When we last left Manheim Central’s boys volleyball team, the Barons were shuffling off the court at Penn State’s Rec Hall, holding aloft the PIAA Class 2A championship gold trophy last June.
That victory over Meadville capped a glorious 24-1 season, which included Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2, District 3 and state titles, plus a trip to the league championship match.
And then Central’s squad took an uppercut to the solar plexus on graduation night, with four All-State seniors and multiple key contributors sashaying across the stage, diplomas in hand.
Surely the Barons would take a step back this season, right?
Right?
After a terrific showing on the other side of the state last weekend, Central opened defense of its section title in fine fashion Tuesday night, dropping host Garden Spot 3-0 in New Holland.
It was the Barons’ 39th Section 2 victory in a row, as Central is angling for its fourth straight section crown this spring.
Close
Manheim Central’s Gavin Longenecker (5) gets under a hit by Garden Spot during Game 2 action of an L-L League Section 2 boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Joshua Fry (26) gets under a hit by Garden Spot during game two action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Gavin Longenecker (5) gets under the ball against Garden Spot during Game 2 action of an L-L League Section 2 boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Gavin Longencker (5) dives for the ball against Garden Spot during game two action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) gets under a hit by Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Blake Neiles (15) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Jacoby Martin (16) gets under a hit by Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Caleb Groff (16) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Jacoby Martin (16) and Carlos Berrera (22) put the ball over Manheim Central’s Gavin Longenecker (5) during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Blake Neiles (15) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Blake Neiles (15) puts the ball over the net against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Daniel Becker (7) puts the ball over the net against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) with the hit against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Jacoby Martin (16) with the hit against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) gets under a hit by Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) with the hit against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Caleb Groff (16) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Aiden Mininger (3) with a set against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Gavin Longenecker (5) gets under a hit by Garden Spot during Game 2 action of an L-L League Section 2 boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Joshua Fry (26) gets under a hit by Garden Spot during game two action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Gavin Longenecker (5) gets under the ball against Garden Spot during Game 2 action of an L-L League Section 2 boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Gavin Longencker (5) dives for the ball against Garden Spot during game two action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) gets under a hit by Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Blake Neiles (15) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Jacoby Martin (16) gets under a hit by Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Caleb Groff (16) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Jacoby Martin (16) and Carlos Berrera (22) put the ball over Manheim Central’s Gavin Longenecker (5) during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Blake Neiles (15) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Blake Neiles (15) puts the ball over the net against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Daniel Becker (7) puts the ball over the net against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) with the hit against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Jacoby Martin (16) with the hit against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) gets under a hit by Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Andrew Weaver (1) with the hit against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Manheim Central’s Caleb Groff (16) with the hit against Garden Spot during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Garden Spot’s Aiden Mininger (3) with a set against Manheim Central during game one action of an L-L League section two boys volleyball game at Garden Spot High School in New Holland on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
Tuesday’s set scores were 25-20, 25-8 and 25-13, as the Barons kept their hot start rolling. Central KO’d District 3 Class 3A heavyweight Central York and went all the way to the finals of North Allegheny’s star-studded season-opening tournament last Saturday in Pittsburgh.
The Barons fell to host NA — the top-ranked Class 3A team in the state; Central York is No. 2 — in the championship match. But Central, with a lot of fresh faces in important places, maneuvered through a tricky field to reach the finals.
One of those fresh faces is junior Gavin Longenecker, who is stepping in this season for one of the best setters to ever come through the L-L League. That would be Dylan Musser, who piled up more than 2,000 assists in his storied career for the Barons.
“He’s stepping into … I can’t even describe how big those shoes are,” Central coach Craig Dietrich said about Longenecker. “That’s not easy. It’s like replacing Joe Paterno; being that next guy at Penn State.”
Longenecker set up 34 assists against Garden Spot, which had a 16-14 lead in the first set, and gave Central all it could handle early on. But Longenecker and the Barons settled their ship.
“It’s really tough, stepping in there and taking his position,” Longenecker said about succeeding Musser, the reigning state Class 2A Player of the Year. “I have to start leading the team, which is fun. But it’s also challenging. I’m pretty much just trying to do my own thing; just being Gavin.”
Longenecker is even wearing Musser’s old jersey — No. 5 — this season.
“I wanted to keep it going,” he said.
Longenecker jibed with Barons’ hitter Caleb Groff throughout on Tuesday. Central’s hard-hitting outside hitter unleashed 16 kills and served up six aces. He had eight kills and four aces in the first set alone, including three aces in a row.
Groff also had a pair of kills and another ace during a 9-0 blitz, when the Barons went from down 7-2 to up 11-7. Garden Spot countered, getting back-to-back kills from Daniel Greve and Jacoby Martin for a 16-14 lead.
Martin had eight kills for the Spartans.
But Groff and Daniel Becker delivered two kills apiece, and Blake Neiles had a sizzling spike — all off feeds from Longenecker — and Central took the first set and was on its way.
“We had a chance there to really put them on their heels, and give ourselves a lot of confidence,” Garden Spot coach Ben Rutt said. “It didn’t work out. But I love the way we played in the first set. Our key is always going to be consistency. We have to be consistent. Passing. Serving. Being aggressive.”
The Barons were the aggressors in the second set; Groff had three early kills, and Groff and Will Myers went kill-ace for an 18-7 cushion. Groff had another kill and Myers had another ace and Central was up 2-0.
Garden Spot was within 11-9 in the third on Greve’s ace. But Becker answered with a kill. And Groff, who chipped in with five digs, had consecutive aces, and then a kill to clinch the match.
A match Longenecker, getting his first varsity start for the defending state champs, and stepping in for an icon in the program, ended up having his fingerprints all over.
“I can’t imagine what’s going on inside of his head and inside of his body,” Dietrich said. “But he’s been doing a good job. We have some inexperience up front on our side, but he’s been doing a nice job getting the ball to them, and giving us the best opportunity to score.”
X: @JeffReinhart77
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