The Parkland and Emmaus High School boys volleyball teams put on a show in an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinal match Tuesday at Allen High School.

It was the third time the two teams have met so far in 2025 and they saved their best for the postseason.

The back-and-forth match that went to the fifth set and then extended into extra points was won by the Green Hornets by scores of 24-26, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 16-14.

“Our guys played so well tonight,” said Parkland head coach Scott Trumbauer. “It’s a tough result, but I’m really proud of how the guys have continued to improve this season so far. We expected a big response from Emmaus when we went up 2-1 in sets, and once we knew we were going to a fifth set, we made sure we remained focused on the little things because they would be the difference in deciding the match.

“In the end, the ball just didn’t fall our way...but seeing the guys compete at such a high level was a great thing to witness.”

The Trojans got out in front early, taking the high-scoring first set and then responding in the third set after losing the second to go on top 2-1. But the Hornets showed why they’re the top seed and unbeaten in conference play throughout the regular season. They used their power and athleticism to fight back and win the final two sets.

“As they have done all season, Emmaus served well and had a very aggressive offense, which put pressure on our blocks all night,” Trumbauer said. “They also played really scrappy defense throughout the match, forcing us into situations where we had to take 4-5 swings in a single rally.”

Nation finished with 16 kills and two blocks and Nick Bauer recorded 12 kills, two blocks and one ace. Alex Schoch tallied nine kills and six blocks, Bear Jacobs ended with eight kills and four blocks and Jude Ruisch contributed six kills and two blocks. Gabe Chase had 47 assists, two blocks and one ace and Owen Barnett ended with 16 digs and one ace.

“Bear Jacobs and Alex Schoch really stepped up in the middle against an All-EPC First Team player in Colin Holden,” said Trumbauer. “Jude Ruisch really came through for us with a handful of timely blocks and kills, too. Obviously, a lot of focus goes to Josh Nation, and he continues to produce, but everyone who stepped on the court tonight contributed something positive.”

Emmaus will take on the second seed, Whitehall, in the EPC championship match Thursday night back at Allen. The Zephyrs defeated the third seed, Nazareth in the quarters.

In the opening round of the league tournament, the fifth-seeded Trojans (12-6 overall, 9-3 EPC) went on the road and defeated fourth-seeded Freedom (15-4, 9-3) in four sets by scores of 25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 26-24.

Parkland took care of business in the first two sets, but Freedom got on the scoreboard with a third set victory. The Trojans wanted to avoid having to go to a fifth and deciding set so finished off the match in a back-and-forth fourth set. Josh Nation led the attack with 19 kills while added two blocks. Alex Schoch was a force at the net, collecting five blocks while adding nine kills.

Owen Barnett was a magnet to the ball on defense, finishing with a team-high 13 digs. Gabe Chase dished out 42 assists and added two blocks.

Parkland will set its sights on the District 11 3A Tournament, where it will most likely be the fifth seed and play at the fourth seed, Nazareth, in the quarterfinal round.

“Right now, based on [Tuesday’s] marathon match,” said Trumbauer, “we are looking forward to some rest days, but now we have to get focused on our first round of Districts next Tuesday at Nazareth. This will be our first ‘must-win’ match of the season, so we need to adjust our focus even more and make sure we don’t leave anything on the court when the match is over.”