On paper, it looked like last Friday’s boys volleyball match against Emmaus had the potential to produce a tense five-setter between a pair of teams each with but a single loss on the season. However, the K-Kids went out and swept the defending EPC champions 25-20, 25-13, 25-22 in Pete Schneider Gymnasium.

It is believed that it was the first-ever sweep of the Hornets by the K-Kids in boys volleyball. The team has won 21 straight sets on their way to posting a 12-1 record with five matches left in the regular season.

The first set was not a thing of beauty, although it was tightly contested. The two teams were either nervous or overhyped as they combined for 15 service errors. The Kids pulled away from a 17-16 margin to claim the set.

The second set score stood at 7-all when Northampton went on a 6-point run to blow it open. The K-Kids thoroughly dominated as almost half (6 of 13) of the Hornet’s points came via service errors.

Emmaus led 12-9 near the halfway point of the third set, but Northampton got its collective act together and showed it was the better team by winning 12 of the next 17 points.

In addition to the win, the team celebrated the 1,000th assist of the setter Keller Repasch’s high school career.

Repasch spoke about the accomplishment, “It means the world. I got the thousand assists, but I wouldn’t have done it without the coaching staff around me. They’ve been so helpful since day 1. Ever since I was a freshman and not even on varsity, they’ve been helping me and working with me, giving me pointers.”

Head coach Sue Arndt noted, “He’s only the second player in my 30-year coaching career that has ever gotten a thousand assists. Besides that, his decision-making is improving more and more. He’s strong in his decisions and that’s what I love most about his game.”

Sophomore Landon Nickischer, who has been a revelation as an opposite hitter, led the team with 10 kills. Jackson Fehnel led the team with 14 digs and chipped in with 6 kills. Alex Schoenen notched 6 kills, 5 digs, and 4 aces. Johnny Martinez had 9 digs and 4 kills.

The team heads into its final week of the regular season looking to secure a top-two seed for the EPC tournament which would result in a bye into the semifinals. After tuneups on Friday and Saturday against Allen and North Pocono respectively, the Kids will host a pair of strong opponents in their final two matches.

On Monday, they take on Freedom. The Patriots currently hold down the fifth spot in the District XI 3A power rankings. An earlier contest between the two squads resulted in a Northampton win in 5 sets. Then on Wednesday, Whitehall comes to town for Senior Night and the season finale. If both teams take care of business in their preceding matches, the winner will claim the regular season EPC title and the top seed in the conference tournament.