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WILKES-BARRE — Brynn Kukosky stood with that gold medal clutched in her hands.

The Holy Redeemer senior, after posing with classmates Amanda Curcio and Ashley Andrejko, quickly refocused after the Royals swept Dunmore, 3-0, in the District 2 Class 2A championship.

She knows the road is just beginning.

“I am just so happy to share this championship with my teammates because we worked so hard,” Kukosky said. “As a senior, you know that this is your last chance to win a district title, so that makes it even more special. I’m just so proud to be a member of this team. I put 110 percent effort into everything.”

Set scores were 25-13, 25-18 and 25-20. This was the 10th straight district title for Holy Redeemer, which plays the winner of District 4 Tuesday at Pittston Area.

In the District 2 Class 3A championship, Nanticoke Area won the first two sets and held off an amazing Crestwood rally in a 3-2 victory.

“Tonight, I thought we played really well in the first set,” Redeemer head coach Jack Kablick said. “The second set, we kind of dropped off at the end, and we gave up 14 points in the third set. But that’s kind of been our story all year. We win the first two rather easily, and drop off in the third. That’s something we will continue to talk about.”

Really, the young Royals – while still playing a slew of underclassmen – are starting to hit their stride.

That was clearly evident by the first set where three different attackers – Kukosky, Curcio and sophomore Skylar Osenkarski each had five kills.

The pass from the back row hit the same exact spot on the Marts Center floor each time.

And the defense was nearly spotless, holding Dunmore to no kills and only one ace by senior Erica Bistran.

As a matter of fact, Dunmore held a 5-3 lead before Redeemer rattled off nine straight points on Andrejko’s serve before scoring the final five points of the set in a 25-13 victory.

The Royals controlled the second set, thanks to five kills from Curcio. Redeemer jumped out to an 18-12 lead and extended it to 22-13.

Redeemer closed it out with two Curcio swings and a cross-court spike by Kukosky.

“I’m just so happy to be part of this team. When you think about it, 10 straight titles is quite an honor,” Curcio said. “This victory is about more than one person. This was a team victory. We’ve been getting better and better each game throughout the year. We know we still have some work left to do.”

Dunmore battled in the third, knotting the match at 8-8 early before Redeemer ripped off nine of the next 11 points for the 17-10 lead.

Osenkarski, who finished with 11 kills, closed out the match after the Bucks trimmed the deficit back to 24-20.

“It was nerve-racking at first, but once you get on the court, it all goes away,” Osenkarski said. “It took the first set to really relax. I think we are starting to play our best volleyball, and I know that we can make a good run at states.”

Nanticoke 3, Crestwood 2

Kasey Radginski started it with a block. And she sealed a District 2 Class 3A title for Nanticoke Area the same way.

Radginski’s block knotted the fifth set at 12-12. Two Jenna Lipowski aces put the Trojans up two, and Radginski’s sixth block of the match wrapped up the title as Nanticoke beat Crestwood, 3-2, in the district title match at Wilkes.

The Trojans will face the District 3 runner-up Tuesday at Pittston Area.

“I wouldn’t have predicted this at the beginning of the year,” Nanticoke head coach Debbie Gavin said. “I think we just peaked at the right time. We wanted to keep our heads in the game. We wanted that bus ride around town tonight with the firetrucks because that’s something we haven’t done in a long time.”

No doubt, it was heart-pounding.

Nanticoke took the first two sets. Crestwood responded by winning the third and fourth.

And it set up the race to 15.

Crestwood jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but Trojan sophomores Alyssa Lewis and Jilann Baron were huge in the pressure-packed moments.

Nanticoke went on a 5-0 run with Lewis behind the service line, giving the Trojans a 9-5 lead.

Baron had three of her seven kills in the final set, giving Gavin’s group a 10-7 lead.

“Our sophomores have really matured as the season went along,” Gavin said.

Sereina Brenhofer’s kill knotted the set at 11-11 before Nanticoke ripped off a 4-0 run to close the set.

“Honestly, this is the best feeling in the world,” Lipowski said. “To win a district in your senior year, there is nothing better. We have worked so hard to win. We just kept pushing in that fifth set. We knew we could do it, but we had to do it as a team.”

Holy Redeemer 3, Dunmore 0

Dunmore `13`18`20 – 0

Holy Redeemer `25`25`25 – 3

Dunmore Leaders: Erika Bistran 5 kills, 2 aces; Rita Aroncia 2 kills; Samantha Domzalski 7 assists.

Redeemer Leaders: Brynn Kukosky 13 kills,1 block, 4 digs; Amanda Curcio 15 kills, 22 assists; Skylar Osenkarski 14 kills, 5 blocks; Ashley Andrejko 15 assists, 14 service points.

Nanticoke Area 3, Crestwood 2

Nanticoke `25`25`13`22`15 – 3

Crestwood `21`22`25`25`12 – 2

Nanticoke Leaders: Kasey Radginski 9 kills, 6 blocks; Jilann Baron 7 kills, 3 blocks; Jenna Lipowski 21 assists.

Crestwood Leaders: Sereina Brenhofer 16 kills; Aly Muse 7 kills; Ally Olszyk 29 assists.

Holy Redeemer’s Julia Andrejko sets the ball for the next shot during Thursday’s girls high school volleyball match against Dunmore at Wilkes University.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110416.redeemerdunmore01-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer’s Julia Andrejko sets the ball for the next shot during Thursday’s girls high school volleyball match against Dunmore at Wilkes University. Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader

Holy Redeemer’s Sarah Kuderka digs a shot during Thursday’s girls high school volleyball match against Dunmore at Wilkes University.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110416.redeemerdunmore03-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer’s Sarah Kuderka digs a shot during Thursday’s girls high school volleyball match against Dunmore at Wilkes University. Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader

Holy Redeemer’s Brynn Kukosky taps the ball over for the net during Thursday’s girls high school volleyball match against Dunmore at Wilkes University.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110416.redeemerdunmore02-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer’s Brynn Kukosky taps the ball over for the net during Thursday’s girls high school volleyball match against Dunmore at Wilkes University. Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader

By Tom Fox

For Times Leader

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