A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: St. Joseph’s Veronica McCarthy

By: Ted Sarneso
Monday, September 30, 2024 | 11:20 AM

All her life, Veronica McCarthy has been around volleyball. When she was little, her mother, who was still an active volleyball player, brought her along.

“When she was born, I was still playing volleyball, so she traipsed all over Ohio and that helped her to understand the game,” Ann McCarthy said.

Added Veronica: “I grew up going to Pitt and Marquette volleyball games and hanging out with my mom and her volleyball friends, just watching them play. I always knew following in her footsteps was something I wanted to do.”

Now, Ann is in her second season as the coach for the St. Joseph girls volleyball team, and Veronica is a senior outside hitter who was named all-section last year and is a captain this year.

Veronica has smoothy stepped in to her leadership role of keeping the younger players engaged and helping to perpetuate a positive attitude throughout the team.

“I felt very honored to be picked to be one of the captains,” she said. “I’ve tried to make sure that everyone on the team feels comfortable, especially on the court. I think that being supportive is crucial. If someone makes a mistake, we’re not quick to yell. Instead we make sure we encourage each other.”

It’s a philosophy McCarthy has learned from new assistant coach Hannah Cook, who is a graduate of St. Joseph and the only Spartans player in recent memory to have played collegiately.

“I love coach Cook’s positive attitude when it comes to volleyball,” she said. “She accepts that mistakes are a part of the game, and she encourages you to learn from those mistakes.”

The positivity and encouragement are paying off, as the Spartans are off to an 8-2 record and are 4-0 in Section 1-A.

“I want to make the most out of this season because it is my last,” McCarthy said. “It’s kind of a bittersweet feeling because I just love my team so much.”

Should the team’s success continue and it makes the playoffs, McCarthy and her fellow seniors have come up with a unique bonding experience to help the team connect one more time before a hopeful and fruitful playoff run.

“We’re really excited about it,” said McCarthy. “Sophia Quattrocchi, Elaina Moore and I originally wanted a sleepover, but then the idea of heading out to Hidden Valley came to us and we thought that would be a better event.”

McCarthy took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

The team has secured two solid wins against last year’s Class A WPIAL champion (Serra Catholic) and runner-up (Bishop Canevin). Tell me about those matches.

It was really exciting, especially so because in my four years, we’ve never beaten either team. It definitely raises our hopes and expectations for the rest of the season.

You’ve been in volleyball gyms your entire life. How passionate are you about the game and what life lessons has the game taught you?

Volleyball has always been a part of who I am. I think that everything that I’ve learned from volleyball translates to my life off the court, especially the concept of teamwork and cooperation.

Who’s the better volleyball player, you or your mom?

I’m going to say we’re equal. We’re both good at doing different things. She’s a middle hitter, and I’m an outside hitter so we have different parts of our games that we each excel in.

What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?

I lived in Slovakia for a little bit in 2020. My dad got a Fulbright grant, so he was teaching over there. I went to a bilingual Slovak public school. It was hard to go to classes in a different language. We did some traveling, and I made a lot of friends. It was an incredible time.

What’s one piece of advice you’d want to leave your teammates?

Whether it’s a volleyball practice or studying for a test, give all you can give.

Any hobbies?

I like to read a lot and hang out with my friends.

What was the last book you read?

“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt

Favorite high school memory so far?

Winning best musical at the (Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater) last year and performing at the Benedum. We put on a production of Tarzan. It was a lot of fun.

What are your post-high school plans?

I want to go to a college, just not sure which university I want to attend yet. I want to study psychology in the hopes of one day becoming a pediatric psychologist.

Tags: St. Joseph