Grit, faith carry Eden Christian volleyball to historic season

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, November 23, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The Eden Christian Academy girls volleyball team had its eyes on the district’s big prize in Class A this season.

And the Warriors never lost their focus, winning a WPIAL title in any sport for the first time in school history.

“What an amazing season it has been,” coach Jillian Zentko said. “After graduating a large senior class last year, we anticipated that this might be somewhat of a rebuilding year. In many ways it was, but we also had a very different look and team makeup. Last year’s group was extremely defensive heavy, while this year we had a lot of offensive weapons at the net.

“One of the most important parts of our strategy was our seniors and the team vision they carried. Our heartbeat was, ‘Playing His Way,’ glorifying God through everything we did both on and off the court. That foundation shaped our culture, our response to adversity and the way we competed. Without God, none of this would have been possible.”

No. 4 Eden Christian did not lose more than one game in any round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs, blanking No. 13 Springdale, 3-0, then winning 3-1 against No. 5 St. Joseph, No. 1 Frazier and, in the finals, No. 6 Serra Catholic.

The Warriors were a determined group against Serra, their Section 5 rival, at Peters Township’s AHN Arena, winning three consecutive sets 25-29, 25-13 and 25-15 after losing by a 25-21 score in the first.

Eden Christian broke away from a 7-7 tie in the decisive fourth game with a 7-2 spurt that forced a Serra timeout. The Warriors later built a 19-10 lead that resulted in another Eagles’ timeout.

Eden was able to sustain some pressure from Serra Catholic before closing out the final with an emphatic 10-point victory.

“A huge part of our postseason success was grit, something this team truly embodied,” Zentko said. “Our sophomore class in particular has always been gritty. Even in their middle school seasons, the score never seemed to faze them. They would grind, stay steady and most of the time find a way to come back if they were down. That same mentality showed up in the playoffs this year. You can see the confidence they have in each other on the court and how deeply they trust that each teammate will do her specific job no matter what it takes.

“But this season certainly came with its challenges. We opened the year against some very tough teams, which helped set the tone for where we needed to be by the end of the season. We also lost our last two section games, coming just one win short of a section title, and during those matches, three of our top performers were injured, forcing us to reconfigure lineups quickly. But the girls stepped up. They were confident, ready and willing to do whatever the team needed.”

The Warriors’ fourth-year coach added, “Because of that resiliency and unity, we were able to make a strong playoff run and incredibly brought home the first WPIAL title in school history across all Eden team sports.”

Zentko shared her reaction to being the coach to win the first WPIAL girls volleyball title at Eden.

“It is honestly hard to put into words,” Zentko said. “To watch this group of girls make school history and to be a small part of it is something I will carry with me forever. Moments like that do not happen by accident; they are the result of countless hours of work, sacrifice and preparation from so many people.

“What made it most special to me was seeing how the girls stayed rooted in our mission of ‘Playing His Way.’ They did not make the season about themselves or about a trophy, they made it about honoring the Lord and staying united as a team. When they lifted that WPIAL trophy, I felt overwhelming gratitude. Not pride in ourselves, but gratitude for what God allowed us to experience together and how He used this season to shape these young women. It was a blessing I will never forget.”

The Warriors were led by first-team all-section selections Ava Arnold, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter/defensive specialist, Ainsley Chevalier, a 5-8 senior setter, Erin Hull, a 5-9 sophomore setter/right-side hitter, and Emily Muir, a 6-foot sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist.

Arnold, Hull and Muir also were voted to the all-WPIAL Class A first team; Chevalier landed on the second team.

Arnold powered Eden past the Eagles in the district finals with a match-high 14 kills on 38 total attacks while also collecting seven digs.

“I am so beyond proud of this team,” Arnold said. “After graduating five starters last year, I wasn’t sure how this season would go. But so many of our players stepped up in such big ways to fill those roles — especially our middles, Kylie (Polard) and Allison (Muir), who came up and played like seasoned players.

“The grit our team had this season was unlike any season beforehand. Fighting to be the first team to win a WPIAL championship in school history. Losing our section and being seeded fourth going into the (WPIAL) tournament definitely put a little chip on our shoulder. Our (PIAA) loss was not a result of lack of effort; the team just was not clicking that day. But I would rather lose with the girls on this team than win with anyone else.”

Arnold, 17, was a four-year starter for the Warriors. She signed Nov. 12 to play Division II volleyball at West Virginia Wesleyan and plans to study elementary education. The college is located in Buckhannon, W.Va.

“I chose WVWC because of the amazing overall fit,” Arnold said. “It has a great elementary education program, a great Christian community, a style of play that fits my game and an amazing team culture and coaching staff.

“Throughout my recruiting process I was exploring all different possibilities from D1 to D3. I also considered a few schools from the PSAC. I knew I wanted to go somewhere that would push me academically, athletically and spiritually, which is what I believe I have found at WVWC.”

Arnold said the Warriors had hoped to win their section this season, make an appearance in the WPIAL final and advance past the first round of states.

Eden finished as the Section 4-A runner-up with a 6-2 record, one game behind Fort Cherry (7-1) and one game ahead of Serra Catholic (5-3). The Warriors split their two-game series with both rivals.

“I’m so grateful to have grown up in a program like Eden where you can see the character of Christ in every member of the team,” Arnold said. “I pray it will continue to grow and have success in the coming years.

“The team’s strength this year was definitely our culture, with every player playing with all they have for their teammates and ultimately for the glory of God. We grounded ourselves in prayer before each match and fully committed to God’s will for that night.”

And how was it to compete in such a historic season at Eden?

“It felt great,” Arnold said. “The progress from my freshman year when we were knocked out in the first round to this my senior year, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out.”

Hull was huge on both offense and defense in the WPIAL finals as she had 15 kills and 12 service points to go along with nine digs, a team-high 19 assists and four block assists.

Chevalier also was a key contributor, ending the day with 17 assists and nine digs.

Hull and Muir spearheaded the Warriors’ dynamic sophomore class that also included two other starters, 5-10 MH/RS/OH Addi Mathieu and 5-6 defensive specialist/libero Bella Yurkovac, both second-team all-section picks, along with 5-7 right-side hitter Phoebe Falavolito.

Polard, a 5-10 senior, and Allison Muir, 6-foot senior, rounded out the starting lineup at the middle hitter position.

Arnold, Chevalier, Muir, Polard and DS/LIB Mia Goetz provided the senior leadership on this year’s championship team. The two juniors in the Warriors’ rotation were S/RS Coral Meyer and DS/L Nina Oliver.

Top freshmen included Peach Oliver (DS/L), Ellie Hartwig (S/DS), Cassidy Bulow (MH) and Annalese Haring (RS). Oliver was named third-team all-section.

Eden Christian eked out a 3-2 win against Berlin Brothersvalley in the PIAA quarterfinal round as Arnold (21 kills) and Emily Muir (18 kills) led the way with 39 kills between them.

The Warriors eliminated the three-time defending District 5 champion by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9.

“This year, we advanced farther in the state playoffs than any Eden volleyball team ever has, reaching the semifinals,” Zentko said. “The girls gave it their all every step of the way. Our last game was not our best, but they did not quit, and they never gave up.

“What was encouraging is that in both Sets 2 and 3 against Maplewood, we were up by five to six points at one time. It showed that we were in the match and had what it takes to compete at that level. We are grateful to have tasted that level of postseason play, and now we know what it takes to make a similar run next year. Our girls are ready, motivated and hungry.”

Eden’s season ended in the PIAA semifinals at the hands of six-time state champion Maplewood, the District 10 winner, in a three-game match.

The Warriors finished 20-5 overall.

Tags: Eden Christian