Plum volleyball not satisfied with ’16 finish

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, September 4, 2017 | 11:00 PM

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Carly Bonk saw her Plum varsity girls volleyball team make strides throughout last season, and those improvements culminated in a third-place finish in Section 4 of the newly formed Class AAAA and a trip to the WPIAL playoffs.

The second-year Mustangs mentor, a standout player at Valley and Carlow, said her returning players entered the offseason nowhere near satisfied with their finish to the 2016 campaign, which included a first-round playoff loss to Hempfield.

With an offseason of team-building work, Bonk is confident her squad can take the next step, both in section and in Class AAAA overall.

“What we're building on this season is for the girls to be confident and know they are capable of beating any team in the section and making an impact in the WPIAL playoffs,” said Bonk, who coaches the Plum program with her fraternal twin sister, Kelsey.

Last season's leader in kills and blocks — Skyler Kutzner — moved on because of graduation. Assists leader Alexis Phillips also was among the graduates, but Bonk will count on a group of returnees that include six starters — seniors Brianna Bialota (outside hitter), Sophia Chapkis (middle hitter), Madison Sciullo (outside hitter), Laney Kiefer (defensive specialist) and Bailey Raposa (libero); as well as junior outside hitter Miranda Depkon.

Bialota and Raposa were voted team co-captains by their peers.

Carly Bonk said the senior group, which also includes outside hitter Haley Chiusano, has shown strong leadership in their final varsity season.

“All six seniors have really showcased their individual strengths, on and off the court, from their talent and skill to mentoring to the younger girls,” she said. “It is a smart and aggressive group. They know this is their final chance to do something special together.”

Raposa returns after earning all-section honorable mention selection at libero last year. She said the returning experience, mixed with an influx of talented freshmen and other newcomers, will give Plum the tools to be successful this season.

“The new players coming up have so many years of experience in big games and matches,” Raposa said. “Everyone works so well together, communicating on the court, and that is what is going to carry us.”

Bonk said she saw good things from her team at Saturday's Deer Lakes tournament.

The Mustangs won all 10 games they played, recorded a 3-0 mark in pool play and defeated the Plum JV in the semifinals as the Bonk sisters matched wits to see who would advance to the finals.

Plum varsity then toppled the Deer Lakes varsity in the championship contest.

Bialota was named the tournament's hitting MVP, while Raposa took home MVP honors for defense.

“Everyone played really well,” Bonk said. “It was a good showing overall and a confidence booster.”

Position versatility, Bonk said, will be an important part of the team's makeup this fall.

“We've got a number of players who can play multiple positions on the court, and that plays into having some nice depth from the seniors all the way to the freshmen,” she said.

Bonk said a pair of young setters — sophomore Corinne Phillips and junior Alexa Waros — are being counted on to step up and run the offense.

Plum overcame adversity on senior night last year to clinch third place in the section standings.

A power outage forced a quick change of location for the Mustangs' key section match with Fox Chapel.

Plum shook off the potential roadblock and defeated the Foxes to wrap up third at 7-5. Fox Chapel finished fourth at 6-6.

Armstrong and Oakland Catholic were section co-champions with 11-1 marks.

“The goal is to be at least top three in the section and not just slide in to a playoff spot at the last second,” Bonk said. “We want to contend with those teams that have been at the top of our section. We know we can be competitive with them.”

The Mustangs were to open section play Tuesday at Armstrong, past the deadline for this week's edition.

Plum is set to host Oakland Catholic at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

“It will take a team effort with strong serving and spreading offense across the board,” Bonk said. “We will work on feeding off our scrappy defense. We still have work to do and can get better, but I like where this team is right now.”

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Plum