A-K Valley girls volleyball preview: Freeport seeks 17th straight section title

By: Michael Love
Thursday, September 2, 2021 | 6:04 PM

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In the Western Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association’s preseason poll for Class AAA, four of the top six girls teams in the rankings are the ones who finished in a four-way tie for last year’s Section 5-AAA title.

Leading the way is No. 2 Freeport, which won its 16th straight section title last season.

Mars is No. 3, Armstrong is No. 5 and Hampton is No. 6. With each team returning a plethora of starters, the expectation is they all again will battle for the top spot. The Yellowjackets, with nine returning starters including senior outside hitter and defensive specialist Erica Lampus — a 2020 all-state selection — are youthful but experienced.

“It was definitely a battle every game,” said Lampus, a four-year starter and member of the 2019 WPIAL Class AA title team. The Yellowjackets will begin their second year in Class AAA.

“We were all fighting for that No. 1 position, and it was great competition,” she said. “I expect that to be the same this year.”

Freeport is one of the favorites in Class AAA. Montour is ranked No. 1, and Thomas Jefferson is No. 4.

Also among the returnees for the Yellowjackets is third-team All-WPIAL pick Cassidy Dell, a junior setter/outside hitter.

“The success in this program has lived on throughout the years, and it is something that each team coming in wants to protect,” said Dell, who hopes her team can add a sixth WPIAL title since 2010. “It gives us great motivation.”

Freeport opens its season Saturday at the Franklin Regional tournament.

At the same time, defending Section 5-AA champion Deer Lakes will host a tournament with local flair as Alle-Kiski Valley teams Highlands, St. Joseph, Riverview, Leechburg and Springdale will participate.

The Lancers lost a pair of All-WPIAL performers from last year in graduates Cameron Simurda and Christiana Saldamarco, but they have five players back who earned all-section recognition last year.

Junior outside hitter Madison Fries was a first-team selection.

“We had a scrimmage at Kiski Area, and we faced some Class 5A schools, and we were very competitive with just one week of (preseason practice under our belts),” first-year Deer Lakes coach Laurie Caraher said of the Aug. 21 event.

“I am very confident the girls will have a great opportunity to defend their section title.”

For the second year in a row, six A-K Valley teams — including Plum and Kiski Area out of Section 1-3A and Leechburg and Apollo-Ridge in Section 4-1A — qualified for the WPIAL playoffs.

Kiski Area, with six starters back including a pair of all-section picks in junior setter Sydney Joyce and junior middle hitter Brynn Bires, hopes to make the playoffs for the fifth year in a row.

“We return eight letterwinners, combined with players who are working hard to earn spots, so I expect us to be highly competitive in Section 1,” said coach Jodie McCartney, whose Cavaliers are a combined 18-10 in her first two years.

Plum, the defending Section 1-3A champion, hopes to fend off the challenges of Kiski Area, Franklin Regional and others in the section race. Franklin Regional is No. 8 in the Class AAA rankings.

The Mustangs lost eight seniors, including all-state pick and Pitt freshman Makayla Jackson, to graduation. But with a trio of starters back, including senior Grace Thompson (defensive specialist/setter) and juniors Sam Glatz (setter) and Dannika Susko (middle blocker/right side), coach Kelsey Bonk is optimistic about her team’s chances.

“There has been a lot of excitement because there are a lot of players transitioning to varsity this year and getting the opportunity to contribute,” Bonk said.

Leechburg, last year’s Section 4-A runner-up to Greensburg Central Catholic and a WPIAL quarterfinalist, is ranked No. 6 in Class A. GCC is No. 2.

The Blue Devils, led by 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter Kalli Grine, also are riding a four-year playoff-qualifying streak. Grine was a third-team All-WPIAL pick last season.

“Transitioning this year with new setters but returning all hitters this season, we have experienced players returning looking to be powerful competition,” said sixth-year Leechburg coach Eve Hebrank, who has five starters back.

Grine and senior setter/outside hitter Tatum Verner are captains for the Blue Devils.

Knoch, with four returning starters, including captains in seniors Brynnae Coe (setter) and Nicole Chritchlow (libero), join Freeport, Mars, Hampton and Armstrong in Section 5-AAA.

The Knights missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 1999.

“We’re building a new team and hope to be competitive in a tough section,” said Diane Geist, who begins her 36th year as coach.

Alle-Kiski Valley girls volleyball players to watch

Cassidy Dell, Jr., OH, Freeport

Isabel Gerheim, JR., L, Apollo-Ridge

Sam Glatz, Jr., S, Plum

Kalli Grine, Sr., MH, Leechburg

Madison Friess, Jr., OH, Deer Lakes

Sydney Joyce, Jr., S, Kiski Area

Erica Lampus, Sr., OH/DS, Freeport

Emily Lewandoski, Sr., S/OH, Valley

Anna Novak, Sr., OH, Burrell

Stella Swanson, Sr., MH, St. Joseph

Dannika Susko, Jr., MB, Plum

Tatum Verner, Sr., OH, Leechburg

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.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Freeport