with 40 aces, 29 blocks and 64 digs.

Jagger Roe, a senior, is second on the team with 122 kills. He also has 124 service points with 22 aces, 26 blocks and 28 digs. Sophomore Drew Stevens has 102 kills and 56 digs. Mike Shemonski has 84 kills.

The Cougars recovered from the loss to Abington Heights with three straight wins, including a wild five-set triumph of Holy Redeemer, which is the No. 2 seed for the District 2 Class 2A playoffs and the defending champion.

Abington Heights junior Nolan Moore leads his team with 185 kills. He also has 146 service points with 28 aces and 84 digs.

Dan Beck has 152 kills, 46 blocks and 32 digs for the Comets. Billy Johnson has 122 kills and is a wall at the net with 35 blocks. Ben Reese has 110 kills.

Ryan Horutz, an All-Region player last season, runs the offense with 499 assists. He also has 107 service points with a team-high 47 aces and 127 digs. Chase Beerman has 123 service points, and Chris Cummins has 109 service points and a team-high 195 digs.

In the first meeting, Valley View jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a 25-23 win. Abington Heights responded with 25-21 and 25-20 wins in the next two sets. The Cougars forced a race to 15 with a 29-27 win in the fourth set. The Comets closed out the win, 15-12.

Reese had a dominant effort with 19 kills and two blocks for Abington Heights. Moore also had 19 kills, and Beck had 13 with 18 service points. Cummins added 13 service points, and Horutz had 53 assists.

Luke Stevens led Valley View with 16 kills, 12 digs and seven service points. Drew Stevens had 11 kills and eight service points, and Shemonski contributed 10 kills. Rocco Farina had 14 digs, and Antonio Farina had 44 assists.