Young Plum girls volleyball team growing up fast in time for WPIAL playoffs

By: Michael Love
Saturday, October 7, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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When Rachel Satira was hired as head coach of the Plum girls volleyball team, she knew the team would be young with some growing to do to get to where it wanted to be.

With just two returning starters and only four seniors, three of which owned prior playing time in the Mustangs varsity program, offseason work through the summer and also preseason workouts were crucial as the team came together to face the challenges of matches in and out of Section 1-3A.

Satira, a former player in the Plum program who served four years as an assistant under former coach Kelsey Bonk, said the players bought into the process right from the start, continue to improve, and have produced a strong record heading into the final few matches before the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.

“The girls have taken each day as an opportunity to come together more and know that they can be a successful team,” Satira said.

“We, as coaches, have seen the potential and know their best matches are still to come. There is so much they have yet to achieve. They are still learning, still growing, and still adapting. It is going to be exciting to see what they can do over the rest of the season.”

Plum continues the grind toward the WPIAL playoffs with a section contest Thursday (Oct. 12) at West Mifflin before closing out the section slate next Thursday (Oct. 19) at home against Penn Hills.

Hampton is the No. 1 Class 3A team in the latest Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association rankings and was undefeated in section play heading into its matchup at Plum on Oct. 3.

The Talbots were able to stay perfect in the section against the Mustangs, but Satira said it didn’t come without a fight from her team.

Hampton won the first set 25-22, and took the second set 25-15. But Plum didn’t fold its tent and came out and took set three, 25-19.

“The girls were really resilient,” Satira said. “It was their discipline and determination that carried them in the third set.”

“I think it was a mental game at that point,” said senior middle hitter Mara Hunter, one of the two returning starters this year, along with sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Marotta.

“We just had to make the right plays and the smart decisions. We had to be very loud for each other and keep up the communication. We saw over the first two sets that we could do some good things in the match. We were able to stick with it to the end in the third set. I think overall, we saw that we were closer to them from the first time we played them.”

But in the end, the Talbots were still too much and closed out the match 25-17 in the fourth set.

“We weren’t 100% sure how the match would play out, but the girls played really hard,” Satira said.

“Hampton was missing one of their better players, and we had a new lineup formation we were trying out with some new rules and the players having some different responsibilities. We had good feedback from the new lineup. Everyone responded well to it and was confident. They all believe they work better in that lineup. We played as more of a cohesive team and were all on the same page.”

Plum fell to 6-2 with the section setback and moved to a key battle with section foe Gateway. The Gators also came into Thursday’s match 6-2 in the section.

The Mustangs won the first meeting 3-1, on Sept. 7.

“We knew going into the first match with Gateway that it would be almost like playing ourselves because of how similar the two teams are,” Satira said.

“All of the girls are familiar with each other. We know that every time we face Gateway that it is going to be competitive.”

Satira said the seniors have given so much to the program during their run and want to help the team end the season on a strong note.

Hunter, defensive specialist Hailey Depkon, right side hitter/setter Kate Joyce and outside hitter Anna Zanchi were to be recognized and celebrated Tuesday (Oct. 10) before Plum’s section match with Woodland Hills.

“It is a well deserved recognition for what they have given to the program,” Satira said.

“The three who have been here from seventh grade, watching them start out and developing in the sport to now, they are the stars and the quarterbacks of the team. They have that good leadership quality about them. It will be bittersweet with seeing them grow and accomplishing so much and then having to let them go. But they have some more to give before it’s all over.”

Satira said Zanchi, an exchange student from Italy, came in with several years of club volleyball experience in her home country.

“Anna fit right in with the program from the start of the season,” Satira said.

“She’s been utilized as an outside hitter for junior varsity, and she has had some varsity time as well. It’s been really nice having her on the team.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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