By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, December 17, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Two Quaker Valley girls — Annica Kagle and Vanessa Pickett — were chosen to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association all-state team in the Class 2A division.

Kagle is a senior right-side hitter and a two-time all-state selection. Pickett is a junior setter.

“I was honored to be chosen again,” Kagle said. “I was excited to be chosen with Vanessa this year. I am so happy for Vanessa because she works really hard and is a great teammate. We could not have won this award without our great teammates.

“I am very proud of how our team finished this year. We worked really hard as a team and we had a lot of fun, too. I think this was really a great way to end my senior season.”

Pickett was elated to be chosen among the top players in the state. She is one of 11 juniors named all-state in Class 2A.

“When I found out I made the all-state team, I was ecstatic,” Pickett said. “I was really happy to know that all of my hard work during the season paid off and others realized that. The all-state team is a group of very talented individuals, and I am honored to the opportunity to make this team. Over the past year, I have worked really hard to get to where I am now.

“I am very grateful to have the chance to be a part of the QV girls volleyball program. The team is made up of talented players and great coaches. I am looking forward to what our team will do next season.”

By: Michael Love 
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 | 12:41 PM

Purchase Photo Options

WPIAL players were well-represented on the all-state girls volleyball teams released Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.

North Allegheny placed four on the Class 4A team — senior libero Avery Butcher, senior outside hitter Marin Dunaway, senior right side Jamie Frisco and senior outside hitter Kyra Schmidt.

The Tigers swept District 1 champion Unionville on Nov. 18 at Cumberland Valley to claim their seventh consecutive PIAA crown.

State Class 3A runner-up Hampton is represented by all-state selections in senior libero Avery Koontz, sophomore setter Lilly Muczinski and senior outside hitter Emmy Schrom.

WPIAL Class 2A champion and PIAA semifinalist Beaver features all-state selections in senior outside hitter Chloe List and sophomore middle hitter Kailyn Connelly.

Schrom now is a three-time all-state honoree, while List, Seneca Valley senior middle hitter Olivia Congdon, Pine-Richland sophomore setter Isabelle Hoppe, Oakland Catholic senior middle hitter Riley Samuel, Freeport senior middle hitter Josie Russo and Quaker Valley senior right side hitter Annica Kagle are recognized for the second time.

Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association

All-State Girls Volleyball Teams

WPIAL selections

Class 4A

Avery Butcher, senior, libero, North Allegheny

Natalie Carr, sophomore, outside hitter, Canon-McMillan

*Olivia Congdon, senior, middle hitter, Seneca Valley

Ella Dindak, senior, setter, Penn-Trafford

Marin Dunaway, senior, outside hitter, North Allegheny

Jamie Frisco senior, right side, North Allegheny

Kali Holmes, sophomore, outside hitter, Peters Township

*Isabelle Hoppe, sophomore, setter, Pine-Richland

Kyra Schmidt, senior, outside hitter, North Allegheny

Bria Stepp, senior, setter, Seneca Valley

Grace Triebsch, senior, middle hitter, Upper St. Clair

Abby Tucker, junior, middle hitter, Canon-McMillan

Class 3A

Lali Allensworth, senior, middle hitter, Armstrong

Elena Esquivel, senior, setter, Oakland Catholic

Mia Fox, senior, outside hitter, Thomas Jefferson

Avery Koontz, senior, libero, Hampton

Ella Koziara, junior, outside hitter, North Catholic

Juliette Leroux, sophomore, middle hitter, South Fayette

Kennady Martindale, junior, middle hitter, Montour

Lilly Muczinski, sophomore, setter, Hampton

*Riley Samuel, senior, middle hitter, Oakland Catholic

**Emmy Schrom, senior, outside hitter, Hampton

Alex Sepcic, senior, libero, North Catholic

Class 2A

Nora Kate Gavin, senior, outside hitter, Avonworth

*Chloe List, senior, outside hitter, Beaver

Kaitlyn Connelly, sophomore, middle hitter, Beaver

Claire Noble, senior, outside hitter, Ellwood City

*Josie Russo, senior, middle hitter, Freeport

Alaina Whitlinger, junior, outside hitter, Freeport

*Annica Kagle, senior, right side, Quaker Valley

Vanessa Pickett, junior, setter, Quaker Valley

Morgan O’Brien, senior, setter, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Elyse Lenhart, senior, setter, Shenango

Class A

Ashlyn Black, sophomore, right side, Greensburg Central Catholic

Cassidy Trahan, junior, libero, Serra Catholic

Clare Ruffing, junior, middle hitter, Bishop Canevin

Emerson Trahan, senior, setter, Serra Catholic

Gracen Hartman, junior, outside hitter/setter, Frazier

Jade Bailey, senior, setter, Bishop Canevin

Jordynn Carter, junior, setter/right side, Carlynton

Kasie Meek, senior, outside hitter, West Greene

*Two-time honoree

**Three-time honoree

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Michael by email at mlove@triblive.com or via Twitter .

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, December 10, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Talk about a landslide vote.

Eight members of the Quaker Valley girls volleyball team were honored as all-section selections in 2023.

Two seniors, right-side hitter Annica Kagle and middle hitter Katelyn Clark, and two juniors, outside hitter Molly MacDonald and setter Vanessa Pickett, were named to the first team.

Kagle stands 5-foot-11 and is a Catawba College (N.C.) recruit. Clark is a 5-11 middle hitter who also can play the right-side position.

“I was honored to be recognized and seeing so many players from our team also get recognized,” Kagle said. “Thank you to the QV community for continuously supporting our volleyball teams.”

Kagle was a second-team all-section selection as a sophomore and a first-team pick as a junior. She also was an All-WPIAL and PVCA all-state honoree last year and a first team All-WPIAL player this year.

Kagle was a three-year starter for the Quakers. She is committed to Catawba, a member of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference located in Salisbury, N.C., 25 miles northeast of Charlotte.

“I’m excited to continue my college volleyball career at Catawba College next year,” Kagle said. “It was the right fit for me both academically and athletically. I really like the coaches and the team. I visited several colleges, and this is the college that felt like home to me. I love the campus and the location.”

Kagle has many cherished memories from her high school volleyball career.

“Some of the best memories are the bus rides with my teammates and all the fun times in practices and games with my teammates,” she said. “Also, my junior- and senior-year playoff experiences, especially this season’s team winning the first section title in girls volleyball in school history.

“Being a part of winning our first-round playoff game in my junior year was such a rewarding moment for us because the previous year we did not make playoffs. I remember us being so happy and excited to see how we would do. We were so excited. I definitely will miss this team and cherish these memories.”

Clark, a third-team WPIAL Class 2A all-star this season, was a three-year varsity starter for the Quakers. She plans to major in chemistry in college. 

The 5-8 Pickett proved to be one of the most consistent and steadiest players on the squad in 2023.

“Vanessa was definitely our leader, which is something you definitely would like to have in a setter,” QV coach Mike Vavrek said. “She led us not just vocally but with her play as well. She kept this team moving in the right direction with the things she did in games, as well as during practices. She is a great teammate to not just the upperclassman, but the younger girls as well.”

Nora Hammond, a junior outside hitter, received a second-team all-section nod, while senior defensive specialist/setter Lucy Auth, junior defensive specialist Carmen Forsythe and sophomore middle hitter Mia Gartley landed third-team selections.

Kagle, Clark, Auth, Mia Rosa Pugliano (MH/DS) and Isabella Viola (MH/RS) will graduate in the spring.

“We had a great senior class,” Vavrek said. “Those five girls did a lot for this team. They continued the great culture that last year’s senior class left behind.

“They are a great group of girls who are going to go on and do big things in their futures. They were a very unselfish group that put the team first. Quaker Valley volleyball will certainly miss them all.”

The Quakers ended up third in the WPIAL Class 2A tournament to qualify for the PIAA playoffs and finished 17-4 overall.

And the QV girls made history by going undefeated in their section and winning the section title. A girls volleyball banner will hang in the QV gym for the first time in school history.

“I thought we had a great year,” Vavrek said. “We reached most of our expectations and goals that we had coming into the year. We improved as the season went on.

“We got the school’s first-ever section championship in girls volleyball. We finished 17-4, losing only to two teams, Montour and Beaver (three times). I think we improved each time we played Beaver and had chances but could not figure out a way to finish versus them.”

The Quakers started out 4-1 then reeled off 10 consecutive wins to take a 14-2 record into the WPIAL tournament.

QV won its first two playoff matches, defeating No. 19 Fort Cherry, 3-0, and No. 6 Neshannock, 3-1, before dropping a 3-1 decision to No. 2 Beaver in the semifinal round.

The QV girls advanced to the PIAA tournament as the WPIAL’s third-place representative where they split decisions, blanking Kane, 3-0, and losing to Beaver, 3-1.

Beaver defeated No. 1 Freeport, 3-2, in the WPIAL championship match and proved to be a clear-cut nemesis for QV (and all WPIAL opponents) in 2023.

QV finished 14-0 in Section 4-2A, 14-2 in the regular season and 16-2 against WPIAL opponents. The Quakers defeated Avonworth, Central Valley, Freedom, Hopewell, New Brighton, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Sto-Rox in league play.

QV won 11 times against section teams by 3-0 scores, defeated OLSH, 3-1, and edged Avonworth and Hopewell, 3-2.

The Quakers can look to build next year’s team around the likes of Hammond, Forsythe and Gartley. 

“It is very early, but I think we have a few key pieces back from this team,” Vavrek said, “and we will be looking for a few new girls to step in and fill some key positions.

“I think we will be a lot younger next year and less experienced than we have been the last two years, but I think we have girls that have been around and will be ready to step up into bigger roles.”

Four members of the QV team were chosen All-WPIAL in 2023: Kagle, MacDonald, Clark and Pickett.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

OCT 30, 2023

12:04 PM

Here are the all-section teams for WPIAL girls volleyball, as voted by the coaches. The WPIAL all-star teams will be released next week.

CLASS 2A SECTION 4

Katelyn Clark, Quaker Valley (5-11, Sr., MH)

Bella Flinchum, Central Valley (5-10, Sr., MH)

Nora Kate Gavin, Avonworth (5-9, Sr., OH)

Victoria Huffmyer, Avonworth (5-10, Sr., RH)

Cassidy Johncour, Avonworth (5-11, Jr., MH)

Annica Kagle, Quaker Valley (5-11, Sr., RH)

Molly MacDonald, Quaker Valley (5-11, Jr., OH)

Morgan O’Brien, O.L. Sacred Heart (5-7, Sr., S)

Leah Parker, O.L. Sacred Heart (5-5, Soph., RH)

Vanessa Pickett, Quaker Valley (5-8, Jr., S)

By: Ray Fisher 
Saturday, August 12, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Quaker Valley volleyball player Molly MacDonald certainly is an enterprising sort.

MacDonald, 16, started a charity this winter called Brazos de Bienvenida, which when translated means “Welcoming Arms.”

She is collecting clothing, household items and food for underserved Hispanic and Brazilian residents who relocate to Pittsburgh.

“We work with the Sisters of St. Joseph’s out of Baden, Casa San Jose and the Center for Hope in Ambridge,” MacDonald said. “Initially, I was looking for opportunities to get service hours for the (National Honor Society). Then it morphed into a charity.

“I recruit my friends and teammates to help, and they can earn their service hours as well. So it’s a win-win. Currently, Brazos de Bienvenida is collecting adult winter coats for the Center for Hope.”

Donation sites currently include MacDonald’s parents’ two businesses — Advanced Chiropractic of Sewickley, located at 626 Beaver Street, and Transformation Weight Loss & Wellness, 2200 Georgetown Drive, Suite 102.

“People can drop off winter coats now,” MacDonald said. “Patients have been dropping them off. We can accept donations through Sept. 22.

“We will be collecting food for the food pantry in November and money to purchase little Christmas trees for the Kids’ Food Pantry Christmas Party in December.”

MacDonald, a 5-foot-10 junior outside hitter, recently participated with QV teammate Nora Hammond in the inaugural Queens of the ‘Burgh girls volleyball tournament at the All American Field House in Monroeville.

The tournament was run by Avonworth’s veteran coach, John Skarupa, who offered high praise for MacDonald’s athletic abilities.

“Molly is a competitor in everything she does,” he said. “She is a very aware volleyball player with great court IQ and works hard to continue to get better.

“She is a very well-rounded six-rotation outside that has put in the work through many private training sessions, and puts in those extra hours away from the gym.”

Skarupa partnered with MacDonald by asking families that attended the Queens event to donate gently used winter coats.

“We collected three big bags of coats on Sunday,” MacDonald said.

The highly competitive MacDonald, a Global Scholars member with a 4.42 GPA, is a third-year starter at QV. She began competing in volleyball in sixth grade and used to participate in tennis, soccer, basketball, figure skating and club lacrosse, as well as taking piano lessons and playing the violin.

“I stopped playing club lacrosse in ninth grade to focus on volleyball,” she said.

MacDonald competed for the Sharks at the Queens tournament. Hammond, a 5-6 junior outside hitter, played for Miller Time.

Hammond also participates in club volleyball and is a member of the QV softball team. She was elected to student council, is a Key Club member, and works as a swim instructor and lifeguard at the Sewickley Valley YMCA.

MacDonald’s and Hammond’s attention now has turned to Quaker Valley volleyball and the 2023 season.

The Quakers are coming off a fifth-place finish in PIAA Class 2A playoffs and posted an 11-3 section record and an 18-5 overall mark in 2022.

Five QV girls were named all-section: Annica Kagle (RS), Katelyn Clark (MH), Hannah Lubert (libero), Vanessa Pickett (S) and MacDonald (OH). Kagle and Clark also were selected All-WPIAL.

“We are in preseason now and are super excited,” MacDonald said. “We have some great returning varsity players and hope to go far in the playoffs this season.”

Hammond anticipates the Quakers having a banner year.

“I am looking forward to QV volleyball this fall,” Hammond said. “It should be a successful season.”

MacDonald and Kagle competed as teammates July 28 in the U18 division of the Pittsburgh Grass Volleyball tournament.

Kagle is a senior right-side hitter and another third-year starter for the Quakers. Along with being named first-team all-section last season, Kagle was a first-team All-WPIAL selection. She also was named all-state.

“Annica and I often take weekly private lessons together,” MacDonald said. “Annica is an amazing athlete.”

Ditto MacDonald.

By: Ray Fisher 
Saturday, August 12, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Avonworth girls volleyball coach John Skarupa believes it is the first of many to come.

The inaugural Queens of the ‘Burgh volleyball tournament took place Aug. 4-6 at the All American Field House in Monroeville.

The tournament was available to all incoming high school junior and senior girls for the 2023-24 school year.

Skarupa, Amanda Fetter and Laura Zewe formed the event’s planning committee. 3Step Sports helped back it and provided some of the marketing and the registration system.

“The purpose of Queens was to spotlight the top players in the region and create an empowering event through a positive experience,” Skarupa said. “Most girls do not get the opportunity to play with specific players due to being enrolled at different high schools or club programs, so this gave the players a chance to be on the same team as someone from a different part of our district.

“The event was a big success in my mind and from the countless players and parents that told us how much fun it was to play with such high-level talent. I thoroughly enjoyed putting this event on and loved the positive experience it had on these very talented young women. We are, for sure, going to run this event next year and hoping we can add a few more teams. I have a few ideas that we will be slowly rolling into this event to make sure each one is bigger and better than the last.”

The Queens event was set up in two parts with a combine on Day 1 and game action on Days 2 and 3.

At the combine, each athlete was tested and received her approach and block jump results, followed by a series of drills highlighting positional skills and ending with 6-on-6 competition.

The girls then were divided into teams with an assigned coach. Each coach was a former WPIAL athlete now competing collegiately.

After the combine, a draft party took place at All American Field Fouse, where the coaches announced each of the players on their teams. All American Field House is owned by the Cozza volleyball family.

“Craig Cozza was very supportive and provided his staff to ensure the event’s success,” Skarupa said.

The girls’ jersey numbers honored some of the greatest athletes in Pittsburgh sports history, such as No. 75, No. 66, No. 87, etc.

Pool play took place Saturday with each team competing in three matches. The matches on both days were filmed and made available to the participants. There also were in-game announcers and music to add to the energy of the games.

“The fun part about this was we allowed our work team to DJ and announce the starting lineups along with play-by-play commentary,” Skarupa said. “A lot of laughter was heard throughout the day along with great energy and positive support for those special plays.

“All matches were filmed and each play was broken down so that each player has film to use for her recruiting profile.”

On Sunday, playoff brackets were established and the championship team was the Dukes, who were was coached by Avonworth graduate Maggie Colenbrander, now a defensive specialist at Duquesne.

Team members were DS Becca Feczko (Avonworth), DS Avery Koontz (Hampton), MB Kennady Martindale (Montour), MB Ally Schepner (Hampton), RS Victoria Huffmyer (Avonworth), OH Elysia Smith (North Allegheny), OH Elle Visco (Penn-Trafford) and S Aliyah Angelici (Upper St. Clair).

Koontz, Schepner, Huffmyer, Smith and Visco will be seniors in 2023-24. Feczko, Martindale, who was named Most Valuable Queen, and Angelici will be juniors.

A total of 33 girls from 14 schools — Avonworth (6), North Catholic (5), Upper St. Clair (4), Hampton (4), Quaker Valley (2), Montour (2), Knoch (2), Seneca Valley (2), Eden Christian, Mars, Kiski Area, Thomas Jefferson, North Allegheny and Penn-Trafford — participated.

Outside hitters Molly MacDonald, a 5-foot-10 junior, and Nora Hammond, a 5-6 junior, represented Quaker Valley and were placed on the Sharks, coached by Kennedy Christy (Knoch/Juniata), and Miller Time, coached by Paige Miller (North Allegheny/Mercyhurst).

“Coach Skarupa personally invited us to play. We were excited to have high-level competition in a relaxed environment,” MacDonald said. “We got jerseys with important Pittsburgh professional athletes’ numbers on them. I was No. 75 for the Steelers’ Mean Joe Greene.

“It was so much fun to play with girls from other schools and top clubs in Pittsburgh. Usually, we play against each other. We all had a great time and were very competitive but laughed a lot and cheered each other on. Girls took turns being the announcers during the matches. The banter was great. I was on the Sharks, and we were the only team to win three matches on Saturday. All four teams were equal in terms of skill level. We ended up going 4-1 the whole weekend.”

Skarupa is in his fourth year as coach at Avonworth. He is passionate about girls volleyball.

“Girls volleyball is sometime the forgotten sport in high school athletics,” Skarupa said. “We have some incredible players in our area and that stems from the great universities we have in the area. Pittsburgh is slowly starting to improve its volleyball scene, and we can attribute that to the success Pitt was able to achieve as a Top 4 team in the nation.

“We need to continue to support our teams by doing events like Queens and what we’ve been doing at Avonworth. We’ve been able to create a new atmosphere with our Band Night where we bring in our marching band to play at our match. And a new theme night last year was 80s Night, where we had local legend Donnie Iris sing the national anthem. So why not create one of the most unique experiences that no other high school sport I know of is providing?”

The fourth team at the Queens event was the Jays, coached by Elizabeth Feczko (North Catholic/Villanova).

By: Michael Love 
Monday, October 2, 2023 | 11:29 AM

There were no changes at the top in each of the four WPIAL classifications as the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association released its Week 5 polls Monday morning.

Staying at No. 1 were North Allegheny in Class 4A, Hampton in Class 3A, Freeport in Class 2A and Serra Catholic in Class A.

The only slight changes near the top happened in Class 2A where Quaker Valley (No. 3) and Avonworth (No. 4) switched places from last week, and in Class A where Bishop Canevin moved up one spot to No. 2 and Frazier slid down one spot to No. 3.

There are 15 teams that entered this week undefeated in section play: North Allegheny (4-0 , Section 1-4A), Canon-McMillan (5-0, Section 2-4A), Penn-Trafford (4-0, Section 3-4A), Hampton (7-0, Section 1-3A), Thomas Jefferson (8-0, Section 3-3A), North Catholic (7-0, Section 4-3A), Beaver (8-0, Section 1-2A), Keystone Oaks (8-0, Section 2-2A), Southmoreland(11-0, Section 3-2A), Quaker Valley (8-0, Section 4-2A), Freeport (8-0, Section 5-2A), Burgettstown (7-0, Section 1-A), Frazier (8-0, Section 2-A), Bishop Canevin (7-0, Section 3-A) and Serra Catholic (Section 4-A).

Mars in Class 3A and OLSH in Class 2A each returned to the rankings after falling out in recent weeks.

The only tournament from this past weekend — South Fayette — saw Class 4A No. 2 Canon-McMillan win the 15-team event, beating Class 4A No. 8 Peters Township, 25-19, in a one-set championship final.

Each week, every WPIAL girls volleyball head coach will has the opportunity to vote for the teams who will appear in the top 10 for each classification.

Also, the Players of the Week are selected based on coaches nominations.

Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association

Week 5 rankings

Class 2A

1. Freeport (last week: 1)

2. Beaver (2)

3. Quaker Valley (4)

4. Avonworth (3)

5. Neshannock (5)

6. Southmoreland (6)

7. Keystone Oaks (7)

8. Derry (T-10)

9. OLSH (NR)

10. South Allegheny (NR)

Out: Ellwood City (T-8), Burrell (T-8), Beaver Falls (T-10)

Players of the week

Suzie Bishop, Riverside, So., MB

Bella Perod, Neshannock, Sr., L

Zoe Ringer, Beaver, Jr., S

Marly Koleno, Apollo-Ridge, Sr., OH

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, October 15, 2023 | 11:01 AM

The Quaker Valley girls volleyball team picked up where it left off last season.

In 2022, Quaker Valley won 11 of 14 section decisions, advanced to the WPIAL semifinals, finished fifth in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs and ended up 18-5 overall.

This year, through Oct. 9, the Quakers were 10-2 overall, 10-0 in Section 4-2A, and ranked third in their division by the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.

“I think so far this year we have done about what our expectations were,” QV coach Mike Vavrek said. “We wanted to make the playoffs, which we just clinched the other day. We wanted to win a section championship (for the first time in school history), and we are very close to that goal. We took a big step towards that by beating defending champion Avonworth for the second time this year.

“Plus, we are improving every day. We still have work to do, though, and are looking forward to hopefully finishing the season strong.”

Quaker Valley has been led by the one-two punch of All-WPIAL players Annica Kagle and Katelyn Clark, both 5-foot-11 seniors. Kagle, who also earned all-state recognition last season, is a right-side hitter. Clark is a middle hitter.

“I think we have been playing great this season,” Kagle said. “It’s great to be undefeated in section play. We are working really hard in practices, and I believe we are getting better every time we hit the court. Our team chemistry has increased. We need to finish the regular season strong.

“I think we can do great things this postseason. Our expectations are to play with pride and passion, play hard, have fun and achieve success. Last season, we experienced playoff success, and we want to achieve more this year. We are very grateful for the support from the QV community fans.”

Kagle is a third-year starter who has committed to play volleyball for Catawba College in North Carolina and wants to make her senior volleyball season memorable.

“I have had a lot of fun so far,” she said. “I have great teammates, and we have a lot of fun together. We are a close team and I have enjoyed every minute playing and competing with them. I’m focused on getting better every day on and off the court.”

What led Kagle to opting for Catawba, a member of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference? Catawba is located in Salisbury, N.C., 25 miles northeast of Charlotte.

“It was the right fit for me both academically and athletically,” Kagle said. “I really like the coaches and the team. I visited several colleges, and this is the college that felt like home to me. I love the campus and the location.”

Clark plans to attend college somewhere in the Southeast but will not continue her volleyball career. She is appreciative of the Quakers’ performance so far in 2023.

“I am very proud with the effort given by the girls,” Clark said. “Considering we lost three of our starting seniors from last year, I am proud of how our team has stepped up to fill those spots.

“I have pretty high expectations and know that my team will continue to thrive under pressure. After hopefully securing the section (title) for the first time ever, we will continue to push in the playoffs.”

Three other experienced players for QV this year are junior returning starters Molly MacDonald, a 5-11 outside hitter, Vanessa Pickett, a 5-8 setter, and Nora Hammond, a 5-6 outside hitter. Kagle, Clark, MacDonald and Pickett were all-section selections last season.

“I think we have been playing pretty well together,” MacDonald said. “A lot of us played last year on varsity, so we have a lot of varsity experience playing together.

“We are hoping to go all the way to the WPIAL finals and then go far in states. But it definitely will not be a stroll in the park.”

Joining the team’s returning starters in the QV lineup are Mia Gartley, a 5-8 sophomore middle hitter, and a pair of 5-4 defensive specialists, junior Carmen Forsythe and senior Lucy Auth.

Not only were the Quaker Valley girls undefeated through 10 section matches, nine of their wins were by 3-0 margins.

Vavrek noted the specific keys to the team’s success so far in 2023.

“Offensively, we have been very good,” he said. “We’re hitting at a good percentage as a team for the first half of the season.

“Also, we are winning the serving and passing game in our matches.”

The QV coach talked about the team’s expectations that actually began at the end of last season.

“We would like to get back to where we advanced to last year, which was the WPIAL semifinals,” Vavrek said, “and take the next step by winning that game. This is a goal the girls have had since last year’s (playoff) loss.

“As a team, we need to continue to work on our connectivity and offensive efficiency, as well as really starting to win some games on the defensive side of the ball. We have a little bit of work to do.”

QV’s senior night took place Oct. 10 at the high school gym. The five upperclassmen honored that night were Kagle, Clark, Auth, Mia Rosa Pugliano (MH/DS) and Isabella Viola (MH/RS).

The junior class on this year’s team is represented by MacDonald, Pickett, Hammond, Forsythe, Lauren Krouse (DS/S), Eden Palladini (OH/DS) and Keira Sanner (OH/DS).

The Quakers were scheduled to close out their section schedule Oct. 17 at home against Sto-Rox and Oct. 19 on the road versus Hopewell.

By: Michael Love 
Monday, October 16, 2023 | 12:04 PM

North Allegheny, Hampton, Freeport and Bishop Canevin finish at the top of their respective rankings in the final Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association WPIAL girls top-10 polls released Monday morning.

Bishop Canevin debuted at the top of the Class A poll in Week 1, but recently had slipped to No. 3. The Crusaders won three matches last week, including a 3-0 nonsection win over Class 4A Mt. Lebanon on Oct. 9.

They have clinched the Section 3-A title and finish section play Monday at No. 7 Carlynton.

Seneca Valley, No. 3 this week in Class 4A, won the lone tournament Saturday involving WPIALs teams. The Raiders captured the title at the Norwin tournament with a victory over Class 4A No. 5 Upper St. Clair in the one-game championship final.

Hempfield returned to the Class 4A top-10 at No. 10 after wins last week over Bethel Park (3-2) and Fox Chapel (3-1).

South Allegheny enters the final Class 2A poll at No. 10. The Gladiators entered the final two Section 2 games this week 10-2 behind section leader and No. 7 Keystone Oaks (11-1).

No teams exited the Class 3A or Class A polls.

The final section games are slated for Thursday. The pairings for the four WPIAL tournaments will be announced Friday.

Each week, every WPIAL girls volleyball head coach had the opportunity to vote for the teams who appeared in the top 10 for each classification.

Also, the Players of the Week were selected based on coaches nominations.

Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association

Top-10 Polls – Week 7 (Final)

Class 2A

1. Freeport (last week: 1)

2. Beaver (2)

3. Quaker Valley (3)

4. Avonworth (4)

5. Southmoreland (7)

6. Neshannock (T-5)

7. Keystone Oaks (T-5)

8. OLSH (9)

9. Burrell (8)

10. South Allegheny (NR)

Out: Derry (10)

Players of the week

Riley Ziegler, South Park, Sr., RH

Morgan O’Brien, OLSH, Sr., S

Raney Staub, Fort Cherry, Sr., L

Kylar Toland, Apollo-Ridge, Jr., S/RH

By: Michael Love 
Friday, October 20, 2023 | 1:28 PM

The section and nonsection matches have concluded, and invitational tournaments are in the past.

The WPIAL girls volleyball postseason is here, and the WPIAL playoff pairings committee on Friday assembled and released the brackets.

North Allegheny, Hampton, Freeport and Serra Catholic drew No. 1 seeds. The Talbots are the only one of the four who weren’t also a top seed last year.

Hampton earned the top seed in Class 3A after a strong regular season that included an undefeated (12-0) record in Section 1. The Talbots hope for a deeper run in this year’s tournament after falling to South Fayette, 3-1, in last year’s Class 3A quarterfinals. They will host a first-round match at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of a preliminary round contest between Blackhawk and Laurel Highlands set for Monday at Peters Township.

Last year’s WPIAL Class 3A No. 1 seed and champion, North Catholic, will begin defense of its 2022 crown as the No. 2 seed and will host Indiana or Plum at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Trojans also are shooting for their fourth straight title overall and fifth in sixth years. They won Class 2A championships in 2018, 2020 and 2021 before moving up to Class 3A last year. 

Oakland Catholic, the No. 3 seed in Class 3A, and No. 4 Thomas Jefferson also await the winners of preliminary round matches and will play Wednesday.

North Allegheny returns to the top-seeded position in Class 4A and will go after its fifth WPIAL title in seven years.

The Tigers, champions of Section 1 with an 8-0 record, are one of three teams in the Class 4A bracket to earn a first-round bye into the quarterfinals. That includes Section 1 runner-up and No. 2 seed Seneca Valley and Section 2- champion and No. 3 seed Canon-McMillan (9-1).

Defending WPIAL Class 4A champion Pine-Richland, the No. 4 seed and the third-place team in Section 1, will play a first-round match at home Tuesday against No. 14 Mt. Lebanon.

Freeport won its seventh WPIAL title last year and sixth in Class 2A by topping Shenango, 3-1, in the finals at Robert Morris University’s UPMC Events Center.

The Yellowjackets this week finished off their 19th straight section title and also defeated Class 3A Mars to build momentum for the Class 2A tournament.

There are 21 teams and five preliminary round matches in Class 2A. Freeport hosts the winner of Monday’s contest between Charleroi and Hopewell at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Beaver, the Section 1 champion at 14-0, claimed the No. 2 seed, while Quaker Valley and Southmoreland garnered the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds.

Serra Catholic, which went undefeated in section play for the third year in a row, hopes to run the table as the top seed for its first WPIAL title.

The Eagles, who fell to Frazier, 3-0, in last year’s Class A title match, will host Western Beaver in the first round at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

There are no preliminary round matches or byes in Class A with 16 teams paired up for first-round action. 

Frazier, the No. 2 seed, begins defense of its 2022 title with a home match at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday against Trinity Christian.

Bishop Canevin, the No. 3 seed, and No. 4 Greensburg Central Catholic also will open up the playoffs with first-round home matches Tuesday.

All four class tournaments will conclude with championship matches set for Nov. 4 at Peters Township High School’s AHN Arena.

The four semifinalists in Class 3A and Class 2A also will advance to the PIAA playoffs, while the two finalists in Class 4A will punch tickets to states. In Class A, the top three teams advance, and a consolation game will determine the third qualifier.

North Allegheny and Freeport captured state titles in 2022.

Here’s a look at the WPIAL playoff schedule:

Class 2A

First round 

Wednesday’s schedule 

Hopewell/Charleroi winner at Freeport (17-1), 7:30 p.m.

Shenango (9-5) vs. South Allegheny (13-4) at Freeport, 6 p.m.

Deer Lakes/OLSH winner at Southmoreland (18-0), 7:30 p.m.

Central Valley/Ellwood City winner vs. Avonworth (12-6) at Southmoreland, 6 p.m.

South Park/Yough winner at Beaver (16-0), 7:30 p.m.

Burrell (14-3) vs. Keystone Oaks (16-2) at Beaver, 6 p.m.

Fort Cherry/Waynesburg winner at Quaker Valley (14-2), 7:30 p.m.

Derry (12-4) vs. Neshannock (12-3) at Quaker Valley, 6 p.m.

By: Ray Fisher 
Sunday, September 3, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Team raises funds

The girls volleyball team held its annual car wash fundraiser in the Subway parking lot at Quaker Village, along with a team bonding experience before the start of the regular season.

The car wash was followed by a trip — at senior Annica Kagle’s suggestion — to Three Rivers Karting in Leetsdale. In the past, the Quakers have gone to laser tag or escape rooms.

“The go-karting was fun. It was a way for us to do something off the volleyball court as a team,” said Kagle, a 5-foot-9 right-side hitter. “It was very fun and competitive. There are a lot of girls on the team that are good at go-karting. It was a great way for us to get to know each other. I think everyone enjoyed it.”

The QV players raised more than $3,000 at the car wash.

“The money goes towards our boosters,” Kagle said. “The boosters provide us with summer league fees, a team banquet, senior night, team gear, etc. We raised a lot of money this year and are so excited for what’s to come.

“Thank you to everyone who donated and have supported our team.”