Greensburg Salem girls volleyball team poised to earn section title, sets sights on WPIALs

By: Brennan Valladares
Monday, October 6, 2025 | 6:25 PM

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In 2006, Rachel Brannigan helped lead Greensburg Salem to its second WPIAL volleyball title. Nearly two decades later, Brannigan, now serving as coach, has her alma mater positioned to make a run at the WPIAL championship again.

But it has been only recently that the Golden Lions have returned to the top of the section standings.

From 2021-23, Brannigan’s first three seasons, Greensburg Salem went a combined 15-35, winning only 10 section matches. Those three losing seasons extended the Golden Lions’ playoff drought to six years. In Year 4, however, Greensburg Salem made a drastic jump from five to 15 wins, finishing second in Section 5-3A and earning a playoff berth. The Golden Lions lost to Hampton in the opening round of the playoffs, but all signs were pointing in the right direction for the program.

Now, in 2025, Greensburg Salem stands alone atop Section 5-3A with an undefeated 12-0 (8-0) record. Of those 12 matches, only two have gone beyond three sets, something Brannigan attributes to her team’s balance and chemistry.

“I really think it’s just such a great balance, you know, between the group that we have,” she said. “I think they all understand that they’re not going to, you know, play their best game of volleyball every night, but it seems like if one of them, you know, maybe isn’t playing their best, then the other five kind of just take over and, you know, and they just trust each other on the court.”

It’s clear that the players’ trust has been nourished by the bonds they share off the court.

“During my freshman and sophomore years, the team didn’t have the strongest bonds,” senior Grace Hayden said, “and it sometimes showed on the court.

“But over the past two years, we’ve grown incredibly close, and we’re all best friends now. The connection has completely changed our team, making us more supportive and confident every time we step on the court.”

Said sophomore Bella Dinkel: “Our team genuinely roots each other on. We enjoy watching each other succeed. Whether we’re on the court or on the bench, everyone supports each other. You don’t always have that in a team.”

While this type of team bonding might seem like a far-fetched ideal, it has been a point of emphasis for Brannigan.

“I know the bond that volleyball had created for me here with my best friends that I still have today were from that (championship) team. … ”

“… So I just want them to feel that and give them some of those intangible things that they’re going to use later in life, like how to succeed and how to fight for something that you want, and really just kind of develop that bond that when you walk into that gym, you can be proud of something that you worked really hard for. So I think the girls get that, and I just feel very fortunate to be able to share my experiences with them, and I think that that’s motivating.”

Greensburg Salem has matches remaining against Derry, West Mifflin, McKeesport and Indiana. With only a 1¹⁄₂-game lead on second-place Indiana — one of the two teams to push the Golden Lions beyond three sets — it will be important for them to stay connected and motivated all the way to the end.

“To close out the season strong, we need to keep the same energy and the same focus that got us here,” Hayden said. “Staying connected as a team, trusting each other, and playing to also have fun will be key. We can’t let up just because we’ve had success. We have to keep pushing, working hard at practice and believing in all ourselves all the way to the end.”

Tags: Greensburg Salem