Roaring Lion netters in USCAA event … again
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, is no stranger to the USCAA National Championship Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
The Roaring Lions made their way to Canton, N.Y., Wednesday to take part in their sixth consecutive event.
Pool play begins today and runs into Friday, with the quarterfinal round set for later Friday. The semifinals will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. and noon, with the National Championship match set to begin at 4 p.m.
So, it’s become an annual pilgrimage to this place or that for the Roaring Lions, who won their sixth consecutive PSUAC championship last weekend to qualify.
When they take the court this morning, the Roaring Lions will do so with a few newly minted USCAA All-Americans. Junior setter Emily Konter from Brownsville was selected as a second-team All-American and junior outside hitter Sam Helmantoler from Ringgold made the USCAA’s honorable mention All-American list.
“Emily is the glue that holds this team together,” said coach Nancy Wheeler. “She keeps us together and that was vital during this season.”
Their continued success wasn’t as easy as it might appear, since the Roaring Lions had a spade of injuries that forced Wheeler to play most or all of her freshmen at different times during the season.
“Janelle Cooper has been out until about two weeks ago and Meg Manack has been injured during parts of the season,” Wheeler said. “So it really didn’t come together for us until about two weeks ago.
“But I think it has made us a stronger, deeper team. We played most of our matches down three, four or five players, so the young girls had to step in.
“Now, they are experienced, but we’ll still go as far as our five juniors take us,” said Wheeler, who fashioned a 23-9 overall record with a 10-player, senior-free roster. “We have five juniors and five freshmen.
Cooper is a junior from Laurel Highlands and Manack is a freshman from Frazier. Other juniors are Emily Caldwell from Belle Vernon and Katlyn Salisbury from Yough. Other freshmen are Victoria Helmantoler from Ringgold, Brownsville’s Francesca Legros, Connellsville’s Caitlyn Williams and California’s Kelsey Tyler.
Of course, there is plenty of local flavor, but Wheeler wouldn’t have it any other way.
“There is good talent in this area, thanks to the clubs around here,” she said. “They help in recruiting tremendously. And so does my assistant Stacey Domer. She just does everything for me and the program.”
Fayette plays three matches Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. against Daemen. At 1 p.m., the Roaring Lions meet UC Clermont and they take on Carlow at 5 p.m. They end pool play at 11:30 a.m. Friday against Marygrove.
If Fayette finishes in the top four in its pool, they qualify for the quarterfinals later Friday.