Young Quaker Valley volleyball team showed flashes of brilliance in inconsistent season

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Quaker Valley’s girls volleyball team had inconsistent results this season partly because of the Quakers’ all-around inexperience.

The 2024 WPIAL Class 2A champion Quakers advanced to the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year in 2025 and finished with a 9-11 overall record. They netters received the No. 15 seed in the district tournament where they lost a first-round decision to Waynesburg, the No. 2 seed.

The Quakers ended up in fourth place at 8-6 in Section 1-2A behind Hopewell (13-1), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (12-2) and Avonworth (11-3).

“I thought for a young and inexperienced team, we did what we should have done this season,” QV coach Mike Vavrek said. “We were the fourth-best team in our section, and that is where we finished. We only lost to four 2A teams this year — Hopewell, Waynesburg, Avonworth and OLSH. We lost twice to each of those four.

“When everything was said and done in the WPIAL, the final four were Hopewell, Waynesburg, Avonworth and OLSH — three from our section and a very good Waynesburg team. We had moments of great play against all four.”

Avonworth, the No. 11 seed, captured the WPIAL title with a 3-1 victory over No. 1 Hopewell in the championship round. Fourth-seeded Waynesburg defeated No. 2 OLSH, 3-1, in the consolation round to finish third.

QV was led in ‘25 by senior outside hitter Mia Gartley, who received third team all-WPIAL and first team all-section accolades.

“I’m happy with how we finished,” Gartley said. “We finished in a game where everyone put forth 100 percent effort. We put all our energy and effort into that last game, so it’s something we can’t be mad about.

“I’m so proud of all the growth these girls had throughout the season. A lot of us had never played together with each other, and we saw a lot of new faces to varsity. We were a team that grew together. That being said, I’m extremely happy with the adaptability we achieved.”

Gartley is a multi-sport prodigy who won the WPIAL Class 2A girls high jump championship in each of her first two seasons on the QV girls track and field team.

She also competed for the girls cross country team this fall and qualified for the WPIAL and PIAA finals. The QV senior now will turn her attention to the winter and spring track and field seasons.

On the volleyball court, senior outside hitter Bella Jarrett was named first team all-section while junior libero Megan Harris and freshman OH/MH Emma Duckstein landed on the second team.

“I think we showed a lot of improvement as the year went on,” Vavrek said. “In the second half of the season, we improved against almost every team we played.

“We never were consistent, but we had moments of great play. We took a set off Avonworth and two sets off OLSH. We just gave a lot of points away throughout the year.”

Rounding out the list of section all-stars for QV was junior Nola Ebberts, a third team selection at the middle hitter position.

“This season, I think we did a great job considering we were a young team with less experience compared to last year,” said Ebberts, a Key Club member at her school. “We started out a little bit slow, but I think we started to connect more and more as the season went on.

“I think we’ll have some really great team chemistry next year now that some of the younger girls have played up (on the varsity) for a season. But there will still a lot of room to grow and improve.”

Harris, Duckstein and Ebberts will be joined on the 2026 squad by three other returning starters: Aria Casillas, a junior right-side hitter, Micaiah Jones, a sophomore setter, and Sydney Kline, a freshman setter.

Additional letter winners this year were juniors Rachel Bartels (MH/RS), Maya Sidani (DS) and Cadence Stancil (DS).

Gabby Frank (MH/RS), Ella Palmer (DS) and Donika Keo (DS) were senior reserves.

“I think next year, right out of the gate, we will be more experienced than this year’s team,” Vavrek said. “This year, we had three returning girls who played roles on the WPIAL championship team — Mia Gartley, Bella Jarrett and Nola Ebberts — and last year we returned six letter winners.

“We will return nine letter winners next year, and six girls who played a lot this year.”

The Quakers’ roster consisted of five seniors, six juniors, two sophomores and 11 freshmen this season.

“With the seniors graduating, the six juniors will become seniors,” Vavrek said. “The two sophomores, Micaiah Jones and Aliva Snyder, will be varsity players. Alivia should be ready to compete at the varsity level.

“We had two freshmen, Emma and Sydney, on varsity and there may be another few freshmen who could push for varsity time, as well.”

Tags: Quaker Valley