Penn-Trafford girls volleyball rallies at Norwin to earn share of Section 3-AAAA title
By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 | 10:03 PM
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford celebrate their win in five sets against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford celebrate taking the third set against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Samantha Kelly (8) dives to keep the ball in play against Norwin in the second set on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Stephanie O'Donnell (29) rises up at the net against Norwin in the third set on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Mia Nicholes (28) celebrates a block against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin celebrate a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Mackenzie Schropp (11) returns the ball against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Mackenzie Schropp (11) against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Megan Miller (21) celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Megan Miller (21) sets the ball against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Marissa Farabaugh (26) sets the ball against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Mackenzie Schropp (11) celebrates a block against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Megan Miller (21) celebrates winning taking the first set against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Rachel Langsdorf (8) tries to get the ball past Penn-Trafford's Jess Heiman (32) and Penn-Trafford's Samantha Kelly (8) on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Rachel Milke (6) celebrates an ace against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Bre Bruno (1) returns a serve against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Bella Long (23) tips the ball against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Jameson Stoner (27) celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Jameson Stoner (27) and Norwin's Rachel Langsdorf (8) rise up against Penn-Trafford's Jess Heiman (32) on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Emily Richie (12) dives for the ball against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin celebrate winning the first set against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Stephanie O'Donnell (29) returns the ball against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Mia Nicholes (28) celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Penn-Trafford celebrate their win in five sets against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford celebrate taking the third set against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Samantha Kelly (8) dives to keep the ball in play against Norwin in the second set on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Stephanie O'Donnell (29) rises up at the net against Norwin in the third set on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Mia Nicholes (28) celebrates a block against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin celebrate a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Mackenzie Schropp (11) returns the ball against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Mackenzie Schropp (11) against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Megan Miller (21) celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Megan Miller (21) sets the ball against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Marissa Farabaugh (26) sets the ball against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Mackenzie Schropp (11) celebrates a block against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Megan Miller (21) celebrates winning taking the first set against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Rachel Langsdorf (8) tries to get the ball past Penn-Trafford's Jess Heiman (32) and Penn-Trafford's Samantha Kelly (8) on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Rachel Milke (6) celebrates an ace against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Bre Bruno (1) returns a serve against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Bella Long (23) tips the ball against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Jameson Stoner (27) celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Jameson Stoner (27) and Norwin's Rachel Langsdorf (8) rise up against Penn-Trafford's Jess Heiman (32) on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Emily Richie (12) dives for the ball against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin celebrate winning the first set against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Penn-Trafford's Stephanie O'Donnell (29) returns the ball against Norwin on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Christian Tyler Randolph | Tribune-Review
Norwin's Mia Nicholes (28) celebrates a point against Penn-Trafford on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2017 at Norwin.
Penn-Trafford's girls volleyball team has a personality perfectly suited for October.
Much like movie predators who run with unstoppable stamina in pursuing their victims, the Warriors never stop coming forward.
Left for dead several times Tuesday night at Norwin, Penn-Trafford found a way to erase several deficits to earn a 3-2 win (31-33, 25-10, 25-19, 15-25, 15-10) in a Section 3-AAAA match.
“We're known for getting down a lot and coming back and getting down a lot and coming back,” said Penn-Trafford senior middle hitter Jess Heiman, who had 12 kills. “We've played that type of game since Day 1, and we haven't given up since.”
The Warriors were that way all season, needing to win their last four section matches to clinch a share of their first section title since 2012. Norwin (8-2, 8-2) also earned a piece of the championship.
“The kids really worked at it, and we lost two in a row to Norwin and Hempfield,” Penn-Trafford coach Jim Schall said. “We could have folded then, but then came back. We had to win the rest. It's nice to win it again.”
The Warriors, who finished 8-2 in section, missed three chances to close the first set and lost a marathon, 33-31. In the third set, with the match knotted at one, Penn-Trafford fell behind 7-0 behind the serving of Norwin's Rachel Milke.
The Warriors continued to push forward, taking the lead 19-18 on a Norwin attack error. A kill by Stephanie O'Donnell followed by another from Mackenzie Schropp gave Penn-Trafford the momentum to steal the set, 25-19. O'Donnell and SChropp both had seven kills for the Warriors.
“I think it came down to they played point by point and didn't look at the score,” Norwin coach Mary Ellen Ferragonio said. “Just play.”
The Knights cruised in the fourth set, 25-15, and were ahead 7-4 in the fifth following a block by Mia Nicholes. Rachel Langsdorf had 13 kills for Norwin, while Rebecca Miller added seven.
Overcoming another deficit was no big deal.
“They were pretty determined,” Schall said. “Attitude is a big part of things.”
Penn-Trafford rolled off the next four points, capped by a Kayla Turkowski kill. The Warriors never gave the lead back.
It completed the Warriors' quest.
After pursuing Norwin for the second half of the section season, Penn-Trafford caught its prey.
“It's awesome to win it,” Heiman said. “Mr. Schall's been talking to us at practice, saying hey there's our banner, we need to get a year up there. It's awesome to win my senior year, what more could you ask for?”
