After reaching PIAA tournament, expectations high for Quaker Valley girls volleyball

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, August 11, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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The Quaker Valley girls volleyball team is looking to hit the jackpot this season.

“I’m looking forward to getting started with this group,” coach Mike Vavrek said. “It’s always fun to see the newer girls compete and work every day. As long as they continue to develop, I think we are capable of doing great things this year.”

The Quakers have a mix of five returning starters to go along with a large group of new players who Vavrek hopes will blend in as complementary pieces.

QV will be led by seniors Vanessa Pickett, a 5-foot-9 setter, 5-11 Molly MacDonald and 5-7 Nora Hammond, as outside hitters, and 5-5 defensive specialist Carmen Forsythe. The fifth starter back from last year is 5-9 junior Mia Gartley, at the middle hitter position.

“I expect those four seniors and Mia to lead this team, as they have been there and experienced it last year,” Vavrek said. “They all have at least one full year of varsity volleyball; a lot of our newer girls are going to experience varsity (volleyball) for the first time.

“We are going to have to rely on those four and their experience and leadership until the other girls get adjusted to the speed of the game as the QV coaches deem appropriate.”

The Quakers will make changes to their lineup in practice and during matches, particularly in the nonsection matches early in the season.

“My expectations are always the same,” Vavrek said. “I expect us to work hard and compete every day, as well as improve every time we step on the court. We have a less experienced team this year than we have the past two years, but we have girls that have been around the program for a few years and know what the expectations are.

“We have a ton of new players expected to help out. They are younger when it comes to varsity experience but have been around the program for a few years.”

Vavrek was referring to girls such as 5-8 senior DS Lauren Krause, 5-5 senior DS Eden Palladini, 5-8 senior DS/OH Keira Sanner; juniors Isabella Jarett, a 5-9 setter/right-side hitter, Gabby Frank, a 5-8 middle/right-side hitter, 5-6 Ella Palmer and 5-1 Donika Keo, both at DS, and 5-8 RS/DS Grace Carver.

Another player expected to help out is 5-9 sophomore Nola Ebberts, a talented middle/right-side hitter.

QV enjoyed an outstanding season in 2023.

The QV girls ended up third in the WPIAL Class 2A tournament, qualified for the PIAA playoffs and finished 17-4 overall.

And the Quakers made history by going undefeated in their section and winning the section title. A girls volleyball banner is hanging 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). We improved each time we played Beaver and had chances but could not figure out a way to finish versus them.”

Eight QV players were honored as all-section selections in 2023, including Pickett and MacDonald, who were named to the first team.

Pickett proved to be one of the most consistent and steadiest players on last year’s team.

“Vanessa was definitely our leader, which is something you’d like to have in a setter,” 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.”

Hammond received second-team all-section laurels, while Forsythe and Gartley were named to the third team.

Three other all-section honorees, right-side hitter Annica Kagle, middle hitter Katelyn Clark and DS/S Lucy Auth, were seniors in 2023-24.

Kagle, Clark, MacDonald and Pickett landed All-WPIAL plaudits last season. Kagle and Pickett were lauded as all-state selections.

The Quakers finished 14-0 in Section 4-2A, 14-2 in the regular season and 16-2 against WPIAL opponents.

QV defeated Avonworth, Central Valley, Freedom, Hopewell, New Brighton, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Sto-Rox in league play, winning 11 times by 3-0 scorers against section opponents.

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

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