SC volleyball continues to roll; BEA defeats Bellefonte

STATE COLLEGE — The State College girls’ volleyball team has been cruising through the first three weeks of the season.

On Sept. 17 at Cedar Cliff, the Lady Little Lions needed four sets to earn a win – which is significant because it marked the first set the team had dropped on the season in dual matches.

State College, ranked fourth in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Class 4A weekly poll and holds a 5-0 mark and first place in the Mid Penn Conference’s Commonwealth Division.

Coach Chad Weight likes the way the pieces have fallen into place on the court.

“They have the potential to be really good,” Weight said. “I’ve had the opportunity over the last eight years to see a lot of good kids. There is some really good individual talent (on the team), and they also work really well together.”

With a handful of sophomores, juniors and seniors all in the lineup or seeing significant time off the bench, each has found comfortable roles to play. They also are pushing each other during practices.

“Our depth is keeping us strong,” assistant coach Jim Gonder said. “They’re practicing against some quality opponents right in the gym.”

The team also has battled some of the best in the state, facing four state-ranked opponents – beating three of them – in a tournament at Wilson to finish as the runner-up.

The Lady Little Lions also are getting quality production out of their 6-2 offense, with Leah Henderson and Kacy Sekunda sharing the setter and right-side hitter roles. While they split time quarterbacking the offense, the pair also are regularly among the team leaders each match in kills.

It’s a role to which Henderson is well accustomed, as the most experienced player on the team. The senior, an All-State selection last season, is headed to Indiana, Pa., next fall to play volleyball.

“Leah’s pretty darned good,” Weight said. “She makes things go. She makes some sets that most kids can’t even dream of making.”

Against Cedar Cliff, Henderson delivered 14 assists and served up four aces. Jess Irwin, also a returning All-State pick, shared the lead in kills with Lauren Arnold with six apiece. Vanessa McGhee notched six blocks, Sekunda had 11 assists and Erin Lutz picked up five digs.

State College swept Carlisle 25-18, 25-20, 25-13 on Sept. 13 with nine kills, 14 assists and four aces from Sekunda, 10 kills and 14 assists from Henderson, three blocks from Arnold and 10 digs from Lutz.

BALD EAGLE AREA

The Lady Eagles swept past rival Bellefonte 25-9, 25-5, 25-22 on Sept. 14 thanks to some high pressure from the service line. BEA rocketed in 23 aces – more than its 21 total kills – led by seven from Madison Rockey, five from Elita Brown and four from Kristen Onder.

“We serve aggressively and got going,” said Lady Eagles coach Larry Campbell, whose team is ranked seventh in the state in Class 2A. “You know in volleyball once you get in the passer’s head, the reception game falls apart. The kids were solid and we got to play 17 kids in the match which was nice for them.”

Rockey also had 21 assists, Brynne Bisel and Lacee Barnhart notched four kills each and Lexi Skripek tallied 10 digs.

BELLEFONTE

The Lady Red Raiders got six kills from senior McKenna Hendrix in the loss to BEA, as Bellefonte works to hone the skills of a young roster. The Lady Raiders have three experienced seniors and three more juniors showing the way for the 21 freshmen on the roster.

“We are very excited with the number of girls that came out this year, and they are progressing very well considering we have such a large team and so many inexperienced girls,” coach Teri Kerr said. “They are working hard to learn and master each of the skills that make a well-rounded volleyball player. I appreciate the way the upperclassmen have stepped up to help the underclassmen with all the aspects of the game.” 

Kerr knew it was going to be a challenge to face the talented Lady Eagles, but also that level of competition would help her girls grow.

“Playing the very talented and experienced teams like BEA,” Kerr said, “the team, especially the inexperienced players, start to understand the caliber of play that is out there and it excites them to keep learning and mastering each of the skills.”

Bellefonte dropped a tough four-set match to Central 25-15, 25-12, 18-25, 25-23 on Sept. 11, with eight kills from Phoebe Rowland, five from Alexia Mishock and strong serving from Shaelah Pepperman and Hendrix.
PENNS VALLEY

The Lady Rams advanced to the semifinals of the gold bracket of the St. Francis Invitational on Sept. 15 before being ousted by top-seeded Central Cambria. Penns Valley split with Cambria Heights and Purchase Line and beat Northern Bedford and Westmont Hilltop to win the pool. A win over Tyrone 25-21 put the Lady Rams into the semifinals.

Penns Valley also faced Tyrone two days earlier and prevailed in five sets 25-23, 14-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-11.

“It was probably the best, most competitive volleyball match I have ever seen,” coach Jayme Ishler said. “The girls on both sides played their hearts out and left it all on the floor.”

The Lady Rams got 15 kills and 25 digs from Emma Butler, 14 kills from Marissa Stecko, 25 assists from Brooke Emel, 17 digs from Jadyn Butler and eight blocks from Bella Culver.

PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA

The Lady Mounties finished as the runner-up in the silver bracket of the St. Francis Invitational, falling to Chestnut Ridge in the finals. P-O beat Juniata Valley and lost to Forest Hills and Bishop Carroll in pool play, then in the bracket knocked off Central, Portage and Cambria Heights to reach the finals.

Jadyn Eckberg’s 44 total kills for the day and Kam Harris’ 24 points including four aces paced the offense, which was guided by Kalista Butler’s 91 assists. Kyleigh Kennedy, who had 20 kills, paced the defense with 20 blocks while London Cutler had 32 digs and Jordyn Williamson notched 23 digs.

P-O improved to 11-3 overall and has a 2-0 mark in the Mountain League.

ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY

The Lady Wolves played a wild marathon match with Glendale on Sept. 17, which ended in a five-set loss. St. Joseph’s opened in a 16-2 hole in the first set, then rallied to take the frame 29-27, and dropped the next two sets 25-11, 25-15 before rallying again 25-21 in the fourth. Glendale prevailed 15-12 in the decisive fifth game to take the match.

“The Student Life Center was rocking, but it wasn’t quite enough to pull us over the hump,” coach Cori Donaghy said. “The outcome wasn’t what we had hoped, but the Wolves played with real grit. They never once gave up in the match.”

Michaela Maynard and Emma Mallison’s seven kills each led the Lady Wolves’ offense.