Greensburg Central Catholic volleyball eyes return to WPIAL final

By: Dave Mackall
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 10:59 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Greensburg Central Catholic’s pursuit of a fourth WPIAL girls volleyball championship and first in eight years begins in earnest Tuesday night in the Class A semifinals against Eden Christian at Peters Township’s AHN Arena.

It’s one last chance for a veteran GCC lineup to reach the top.

“I’m very excited to see what we can do,” said GCC senior outside hitter Eva Denis, who was among those on the Centurions’ 2021 team that lost to Bishop Canevin in the WPIAL final. “We’ve been playing so well together this year.”

Not only were Denis and her senior teammates around for that heartbreaking conclusion, they have been together through a 2022 quarterfinal loss to Mapletown and again in 2023 during losses to Serra Catholic in the semifinals and Frazier in the third-place consolation after having advanced in the quarterfinals by ousting Eden Christian, 3-0.

It was well before this current crop of seniors — nine of them — was playing at the varsity level that GCC has brought home hardware. Not since 2016’s dominating finish at the PIAA championships has GCC won a title.

After defeating Bishop Canevin to win a WPIAL Class A championship, the Centurions fought their way into the the PIAA final and drubbed District 11 champion Marian Catholic by scores of 25-1, 25-11, 25-19.

Yes, GCC posted an unbelievable 25-1 score in the first game of a best-of-five state championship match.

“Wow, I didn’t even know that,” said Denis, who, along with the rest of the current GCC seniors, was playing at the middle school level under current varsity coach Erin Salas.

Said Salas: “They’re a great group. They’re the reason I took the (varsity) job (before the start of the 2022 season) and the reason I stayed.”

No. 3 seed GCC (15-4) and No. 2 Eden Christian (26-2) have met twice during the regular season, each earning a victory on their home court.

In Tuesday’s other Class A semifinal, No. 1 Frazier meets No. 4 St. Joseph.

The WPIAL championship match is Saturday at Peters Township at a time to be determined.

GCC’s only other losses have come twice against Frazier, and Eden Christian’s only other setback is to Beaver, the top seed in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.

“They have a really great outside hitter and middle hitter,” Salas said, referring to junior OH Ava Arnold and senior MH Ella D’ippolito. “When they both come in at the same time, it’s hard to defend.”

GCC’s lineup is led by junior right side hitter Ashlyn Black, the team’s leader in kills. Denis, who, as a freshman, stepped into the Centurions lineup at the start of the WPIAL playoffs because of an injury to current senior Evelyn Viehl, provides a spark on offense and defense.

“Her defense is as phenomenal as her hitting,” Salas said.

Other seniors in their third season as starters are middle hitters Viehl and Erin Grace, setter Maura Oslosky and outside hitter Abby Dei.

“We’re playing very well right now,” said Salas, who took the GCC head coaching reins in 2022 after serving for a period as a varsity assistant following her time with the middle school program.

She has watched this current group grow up together on and off the court, and now, she said, it’s a prime time to make another run at a championship.

“I’ve just wanted to continue to support this group, a group led by the players I’ve been coaching for a very long time,” Salas said. “I’ll continue to support them. This truly has been a great opportunity for me.”

As well as her players.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.