2010 Terrific 21 Girls Volleyball Class AA All-Star Team

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, January 6, 2011 | 12:00 AM

The "Terrific 21" Class AA Girls Volleyball Player-Of-The-Year and the All-Star Team were selected by the voting of member coaches and Jonathan Whaley, the Creator of the "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program on the MSA Sports Network. The six person team is composed of two seniors and four juniors on the squad. It is comprised of four outside hitters, one middle hitter and one setter.

WEST ALLEGHENY'S CARISSA MIARA SELECTED THE 2010 CLASS AA "TERRIFIC 21" PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR.

The "Terrific 21" Class AA Player-Of-The-Year is 6'0" Senior, Setter, Carissa Miara of the West Allegheny Indians. She wore # 4 in red and gray for West Allegheny but what she accomplished in her last three seasons playing for the Indians earned her a place near the top in the hearts of the West Allegheny volleyball faithful. Carissa was a unanimous choice for this honor and is a most deserving recipient. Some of the most descriptive words that can be offered to describe an outstanding setter is that she has "hands like butter"! The inference being that her ball handling and placement of the ball for her teammates is smooth like butter. For the past three years there has not been a more talented setter in the WPIAL than the Indians, "setter dujour", Carissa Miara. She has combined her talents with team success better than any other player at her position in the WPIAL over the past three seasons. She has been the conductor for a West Allegheny team that won back-to-back WPIAL Class AA Titles in 2008 & 2009. This year's West Allegheny team finished third in WPIAL Class AA but turned that surprising result into a second place finish at the PIAA Class AA state tournament.

Carissa a (three-year starter) is a tall setter and she utilizes her height and athleticism to set up her mates all over the court. To watch her make pinpoint passes in tight quarters to a fellow Indian and then watch how effortlessly she delivers the ball in superb hitting position across the far side of the net is like witnessing true artistry in action on a volleyball court. West Allegheny High School is a "Charter" member of the "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program and as such I have had the opportunity to describe her exploits on many occasions. While she performs so smoothly it is never routine to watch the impact she makes on her team and how frustrating Ms. Miara makes it for the opposition. She was the leader of this year's West Allegheny team and the long and lithe blonde did an exceptional job of guiding an otherwise inexperienced team to an impressive end to their season.

Her numerous honors for the 2010 season include being named a First Team Class AA ALL-WPIAL choice for the second straight season. Carissa was chosen a Section 3 AA First Team All-Star this year. She was a returning "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program All-Star in 2010. In 2010 she was a recipient of the "Terrific 21" Player-Of-The-Match honor. Her talents were recognized at this year's PIAA state tournament with her being selected to the All-State tournament team. The gifted but hard-working Miara was one of a dozen players from the "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program member teams to represent the "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program in western Pennsylvania's First-Ever High School Girls Volleyball Interstate All-Star Match against a team of All-Stars representing Ohio District One. She was one of the "Terrific 21" All-Star team captains in the interstate All-Star match against the Ohio District One All-Stars. Carissa capped her high school career by being selected the "Most Outstanding Performer" on the "Terrific 21" All-Star Team by the Ohio District One coaching staff for her performance in a tough and thrilling 5 set loss in the inaugural "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program's Interstate All-Star Match.

Carissa's 2010 season statistics include a jaw-dropping (812) assists, (141) kills, (47) aces, (194) digs, (107) blocks, (.537) hitting % and (1.51) kills per set. These numbers reflect her wondrous all-around skills which are further illustrated by her deft scoring touch and razor-sharp on-court vision. Carissa's career numbers are staggering as she totaled (348) kills, (538) digs, (189) aces and (2,954) assists! She has accepted a scholarship to continue her education and volleyball career at Indiana University of Pennsylvania next fall. She has said that the Crimson Hawks program was the best fit for her both academically and athletically from the colleges that she considered attending. IUP head women's volleyball coach Zach Shaver has recruited himself a tremendous talent but Carissa is just as tremendous a person away from the volleyball court. Carissa is the second consecutive West Allegheny Indian player to receive the "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program's Class AA P-O-T-Y. Last year 5'10" Senior, Middle Hitter, Korin Wengryn earned this honor. Korin is currently playing volleyball at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She led the Bobcats in total blocks with (63) and was third in kills with (187) and second in kills per game with (2.17) this season.

In addition to West Allegheny's talented Ms. Miara three other members from a very good Indians team joined her on the 2010 "Terrific 21" Class AA All-Star Team. Those four players are quite ably complimented by one Elizabeth-Forward Warrior and one Kittanning Wildcat.

Jaclynn Placha – West Allegheny – Junior – 5'9" – Outside Hitter

West Allegheny lost a number of talented players off their 2009 WPIAL Class AA Championship team. As Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin likes to say the expectations don't change for whomever is in the starting lineup. That statement rings true when one talks about the Indians girls volleyball team. Jaclynn was one of several young players who took advantage of their opportunity for increased playing time in 2010. She came through in flying colors! Ms. Placha earned First Team ALL-WPIAL Class AA honors this season to go along with being chosen to the Section 3 AA All-Section First Team. Jaclynn was a "Terrific 21" Player-Of-The-Match honoree this season and ended her year by being named to the PIAA Class AA All-State tournament team. She uses a "jump, knuckle, dive, serve" that creates problems for West Allegheny's opponents in terms of serve/receive. Once she got healthy this season, Jaclynn's game really took off. She had the athletic ability to fully exploit the setting skills of her teammate Carissa Miara this season. The brunette, flanks attacker had some scintillating putdowns this year but she also plays some strong defense. Her season statistics include (267) kills, (282) digs, (71) aces, (59) blocks, (2.90) kills per set, (.351) hitting % and (2.31) passing %.

Morgan Seybold – West Allegheny – Junior – 5'8" – Outside Hitter

The Indians opponents were caught in an unenviable position this season where they had to "pick their poison" in terms of defending the West Allegheny attack. With Morgan's fellow, junior teammate and outside hitter, Jaclynn Placha terminating on one end of the net and Morgan Seybold doing her thing on the other end it was nightmarish for opposing head coaches. Ms. Seybold was chosen to the First Team Class AA ALL-WPIAL squad this season and was also a First Team All-Section 3 AA designee. Morgan also had herself an excellent performance at the PIAA Class AA tournament this year as she too was named to the All-State tournament team. Morgan's season statistics represent how well she responded to being in the spotlight as she tallied (278) kills, (244) digs, (77) blocks, (43) aces, (3.12) kills per set, (.399) hitting % and (2.25) passing %. Morgan is another Indians player who balances offensive skills with playing very solid defense.

Barbara Lesko – West Allegheny – Junior – 5'8" – Outside Hitter

This year underclassmen dominated West Allegheny's team but the Indians will be a senior-laden outfit in 2011 with the return of another talented junior in Barbara Lesko. Barbara was voted to the Third Team Class AA ALL-WPIAL team this season. She received the "Terrific 21" Player-Of-The-Match honor for the first time in her career this year as well. For the season Ms. Lesko recorded (219) kills, (236) digs, (86) blocks, (67) aces, (2.45) kills per set and a (.391) hitting %. With Barbara coming back next season along with Jaclynn Placha and Morgan Seybold, if the Indians have a solid setter ready to replace the graduating 2010 "Terrific 21" Class AA Player-Of-The-Year Carissa Miara, a return trip to the WPIAL Class AA finals in 2011 and a Section 3 AA title is not much of a stretch.

Catherine Waters – Elizabeth-Forward – Junior – 5'11" – Middle Hitter

The Warriors finished in second place in Section 5 AA this season with an 8-2 mark. Their Class AA WPIAL playoff season ended with a 5 set loss in the first round to Greensburg-Salem. However, one of the main reasons that Elizabeth-Forward head coach Lindsay Konias's team has been a regular playoff participant is because of their dominant middle hitter, Catherine Waters. Ms. Waters was a First Team Section 5 AA choice this season and received her first career "Terrific 21" Player-Of-The-Week honor in the 2010 campaign. Catherine's season statistics include (96) kills with (2.0) kills per game, (15) aces with a 78% serving %, (40) solo blocks and an 80% blocking % and a 75% serve receive/passing%.

Leah McKelvey – Kittanning – Senior – 5'10" – Outside Hitter

Kittanning head coach Kara Grafton has the Wildcats girls volleyball program on the ascent. One of the main cogs in their vastly improved play has been the performance of outside hitter, Leah McKelvey. Kittanning finished in second place in Section 6 AA for the second year in a row with a 12-2 record. This year the team that once again finished ahead of them and administered their only 2 section defeats Freeport, went on to win their first-ever WPIAL girls volleyball title. McKelvey carved herself a spot on this year's "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program Class AA All-Star team by registering season statistics that include (135) kills, (140) digs, (10) aces and (15) blocks. That and her strong leadership made the 2010 season another memorable one for the band of Wildcats up in Armstrong county. Leah was selected Second Team Class AA ALL-WPIAL this season and to the First Team All-Section 6 AA squad. This was Kittanning's first season as a member of the "Terrific 21" Girls Volleyball Program and Leah received "Terrific 21" Player-Of-The-Match honors.

Tags: Elizabeth Forward, Kittanning, West Allegheny