Mars takes down No. 1 Beaver to win WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball title
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Saturday, November 2, 2024 | 6:01 PM
Mars celebrates with the trophy after beating Beaver during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Mars’ Cecilia Christy hits against Beaver’s Kayden Blinn and Kailyn Connelly during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Beaver’s Kailyn Connelly hits off Mars’ Gabi Weidemann during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Mars’ Lily Javor spikes against Beaver’s Zoe Ringer during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Mars celebrates beating Beaver during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Beaver’s Kayden Blinn blocks the shot of Mars’ Lily Javor during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Mars’ Ella Nicotra hits against Beaver’s Kayden Blinn during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Mars’ Gabi Weidemann (9) and Cecilia Christy with a kill against Beaver’s Kailyn Connelly during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Mars’ Rylee Wooldridge hits against Beaver’s Kailyn Connelly and Zoe Ringer during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
Beaver’s Kaylee Kisling and Kailyn Connelly defend on Mars’ Cecilia Christy during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball championship Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Peters Township High School.
About a month ago, Mars traveled to Beaver for a nonsection match and lost in straight sets, but coach Tamara Caraway said her players left with valuable lessons about their opponent and maybe more importantly themselves.
The Fightin’ Planets applied what they learned on Saturday and won the program’s first WPIAL girls volleyball title in a dozen years.
After securing the third set in comeback fashion, second-seeded Mars rolled to a double-digit victory in the fourth to clinch a 3-1 win over No. 1 Beaver in the Class 3A championship at Peters Township’s AHN Arena.
Mars won the fourth set 25-15 and denied Beaver’s quest for back-to-back titles. The Bobcats won Class 2A last year.
It’s the second championship for Mars and first since 2012.
“It means everything,” Caraway said. “This is a team that loves to work hard and play together and that’s a coach’s dream. You just try to give them the tools they need. Players win championships. Coaches can get them ready, but players win.”
Mars (18-4) never trailed in the fourth set and got contributions all over the court. Lily Javor, Cecilia Christy, Rylee Wooldridge, Hailey Duker, Ella Nicotra and Gabi Weideman all had at least one kill in the set. Javor secured match point with a kill.
“When we had that huge lead in the fourth set, we knew we had it,” Wooldridge said. “We had the energy, and their side was really quiet. I feel like everyone we knew had it.”
Mars took the third set in comeback fashion, scoring the final four points to win 25-23.
The Fightin’ Planets took advantage of three hitting errors in the run, but also got a crucial kill by Lily Javor after Wooldridge laid out to keep the ball off the floor and keep the point alive.
“I always try to do everything I can to keep the ball alive,” Wooldridge said. “We work on trying to keep the ball up in practice and never letting it hit the floor no matter what.”
Mars took the first set 25-23 after holding off a late charge by Beaver. Wooldridge had a kill to clinch set point.
A pair of aces by Nicotra and kills by Wooldridge and Christy helped Mars build a 24-20 lead, but Beaver got a kill and an ace by Jaedyn Brown and a kill by Kailyn Connelly to cut it to one point.
Christy had 15 kills. Javor and Wooldridge recorded 13 apiece and Nicotra had 11.
The Bobcats took an early lead and controlled the second set on their way to a 25-21 win to tie the match.
Brown had three kills in the final 11 points and Zoe Ringer had an ace. Alaina Malobabich had a kill over the middle for set point.
After tying the set, the Bobcats couldn’t build on the momentum the rest of the way.
“They played faster,” Beaver coach Susan Pollins said. “One of our outsides (Anna Vinopal) tore her ACL, so we kind of lost that outside. We had to move Kailyn (Connelly) around a lot. We had a sophomore step in, and she hadn’t really played there before. She did well, but we just didn’t play our best as a team today.”
Connelly led Beaver with 25 kills and Malobabich had a dozen.
Both teams will continue into the PIAA playoffs on Tuesday. They could meet again if both advance to the state semifinals.
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer
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