Murray, Baldwin volleyball players have productive summer

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 3, 2018 | 10:39 PM

There were five sophomores on the Baldwin girls varsity volleyball team last season, and all had integral roles in the Highlanders’ success.

Middle blocker Allison Murray and setter Mia Hampsay were second-year starters. They were joined by middle blocker Ally Schenk, a first-year starter and second-year letter winner; plus Riley Lenard and Anna Baloh, both outside hitters in their first season of varsity competition.

Murray, Schenk and Baloh were all-section selections.

Murray, who stands 5-foot-11, led the team in kills per match. She’s also played first base on Baldwin’s section-winning softball team the past two seasons.

Murray has been preparing for the fall season by competing this summer with the Revolution 16 White travel volleyball team, which compiled an impressive 64-6 overall record.

“This summer has been a lot of fun playing with my club team,” said Murray, who also was an outside hitter for Revolution 16 White. “At the end of June, we had a great time in Orlando, competing in the AAU Junior National championships. There was no shortage of competition there, and we played well. All of our opponents were talented teams. We were told the team we faced in the quarterfinals of the champion’s division included six D-I recruits.

“They beat us in the first set and were up by five in the second. I had a couple blocks, then served a pair of aces to get us within one. From that point on the momentum was on our side, as we took the second set 25-21. We won set 3 and moved on to the semifinals, where we lost our first match of the season.”

Other Revolution 16 White team members were North Allegheny’s Madison Curran (MH), Malia Duffy (DS), Abby Miller (S) and Paige Miller (OH); Thomas Jefferson’s Tanner Patrick (DS), Berlin Brothersvalley’s Kiera Booth (MH), Northern Cambria’s Maggie Hogan (OH) and State College’s Kace Sekunda (S/OH).

Murray & Co. also competed in the East Coast Championships Beast of the East tournament at the Pittsburgh Convention Center, taking first place and finishing undefeated on the weekend.

Members of the Baldwin girls volleyball program have been participating in a summer league this summer, taking first place before the start of the playoffs.

Teams will begin practicing for the fall season Aug. 13.

“We’re getting ready for a very exciting season,” Murray said. “Both the JV and varsity have been competing in our summer league. The team has been working out with out trainer, Ed (Wietholder), and going to open gyms.

“Everyone is very pumped to get back in the gym and get ready for this season.”

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin