Volleyball Game Preview: Pope John Paul II vs. Bayard Rustin Golden Knights + How To Watch

After both having extra time off, Pope John Paul II and the Bayard Rustin Golden Knights will shake off the cobwebs and hit the court against one another at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Pope John Paul II is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Pennsylvania's top teams: Spring-Ford, who was ranked third at the time (Pope John Paul II was ranked tenth). Pope John Paul II fell 3-1 to Spring-Ford last Thursday. The defeat continues a trend for Pope John Paul II in their meetings with Spring-Ford: they've now lost three in a row.

Meanwhile, Bayard Rustin had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Merion Mercy Academy with a sharp 3-0 win on Thursday. The victory was nothing new for the Golden Knights as they're now sitting on seven straight.

The match came down to the wire multiple times:two sets needed extra rallies to declare a winner. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 27-25, 27-25, 25-12.

Pope John Paul II's loss dropped their record down to 10-3. As for Bayard Rustin, their win bumped their record up to 15-6.

Pope John Paul II took their victory against Bayard Rustin in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 3-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pope John Paul II since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.