Trib HSSN Top 20 stories of 2020: Bishop Canevin wins emotional volleyball title

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, December 22, 2020 | 6:58 PM

3358649_web1_GTR-BCGCC010-110820 — Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review

Bishop Canevin’s Abbie Maziarz, Gillian Golupski and Olivia Thomas celebrate after beating Greensburg Central Catholic in the WPIAL Class A championship game.

The most unique year in our lifetime is coming to an end. With so many mass starts and stops, highs and lows, just about all walks of life were affected by the coronavirus in 2020.

High school sports were no different. The first two and a half months of the year were carefree and business as usual. Then the final nine and a half months were greatly affected by the pandemic, whether scholastic contests were played or not.

Trib HSSN will close out the year with a daily countdown and a look back at the top 20 WPIAL stories from the year 2020.

No. 12 – Emotional Championship

In an unpredictable year, everything was going as expected for three-time defending WPIAL girls volleyball champion Bishop Canevin.

The Crusaders won Section 3-A and earned the top seed in the Class A playoffs. They swept past Mapletown, California and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the first three rounds.

Then the night before the district title match against Greensburg Central Catholic, their legendary coach passed away.

Kevin Walters lost his battle against cancer.

The decision was made to move forward and play the title match the next day as planned, and the team responded in a big way. The Crusaders beat the Centurions for a fourth straight WPIAL crown and the program’s sixth overall championship, all coming in the last eight years.

No. 13 – Outstanding Olivia

No. 14 – The Bucs Aren’t Stopping Here

No. 15 – Free Fall

No. 16 – An Overdue Golden Storm

No. 17 – Lots of Mercy for Central Valley Foes

No. 18 – Swimming Sweep…Again

No. 19 – Fabulous Freshmen

No. 20 – Golden Knights of the Tennis Court