High school volleyball action on the horizon
As the action heats up on the football and soccer fields, the action inside the gym this fall will be just as hot as the volleyball season kicks off in Greene County this weekend, with section play starting next week.
Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown and West Greene remain together in Class A, Section 2 with likes of Bentworth, California, Frazier and Geibel Catholic.
Waynesburg Central is in Class AA, Section 3 with the likes of Beth-Center, Brownsville, Charleroi, McGuffey, Southmoreland and Washington.
The top four teams in each section advance to the playoffs in Single-A and Double-A.
The following is the 2016 season previews for the five, county volleyball squads:
Section 2-A
Carmichaels Lady Mikes
The coach: Ashley Shoemaker (8th year) Numbers: 16
2015 in review: It was another milestone season for Carmichaels, as the Lady Mikes won their first ever playoff match in school’s history with a 3-0 sweep of Bentworth in the preliminary round. Altogether, the Lady Mikes went 10-6 overall and finished third in the section with an 8-4 mark. Carmichaels season ended with a 3-0 loss to Shenango in the first round.
Players to Watch: Senior captain Morgan Faddis leads by example, while also getting support from fellow seniors Lauren Walker and Elaine Kerr. Other key pieces to the squad are Aubree Ferek, Grace Kerr, Kristina Aeschbacher, Jadyn Barnish and Meighan Spishock.
Key Section Match-ups: vs. Frazier 9/29, vs. Jefferson-Morgan 10/6, at Geibel Catholic 10/13
Coachspeak: “We now expect to get into the playoffs and play to the best of our abilities every season,” Shoemaker said. “The girls know that getting into the playoffs isn’t a given. It will take lots of hard work and nothing will be given to them. These girls have gained plenty of varsity experience and we want to play to the best of our abilities.”
Jefferson-Morgan Lady Rockets
The coach: Anthony Crawley (1st year) Numbers: 22
2015 in review: The Lady Rockets made it back to the postseason in 2015 with a 13-5 overall record and a 10-2 mark in section play for a second place finish behind Frazier. J-M swept the season-series with rival Carmichaels and their only two losses in section action were against Frazier. J-M lost in the first round of the playoffs to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Players to watch: Despite losing a talented, senior class from last year, J-M will have plenty of experience on the court headlined by seniors Jamie Lawrence, Autumn Tedrow, Anna Mattish and Erin Confortini. The Lady Rockets are also looking to get some help from its younger players as well on the roster
Key section match-ups: vs. Frazier 9/8, vs. Geibel Catholic 9/29, at Carmichaels 10/6
Coachspeak: “I want our identity to be that of a respected team,” Crawley said. “We want to play clean and compete at the highest level. I want our girls to play with character and be driven. This is a competitive section, but I think we can take a run at those top spots. Our primary goal is to make it back to the playoffs.”
Mapletown Lady Maples
The coach: Christy Menear (2nd year) Numbers: 21
2015 in review: Mapletown struggled at the beginning of the year with a 0-6 record, but finished the season strong with an 8-3 mark. The Lady Maples went 4-8 in section play for fourth place. Later in the year, Mapletown avenged earlier losses to California and Geibel Catholic. The Lady Maples won just two games in 2014.
Players to watch: The Lady Maples lost four seniors from 2015, but they still have a strong nucleus coming back that includes seniors Abby McIntire, Kaley Wagner, Lauren Reda and Gabby Muilenburgh. Mapletown will also look to get contributions from Mackenzie Cree, Hannah Dusenberry, Madison Kuis, Taylor Vanata and Gabriella Clark.
Key section match-ups: at California 9/8, vs. Jefferson-Morgan 9/15, vs. Geibel Catholic 10/6
Coachspeak: “We just jelled better down the stretch last season,” Menear said. “The kids got more comfortable with me and (assistant coach) Kelly Rafferty. Our volleyball intelligence grew and the kids were after it in the gym during the off-season. Our expectations increase every year, and we are focused on growing and developing on the floor every match.”
West Greene Lady Pioneers
The coach: Eric Bedilion (2nd year) Numbers: 18
2015 in review: The Lady Pioneers started the year at 2-2 overall, and that’s including an upset of Geibel Catholic, but West Greene struggled down the stretch losing 10 of their last 13 matches for an overall record of 5-12. They went 1-11 in section place for a seventh place finish, but their final two section losses were by 3-2 defeats to Carmichaels and Mapletown.
Players to watch: Senior libero Hannah Reed will be the catalyst for the West Greene’s offense and will be aided by some strong play around the net. Juniors Lexie Mooney and Linzee Stover are penciled in as outside hitters, while senior Emily Tedrow will be patrolling the middle.
Key section match-ups: vs. Bentworth 9/13, at Geibel Catholic 9/22, at Mapletown 9/13
Coachspeak: “We were inconsistent last year,” Bedilion said. “We are trying to change the culture around the program and change the mentality of our girls. We can’t just accept losing, we have to play with confidence and believe we can win. We have the talent, and I think we can compete for a playoff spot this season.”
Section 3-AA
Waynesburg Central Lady Raiders
The coach: Dan Higinbotham (4th year) Numbers: 21
2015 in review: Waynesburg was 15-5 overall and tied for second in their section a year ago with a 13-3 mark. They won six of their last seven matches in the regular season, including a 3-1 triumph over section champion Brownsville. The Lady Raiders registered a 3-2 preliminary round victory over Mohawk before dropping a 3-0 match to West Shamokin in the first round.
Players to watch: Despite losing a strong senior class a year ago, the Lady Raiders return three critical players with a plethora of varsity experience. Senior hitter Kiana Blasko, senior middle hitter Kaitlyn Fisher and junior setter Abby Gibbons will be key clogs on a young squad.
Key section match-ups: vs. Southmoreland 9/8, vs. Brownville 9/29, at Beth-Center 10/18
Coachspeak: “I like our section this year and the kids are bringing the right attitude into camp,” Higinbotham said. “On paper, I think we can win this section. We know a lot of these teams and we can compete with any one of them. Our younger kids were successful in junior high, so we hope they can bring that same winning edge up with our veterans on the team.”