Senior pair hopes to lead resurgence for Baldwin girls volleyball

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, September 22, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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One is a highly competitive setter; the other an impactful middle hitter.

Avery Barrett and Kaylee Smolko are the only two seniors on the Baldwin girls volleyball team.

“Avery is the leader of this team. I have nothing but great things to say about her,” coach Jason Jonas said. “She has been dedicated to Baldwin volleyball through its ups and downs, she has put in the work on building rapport with her new group of hitters and teammates and has been a joy to coach since I was hired. The girls look up to her as one of our two seniors, but it is because of the way she plays, represents herself at practice, and just overall as a person that she has been voted team captain.

“Kaylee has been a joy to coach, as well, since the very beginning of offseason workouts. Kaylee is our only returning hitter from last year’s varsity team. She, too, is a captain. She is vital in helping our young middles build up their volleyball IQ, knowledge of the position, and how to make impact plays as a middle in big games. Kaylee is always smiling and having a good time whether it is at practice, during the game, or off the court.”

The 5-foot-8 Barrett is a fourth-year varsity starter.

“I think we have a really strong group of girls in the junior class and a couple of great sophomores joining us this season that have already added a lot of depth to our roster,” Barrett said. “Our new coach (Jonas) has been such a positive and motivating influence and has really been pushing us to achieve this season.

“I believe we can compete in our section and will absolutely surprise some teams. My expectation for us is to be dialed into our individual and team statistics and goals and to get better each game, and I believe if we do this, we will have a winning season.”

Barrett began her volleyball career as a youngster.

“I went to Catholic school at St. Gabe’s and was able to start playing in fifth grade, so I have been playing for eight years,” Barrett said. “My mom played at Baldwin in the 90’s and has stayed close with her teammates and the overall experience, so it really made me want to play. She was my coach at St. Gabe’s for four years.”

Barrett has committed to continuing her career at Pitt-Johnstown, where she plans to study civil engineering.

“I went for a visit in February and fell in love with the coaches and players and campus,” Barrett said. “It just felt like home. I really love the competitive level of play in the PSAC and am very excited to have an opportunity to contribute.”

Barrett is hoping to end her high school career in winning fashion and with a few postseason accolades.

“I have had different roles each season,” she said. “I’m super excited to lead my team as a captain and I’m hoping to be able to make the all-section and Big 56 teams.

“I’m so happy to be ending my high school career with such a good group of teammates and coaches and I’m very excited to see what we can achieve this season.”

The 5-10 Smolko is a second-year varsity player who began her career in middle school.

“My goal is to be a leader on the court and continue to learn more about volleyball,” Smolko said. “Since I do not play club volleyball, my only opportunity to really develop my skills is at my school. I started playing because I loved how much fun it is to play. It is a fast-paced sport and mentally is so much fun.

“I want us to build the program (back) to what Baldwin volleyball has always been known as. My expectation this year is to give our all every game and work together as a team.”

Smolko has a 4.3 GPA and also competes in softball at Baldwin. She is a first baseman/outfielder.

“I plan on attending college and playing softball at the collegiate level,” she said. “I also plan on entering the medical field and becoming a pediatrician.”

Smolko has participated in a long list of extracurricular activities at Baldwin, including Special Olympics and Best Buddies.

“I am on the executive board that plans the events,” she said. “I am a part of the children’s grief awareness club that Avery and I both love. And I am part of the mini-thon where we raise money for childhood cancer research.”

Additionally, Smolko is vice president of the National Honor Society and a senior class officer.

“I play volleyball because I enjoy it and I want everyone to remember that sports are meant to be fun,” Smolko said. “Don’t let errors or mistakes overtake your passion for the game.”

Jonas is a Penn State graduate in his first year coaching the Highlanders. He has previous coaching experience as an assistant at Elizabeth Forward and Seton LaSalle, along with the last four years at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

He is in his seventh year of coaching with P3R club volleyball and previously with CTS.

“We have 10 first-time players on our varsity roster at Baldwin,” Jonas said. “I look forward to the challenges, successes, and growth opportunities with my team of highly driven players. We hope to rely on our team’s strengths, our hard work and effort, and our teamwork in order to have a successful year.

“The first team goal we talked about was bringing a winning tradition back. We know it’s no easy task being in our section. The second goal is to build mental toughness throughout the program. The girls need to know that with being a young team, there are going to be learning curves, and things may not always go as we planned. The last team goal is to never give up on the play and this year is all about setting the foundation for next year’s season.”

The starting rotation for the Highlanders has consisted of Barrett, Smolko, junior OH Brielle Fisher, junior WK Reese Temme, junior libero Mia Wyse, sophomore MH Hannah Dayoub, along with junior libero Ashley Skowronski, junior OH Allison Lease, junior DS Rhianna Lavelle and sophomore MH Addy Troutman.

The Baldwin netters compiled an early 2-1 record which surpassed the number of wins attained by last year’s team.

“Already having more success than the entire previous season is definitely something to keep the girls motivated and working towards being successful in the middle to later part of our season,” said Jonas, a math teacher at Clairton City High School.

“I’m just really excited to be here at Baldwin. I love the hard work being put in daily at practice, the attention to details during practice, and I can see the love of the game back in my players.

“I’m excited to see what the rest of the season holds for us, and just as excited to see the growth and development of our younger plays as well as the team as a whole.”

Tags: Baldwin