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Thirty + Years of Lady Wolves Volleyball History
1984 Record: 12-3 Head Coach Dave Brown Ass't Coach Cheri Kearney DISTRICT 9 RUNNER-UP Kim Ishman chosen to All-Tourney team at Meadville. Coach Brown said, "This was a very good season for a lot of hard working girls. Any one of the girls could've considered themselves starters."
1985 Record: 12-4 Head Coach Dave Brown Ass't Coach Jeff Kepler DISTRICT PLAYOFFS Co-captain Tracy Snyder played a big role in the team's success. Co-captain Vicky Schleicker stepped into the lineup with limited experience as a setter and did a commendable job. Amy Ryding played middle as well as anyone in the region. Jodi Perry was the team's spark plug. Coach Brown said, "We have a great foundation and a strong JV program so another fine season should be in the making."
1986 Record: 9-6 Head Coach Dave Brown Ass't Coach Sheila Weiner DISTRICT 9 RUNNER-UP
After a five game losing streak to begin the season, the Wolves moved into a winning streak and finished the season with 6 straight wins. Amy Ryding led the team in the middle hitter spot and was one of the top players in Northwestern Pa. Deb Starner and Jill Anderson also had excellent seasons.
1987 Record: 12-3 Head Coach Dave Brown Ass't Coach Judy Kessler DISTRICT 9 RUNNER-UP The lone senior on the team was Annette Bucheit who played middle. Juniors Tricia Kocjancic, Stacey Cummings, and Dee Dee Chapman earned berths as all-tournament team players. The team again headed off to the PIAA state plalyoffs.
1988 Record: 12-1 Head Coach Dave Brown Ass't Coach Judy Kessler LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DISTRICT CHAMPIONS STATE RUNNER-UP Strong played was the name of the game all season. With only one season loss, the Lady Wolves used their skills to take the Conneaut Lake and Maplewood tournament championship trophies. The girls played well and fought their way to the state championship game against Elderton. Injuries to Sheri Ryding and Stacey Cummings (who continued to play with a dislocated finger) hampered the Wolves' efforts in the final game and they took a 2nd instead of a 1st. But what an accomplishment, indeed. Coach Brown stated, "This year's team was unparalleled in depth and skill. Many could play at the collegiate level."
Team players included Tania Hedlund, Cathy Stauffer, Tricia Kocjancic, Stacey Cummings, Dee Dee Chapman, Robin Picarelli, Michelle Jenkins, Julie Bentz, Christy Horn, Sheri Ryding, Rae Engman, Lisa Gerhart, and Tonia Asel
1989 Record: 8-7 Head Coach Wendy Jenkins Ass't Coach Tracy Snyder After a slow start, the Lady Wolves caught fire and finished their season strongly winning 6 of their last 8 matches to qualify for the district tournament. Throughout the season, Lisa Gerhart, Tonya Forsyth, and Jen Stauffer earned tournament team honors.
1990 Record: 13-2 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Tracy Snyder DISTRICT CHAMPIONS STATE FINAL 8 Eight strong seniors led the squad that suffered only two losses: Helen Boylan (S), Shena Driscoll (S), Jen Stauffer (MH), Shelly Wensel (DS), Erika Forsyth (OH), Sonia Anderson (MH), Holli Novosel (MH), and Kim Keane (OH). Coach Kessler stated, "This team was bound and determined to win. They had such excellent basic skills that we could run plays on offense and rely on our defense to dig whatever the opponents threw at us." It was a championship year that allowed the Lady Wolves to make it through the first rounds of states to wind up in the quarterfinals where they lost to Elderton in a close match.
1991 Record: 3-12 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Tracy Snyder The team tried to pick up where their predecessors left off, but with 8 graduated seniors, it was tough. After the third game, setter Dessa Driscoll suffered an injury that took her out of the lineup. Freshman setter Kathy Jenkins was called upon to fill her shoes.
1992 Record: 8-8 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Tracy Snyder District Playoff Qualifier After a strong start of 4 wins in their first 5 games, the team lost a few hitters for various reasons and took a slide with a 6 game losing streak. But they finished their season strongly, winning 4 of their last 5 games. Trisha Asel and Kerri Rakiecki both played well in the middle while Kellie Koza hit strong on the outside. Dessa Driscoll returned as a strong setter. Freshman Kelly Snyder started her high school career as a varsity player.
1993 Record: 13-3 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Tracy Pierson District Playoff Qualifier The Lady Wolves returned with depth and had hopes of a district championship and state showing. Though they didn't get to states, they did get to districts. Trisha Asel led the team with 147 kills and with 42 aces. Asel and Kellie Koza were named to the D-9 All-Star 1st team. Kathy Jenkins was named to the D-9 All-Star 3rd team.
1994 Record: 9-7 Head Coach Tracy Pierson Ass't Coach Kathy Counts District Playoff Qualifier With Coach Kessler taking a personal year off from coaching, assistant Tracy Pierson stepped up to the varsity level. The team was young with 3 seniors but managed a district playoff berth. A highlight of the year was the Sheffield tournament where Tessa Asel earned 34 kills. Junior Kelly Snyder led the team in season kills with 103 while Tessa Asel had 40 aces. Kathy Jenkins and Kelly Snyder were named to the District 9 All-Star 1st team.
1995 Record: 12-4 Head Coach Christy Horn Ass't Coach Michelle Jenkins District Playoff Qualifier After starting the season at 3-3, the Lady Wolves dominated as they earned 9 straight wins before falling to ECC in the season closer. Kelly Snyder, Neila Wahlberg, Becky Stauffer, and Megan Chittester were big hitters for the Wolves. At districts, the team defeated Oswayo Valley but couldn't get by a strong Otto Eldred team. Kelly Snyder, Tara Erway, and Tessa Asel were named to the D-9 All-Star 1st team.
1996 Record: 7-9 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Christy Horn District Playoff Qualifier Behind the power hitting of Neila Wahlberg, Ann Raymondo, Meagan Chittester, Patty Petruney, and Becky Stauffer, the Lady Wolves put together a strong season. An injury to Ann Raymondo put Rachel Coleman into the lineup as well as Amber Rakiecki. The team finished 2nd at the Sheffield tournament and made it into the District tournament. Wahlberg and Kristina Odonish were named to the D-9 All-Star 2nd team.
1997 Record: 16-0 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Jen Blankenship LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DISTRICT CHAMPIONS REGIONAL FINAL FOUR There was never a question in anyone's mind that this was the team to beat in District 9. The team was all about scoring points: they outscored their opponents 759-424 during the regular season. In tournament play, they earned Championship trophies at Ft. LeBoeuf, Kane, and Sheffield, taking the Runner Up trophy at Maplewood. Helena Beranova, an exchange student from Europe, was named as the D-9 Player of the Year. Ann Raymondo was named to the D-9 All-Star team and Jen Giordano was named to the All-Star 2nd team. Team players included Daura Driscoll, Jen Giordano, Denee Driscoll, Sue Finnefrock, Rikki Pierotti, Miranda Depto, Helena Beranova, Amber Rakiecki, Ann Raymondo, Rachel Coleman, Heather Hayes, Mary Costanzo, Kate Kennedy, Gretchen Sterba, and Tara Gentile.
1998 Record: 13-4 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Sonia Anderson DISTRICT RUNNER-UP STATE FINAL 8 Knowing they had a tough act to follow, this team worked hard to repeat. They came close as they made it into the district final game and won the Fort LeBoeuf tournament for the second year in a row while finishing second at the Kane tournament. Offensively, the team was led by Mary Costanzo, Amber Rakiecki, Tara Gentile, and Missy Wahlberg. Amber Rakiecki was named to the D-9 All-Star1st team and Tara Gentile was named to the 2nd team.
1999 Record: 14-3 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Sonia Anderson District Playoff Qualifier The team had high hopes of following in the footsteps of the team last year. They earned a berth in the district tournament but lost in the second round. The offense again was led by Missy Wahlberg who had 371 season kills behind the setting of Miranda Depto.
2000 Record: 17-0 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Sonia Anderson LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DISTRICT FINAL FOUR With Missy Wahlberg and import Texan Misty Jones in the lineup as a tandem, the Lady Wolves were impossible to defeat during their regular season. This team had the talent to make it to the state final four if not the state final two, but luck didn't go their way and they fell at the district tournament to Clarion and ECC, thus eliminating their trip to Shippensburg. Liz Johnson became the second freshman to begin her high school season on the varsity as the setter (Kelly Snyder 1992). Team players included Missy Wahlberg, Shannon Szymanski, Misty Jones, Korin Lee, Liz Johnson, Drea Ryding, Amanda Cecchetti, Amanda Grolemund, Jill Butterfield, Katie Chittester, and Laura Olson
2001 Record: 14-3 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Sonia Anderson-Costanzo DISTRICT FINAL FOUR With only four seniors, the Lady Wolves made their 8th straight appearance in the district playoffs. The highlight of the season might be the second match up with Bradford. The Lady Wolves attacked the ball 239 times and earned 48 kills. In the district playoffs against Coudersport with the match tied at 2-2, Coudy was winning the fifth game 14-5 with only game point and match point to score. But Amanda Grolemund went to the service line and put up 8 perfect serves to make it 13-14. An illegal sub by Coudy tied it. Roni Cook then earned an ace and Liz Johnson finished it with a tip. Johnson earned 534 assists and Grolemund and Cook each had 141 kills. Laura Olson had the most blocks with 53. Grolemund also led in digs with 229. Grolemund was named to the D-9 All-Star 2nd team.
2002 Record: 15-2 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Misty Weber LEAGUE CHAMPIONS DISTRICT RUNNER-UP STATE FINAL 16 Only twice during the season did the Lady Wolves have to play a 5-game series, once losing to DuBois Public and once defeating Bradford. With strong hitting, defense, setting, and blocking, the Wolves moved into the Final Four for the fifth year in a row. In the first two rounds of the playoffs they defeated Oswayo Valley and DCC. At the Final Four, they defeated St. Marys and Union but couldn't get by Clarion for the championship. This took them to face Cambridge Springs, the D-10 champion, for the first round of States, but the Lady Wolves couldn't defeat the power hitting of CS. Roni Cook was named to the D-9 All-Star 1st team. Liz Johnson was named to the D-9 All-Star 3rd team.
2003 Record: 17-0 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Misty Weber LEAGUE CHAMPIONS District Playoffs What remained of last year's starting rotation was one all-around court player and one back row player. Setter Liz Johnson and Vanessa Smith, who would turn out to be an incredible middle hitter, were the remnants of a strong 2002 team. But that didn't matter to the players as they came out and did what it took to win as well. The offense averaged 35 kills per match and had a whopping 57 against Bradford. Liz Johnson earned a personal milestone as a senior when she reached 2000 assists against Ridgway on Senior Rec night. Johnson is considered one of the best two players in the district as she not only is a strong setter, but all-around strong player. She led her team with 78 aces and as a setter still managed 136 kills and 45 blocks. Team members included Liz Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Lacy Conant, Liza Nicholson, Amber Mohney, Nichole Krietemeyer, Terryn Mague, Jackie Depto, Caitlin Bly, Brittanie Bizzak, Michele Kane, Vanessa Smith
2004 Record: 11-7 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Michelle Costanzo DISTRICT AA CHAMPION STATE FINAL 16 The road to victory wasn't always easy during the season. Injuries abounded and players had to change positions. Only two players returned as varsity starters. The season began painfully as the Lady Wolves were looking at a 1-4 record. They turned it around and went on to win 8 of their next 10 matches, defeating strong teams such as Johnsonburg, Bradford, and Punxsy. The win against Punxsy was a preview to the Final Four battle at districts. In the league game, the Wolves earned 98 digs and 11 blocks on defense while the offense racked up 43 kills and 7 aces. Though they went into Districts seeded 4th, they defeated Cranberry (1st seed) and Brookville before facing Punxsy for a tough rematch. But they persevered and won the match 25-12, 24-26, 25-22. In the state playoffs, Seton-LaSalle out of Pittsburg. defeated the Wolves. Team members included Sarah Johnson, Michelle Sink, Jesse Karger, Ashley Bell, Vanessa Smith, Terryn Mague, Kolbi Bergman, Heather Pence, Michele Kane, Heather Hess, and two floating JV's Brooke Martyna and Trisha Johnson.
2005 Record: 11-5 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Michelle Costanzo DISTRICT AA FINAL FOUR The Lady Wolves started their season with a slew of inexperienced players and hoped to be competitive behind the experience of their two lone seniors, Jesse Karger and Heather Hess. Jesse, forced into setting, changed gears and relearned her freshman position and put up 284 assists. Heather led her team with 317 kills and was a powerhouse from the outside. Junior Michelle Sink played the newly adopted libero position and had 241 digs in middle back. Junior Heather Pence led with blocks in the middle with 107. Junior Kalli Baker led in aces with 47 and in assists with 337. Two other juniors (Alyssa Stewart and Ashley Bell) and four sophomores (Meghan Lindquist, Marisa Cleer, Brooke Martyna, Angie Salerno) added their talent to the team. Two players suffered season ending injuries early on. Kolbi Bergman played her last games at the home tournament in September. Kayla Swartz unfortunately never had an opportunity to step onto the court as she suffered her injury in pre-season. That allowed Trisha Johnson and Krysta Stanko to float to the varsity in case they were needed. Both girls saw a little bit of action on the floor. The Wolves finished the season seeded #3 for the district playoffs. In the quarterfinal round, the Wolves easily defeated Karns City in a three game sweep. Then they faced powerhouse Cranberry and though they kept pace with them, winning the first game 30-28, the Berries' offense proved to be too much for the young Wolves as Cranberry swept the next three games. Overall, the Wolves accumulated 238 aces, 792 kills, 1163 digs, 661 assists, and 261 blocks. The team averaged per match 10 aces, 35 kills, 51 digs, 28 assists, and 10 blocks.
2006 Record: 10-8 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Michelle Costanzo DISTRICT AA Runner Up The Lady Wolves at times played stellar volleyball and at times struggled to compete with minimal teams. But they pulled it together enough to wind up in the district AA playoffs where they faced Clearfield, defeating them in 4 games. That placed them in the finals against an undefeated 23-0 Punxsutawney team, last year's D9 AA champions. Although the Wolves lost to the Lady Chucks in the finals, they still walked away with the D9 AA Runner up spot. The Wolves finished their season with 285 aces (Sink-56), 698 kills (Cleer-146), 1109 digs (Johnson-221), 559 assists (Baker-423), and 313 blocks (H Pence-146). Team members included 4 seniors: Kalli Baker, Michelle Sink, Heather Pence, and Alyssa Stewart; and 11 juniors: Meghan Lindquist, Marisa Cleer, Kayla Swartz, Trisha Johnson, Brooke Martyna, Emily Pence, Angie Salerno, Katie Anderson, Alison Jubon, Krysta Stanko, and Ashlyn Anderson
2007 Record: 15-4 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Ann Anderson DISTRICT AA Runner Up With ten seniors who had loads of experience, the Lady Wolves hoped to recapture the D9 AA crown but fell one game short. In season, they had a 13-3 record, losing matches only to Punxsy, ECC, and Johnsonburg. They participated in tournaments in Clarion, Ft. LeBoeuf, Sheffield, and Kane. Seeded 2nd only behind Punxsy in the final four of districts, the Wolves faced Karns City first and defeated them 3-1 in the best of 5 match. They then faced Bradford and downed them in 3 straight games. In the finals against Punxsy, the Wolves struggled to contain the attack and lost the match 0-3 to take 2nd place. Three year varsity players/letter winners Meghan Lindquist (OH), Brooke Martyna (D), and Trisha Johnson (libero) were named to the all-star team. Lindquist qualified to play in the senior all-star match against District 5. Other 3 year players included Marisa Cleer and Angie Salerno. In their three years of varsity, Lindquist had 152 aces and 467 kills; Martyna had 83 aces and 624 digs; Johnson had 73 aces and 512 digs; Cleer put down 515 kills and put up 215 blocks; Salerno had 87 aces and 418 digs. The other senior members of the team were Ashlyn Anderson, Katie Anderson, Krysta Stanko, Kayla Swartz, and Emily Pence. Juniors Kirstie Kocjancic and Brittany Peterson and sophomore setter Gina Kane rounded out the team. For the season Lindquist led in aces with 84, Cleer had 261 kills and 61 blocks, Johnson 272 digs, Martyna 240 digs, Stanko 400 assists, and G Kane 245 assists. As a team, the Wolves accumulated 295 aces, 867 kills, 1274 digs, 706 assists, and 173 blocks.
2008 Record: 10-7 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Rae El Johnson DISTRICT AA Runner Up After losing ten seniors from last year's squad, the Lady Wolves knew they'd have to learn fast to compete at the varsity level. With two returning seniors (OH Kirstie Kocjanci and defender Brittany Peterson) and one returning sophomore (setter Gina Kane), the team was primarily made up of the 2007 JV squad. After a rough1-4 start, however, the Lady Wolves started to gel and learned to run a faster offense and learned to read on defense, allowing them to win 7 of their last 9 season games. Their win against Sheffield gave Coach Kessler her 200th varsity win in 17 years of varsity coaching. The Lady Wolves also participated in 4 tournaments: Ft. LeBoeuf, Clarion, Sheffield, and Kane, where they placed 2nd, losing to Cranberry in the finals.
Seeded 3rd in the district final four, the Lady Wolves first faced 2nd seed Karns City and played an excellent match to win it 2-1. They then faced three-time champion Punxsy. Tied at one game each, the Wolves had a 7 point lead in the third game but couldn't hold onto it and lost the match and the D9 title by 2 points, 23-25. They then went on to beat St. Marys 2-0 to secure their 2nd place finish for the Runners-Up trophy. This marked the 3rd straight year the Lady Wolves finished in 2nd place. Aside from the 3 returning players, the team also included senior Chelsea Mague (OH) who returned to volleyball after a year of cross country. Juniors included Alexa Anderson (D), Anna Wismar (S), Lauren Harvey (OH), Emily Ferranto (D), Megan Stanko (OH), Sara Steele (OH), and Nataliel Kossack (MH). Two sophomores were on the team as well: Amelia Kepler (MH) and Stephanie Salerno (libero). Mague led the team with 29 aces and 231 digs. Kepler had 187 kills and 113 blocks. G Kane put up 331 assists and had 89 blocks. Salerno had 227 digs and 22 aces and Steele had 223, 22 aces, and 160 kills. Kossack put down 120 kills, had 36 blocks, and 27 aces. As a team, the Lady Wolves had 172 aces, 658 kills, 1042 digs, 595 assists, and 263 blocks. Kepler, Steele, and G Kane were all chosen as D9 AA all-stars and Mague was chosen to participate in the D9 AA all-star senior match vs. D9 A seniors.
2009 Record: 11-3 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Rae El Johnson DISTRICT AA Runner Up With a strong core back in action, the Lady Wolves pushed through their season with several strong showings, earning a lopsided winning record. But they suffered the same fate as they had the past 3 years with a disappointing loss to rival Punxsutawney in the D9 AA finals. Although they were only 2 points from victory, they couldn't hold off the Chucks and came home with yet another 2nd place plaque. Led by State-All-Star and D9 AA Player of the Year junior Amelia Kepler (359 kills, 135 blocks/69 solo) the Wolves dominated Bradford in the playoffs before facing off against Punxsy. Setter Gina Kane finished the year with 456 assists and crested the 1000 assist mark. She also had 64 blocks on the right side and made the All-Star team. Senior outside hitter Sara Steele and junior libero Stephanie Salerno were also All-Star team members. Steele had 161 kills and 59 aces for the season. Salerno led her team with 361 digs and had 337 service points and 58 aces.
Other team members included seniors Anna Wismar, Emily Ferranto, Emily Carlson, Lauren Harvey, Megan Stanko, Natalie Kossack; juniors Katie Bizzak, Kelley Chilson; sophomore Drew Victory; freshman Audrey Perry (the first 9th grader to be on varsity since Liz Johnson (S in 2000). As a team, the Lady Wolves earned 268 aces and had only 153 missed serves. They accumulated 840 kills and 307 blocks. Defensively, they picked up nearly 1399 digs.
2010 Record: 8-8 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Rae El Johnson District Playoff Qualifier With the loss of 8 seniors the year before, the Lady Wolves had to rebuild. They had a strong mid-season run as they won 5 matches in a row but then fell into a loss pattern to end their season at .500. Three year varsity libero Stephie Salerno and 3 year varsity middle hitter Amelia Kepler were named to the D9 AA All-Star team. Salerno ended the season with 361 digs and 322 service points. She ended her career with 840 digs. 2011 Record: 7-9 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Rae El Johnson For the first time in 16 years, the Lady Wolves didn't qualify for the playoffs. Although they didn't reach their goal of playoffs, they had some excellent matches against strong teams like St. Marys and Punxsutawney for wins. Highlights for the team included junior Shannon Kocjancic who had 142 service points, 131 assists, and 238 digs. Sophomore Katelyn Moran added 138 service points, led the team with 41 aces, and had 359 assists. She also was second in digs with 225. Junior middle Audrey Perry put down 259 kills and had 36 blocks. Senior Nicole Shrubb led the team defensively with 304 digs. Senior Cassie Whittemore had 116 kills while sophomore Morgan Nicholson had 31 blocks in the middle. 2012 Record: 12-6 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Rae El Johnson District Playoff Qualifier Getting back into tradition, the Lady Wolves easily made the playoffs behind strong defense and offense. After defeating Brockway in the first round, the team lost to a much bigger AC Valley squad The Wolves had a tremendous start, winning 5 of their first matches. Their seasonal highlight had to be against Bradford, a powerful all around team that was destined to be D9 AA champions for the 3rd year in a row. Taking the Owls to 5 sets, the Wolves lost the final set by a mere 3 points. The team finished with 28 kills, 48 digs, and 6 huge blocks. For the season, senior libero Shannon Kocjancic had 228 digs. Junior Morgan Nicholson had a great serving year with 244 points and 96 aces. Senior Audrey Perry led the team in attacking (339 kills) and blocks (64) followed by senior Kaila Jamerson's 36 blocks and Nicholson's 30. Nicholson was second in attacks with 163. Perry was named to the D9 all-star team for her efforts. As a team, the Wolves had 158 blocks, 617 assists, 803 kills, and 361 aces. Team members included seniors Shannon Kocjancic, Nikki Sicher, Audrey Perry, Kaila Jamerson; juniors Katelyn Moran, Morgan Nicholson, Cheyenne Wheatley, Rachel Ferranto; sophomores Emily Hauser, Taylor Morgan, Hannah Ross. 2013 Record: 9-8 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Rae El Johnson District Playoff Qualifier With an amazingly young team that included 6 freshmen, 4 of whom were starters, the Wolves had quite an impressive season. Behind the leadership and guidance of seniors Morgan Nicholson and Katelyn Moran, the team learned the game and how to play together regardless of their age differences and experience. In an unprecedented situation, four freshmen made the starting lineup, moving essentially from middle school level play to varsity level play in one summer. After attending weeks of open gym time throughout the summer, the freshmen came in fairly strong. Alaina Barner (OH), Camryn Cummings (MH), Kiley Kinney (L), and Ashley Jordan (DS) ended up on the floor of every match. This was the first time since Audrey Perry made her freshmen debut in 2009. Only two other freshmen (Liz Johnson, Kelly Johnson) had broken into the lineup prior to that. The young team followed in the footsteps of their senior leaders and emulated them at practice and in games, allowing themselves to compete at a level that was unexpected. Katelyn Moran surpassed the 1000 assist mark early in the season against ECC. She finished her career with 1390. She also crested past the 500 mark in digs (544) and figured in 30 career blocks. Morgan Nicholson finished her career with 461 kills, 175 aces, and 119 blocks. Morgan led her young team in 6 categories including aces (65), blocks (52), and kills (234) on the season. 2014 Record: 3-13 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coach Sonia Costanzo, Rae El Johnson, Michelle Costanzo, Megan Swanson With a young team of sophomores that gained some experience last year on the court, the Lady Wolves struggled to gel as a team to earn some wins. With three seniors - one of them playing through an injury all season - the young girls on the team had to step up and play at a higher level. It was tough as the experience was limited and a lot of the teams they faced were loaded with experienced seniors. Although their record did not show a lot of success, the team measured its successes by individual sets within matches. The faster offenses of the opposition was difficult at times for the young Wolves to keep up with. There were some bright spots within the season, such as the wins against DCC and taking a game from a very strong Bradford team as well as hanging in with D9 AA district champion St. Marys. Senior Hannah Ross finished her 3 year varsity career with 38 blocks. Emily Hauser finished her career with 99 aces, 545 service points, and 377 digs. Taylor Morgan finished with 292 kills and 342 digs. Sophomore Camryn Cummings led the team with 144 kills and 52 blocks. Sophomore Ashley Jordan finished with 331 assists even though she played several games as the libero. Junior Danielle Payne switched between middle back libero and left back and led with 240 digs. From the service line, sophomore Alyssa Zampogna had 127 service points and 36 aces. The Wolves look to continue to build on their game knowledge and skill and look to improve their record for the 2015 year. 2015 Record: 10-8 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches Sonia Costanzo, Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Megan Swanson, Max Stanisch District Playoff Qualifier Continuing to move forward, the Lady Wolves had their best season in three years. The core of freshmen were now juniors with two years of varsity play. Led by just two seniors, defensive specialists Sami Bigley and Danielle Payne, the team participated in several exciting matches and earned the right to enter the playoffs, which they missed last year. The team balanced a .500 record through the first six matches as they defeated DCC, Sheffield, and Johnsonburg. After a tough loss to Bradford, they went on a four game winning streak, adding in a win from a strong St. Marys team. Ending the season at 9-7, the Lady Wolves were seeded in the district tournament to face Union, whom they defeated in two sets. That put them into the final eight, where they drew a solid ECC team. Unfortunately, ECC's offense was too strong fo the Wolves who fell and ended their season. Senior Sami Bigley led the Wolves with 206 service points and had an 88% accuracy rating. Junior Marcie Stanisch served at 90% with 62 aces. Alyssa Zampogna led her team with 72 aces and had 193 service points. Middle hitter Camryn Cummings led at the net with 214 kills in 578 attempts for an incredible 48% productive rating. She also had nearly 70 blocks. On the opposite side, sophomore Trinity Clark put up 35 blocks and had 134 kills. On the outside, Zampogan added 177 kills. Setter Ashley Jordan had over 500 assists. With a huge core of juniors returning in 2016 as seniors, the future looks bright. 2016 Record: 13-5 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches Sonia Costanzo, Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Megan Swanson, Max Stanisch DISTRICT 9 AA Runner-Up With 7 seniors in the mix, the Lady Wolves had their best season in five years, earning a 12-4 season record. The core of freshmen grew into players who sparked their teammates to perform at a top level. Four players were named to the D9 AA All-Star team: outside hitter Trinity Clark, middle hitter Alyssa Zampogna, setter Ashley Jordan, and libero Marcella Stanisch. The senior presence on the court was obvious. Add to that mix a strong junior in Trinity Clark and two sophomores in middle hitter Ella Marconi and setter Hannaha Buhl and the team was as strong as it's been in years. Defeating powerhouse Bradford at home in a three game sweep was one of the team's highlights. Two of the season losses went five games where the Wolves lost by just a few points. Setter Ashley Jordan surpassed the 1000 assist mark as she put up 552 this season and nearly 1400 career. Alyssa Zampogna, who moved from the outside to the middle due to injury, led with 240 kills and finished her career with 512. She also put up 52 blocks. Sadie Tunall ended up as an all around outside hitter and defender due to a season ending injury to Kendra Udovich. Sadie did well, with 83 kills and 195 digs. Jordan Race made half of a tremendous block on the opposite side, channeling balls to the defense. She blocked 15 attacks and added 18 assists with excellent hands. Camryn Cummings had a shortened season with an injury, but came back to also play a strong opposite and get 1 kills in just half the season. Marcella Stanisch had a tremendous defensive season, leading the team with nearly 300 digs. Her serving was consistently good as she put up 91 aces and 230 points. Alaina Barner managed to play a portion of the season after facing injury as well. Defensively she dug 33 attacks. Junior Trinity Clark was vital to the team's success. She led her team with 239 service points, 104 aces, and 200 kills in 630 attempts. She also had 26 blocks. Out of the middle, sophomore Ella Marconi was a huge factor as she put down 212 kills and put up 72 blocks. Sophomore setter Hannah Buhl was very consistent at the back line with 59 aces and 207 points. She also was vital in the attack with 311 assists. Perhaps the most exciting match of the season was the district championship against Redbank Valley. The Wolves lost the first two sets but with their tenacity and focus, won the next two to tie it 2-2, leading them into the final set to 15. With a 13-11 lead, the Wolves only needed 2 points but unfortunately could not finish the set. Nevertheless, the team played as well as they did all season and finished with their heads held high. Next season will be one that sees the return of Clark, Udovich, Marconi, and Buhl. The rest of the team will have to come from the JV squad and the in-coming freshmen class. It will be a rebuilding year yet one that holds promise of success. 2017 Record: 13-6 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches: Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Kelly Johnson, Tricia Bell D9 AA DISTRICT CHAMPIONS STATE FINAL 16 With only 3 returning players in Trinity Clark (OH), Ella Marconi (MH), and Hannah Buhl (S), the Wolves looked forward to the return of Kendra Udovich (OH) who missed the 2016 season with an injury. These four athletes guided their inexperienced team of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors through their actions and voices to be the D9 AA Champions for the first time in 13 seasons. They avenged the 5 set 2016 district finals loss to Redbank Valley by beating the Bulldogs in three straight sets. Led by the offense of senior Clark and junior E Marconi, the Wolves improved on a 4-4 start by winning 9 of their last 11 matches to finish their regular season with a 13-5 record. They then went on to defeat Brookville in the semifinals of the playoffs to get themselves into a position to bring the D9 crown back to the Wolves Den. Marconi led the team at the net with 289 kills and 82 blocks. Clark was the team’s catalyst and finished the season with 281 kill and team leading 268 service points and 228 digs. Her 57 aces were second only to junior Buhl’s 61. Buhl reached the 1000 career sets mark during the district finals. Battling a re-injury several times during the season, Udovich still managed to put down 98 kills and get 106 digs. Inexperience usually means rebuilding through a lot of learning curves and ultimately a season that isn’t normally overly successful. But the new varsity players saw it differently. Freshman Audri Marconi lit up the net with 109 kills and 49 blocks as a middle. Freshman Emma Ely dealt with the varsity tempo as a defensive specialist, getting over 100 digs. Sophomores Kalen Johnson and Sierra Hillman shared duties on the opposite side and combined for 50 kills. Johnson saw some time on the outside as well. Juniors Paige Niklas and Lexi Woods played strong defense, with Woods earning 220 digs as libero and Niklas 72 in right back. Freshman Sarri Swanson and sophomore Alexandra Yasurek rounded out the team and stepped in when needed. The talent of Buhl, Clark, and E Marconi earned them spots on the D9 AA All-Star team, getting the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th most votes from coaches across the district. Clark was named to the all-state team. Behind the strong setting of Buhl and the net play of the Marconi girls, the Wolves look to continue their success in 2018. 2018 Record: 13-4 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches: Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Kelly Johnson District Playoff Semifinal 2019 Record: 12-6 Head Coach Kelly Johnson Ass't Coaches: tracy Pierson, Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Judy Kessler District Playoff Semifinal 2020 Record: 9-5 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches: Rachel Chamberlain, Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Kelly Johnson District Playoff Quarterfinal 2021 Record: 8-9 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches: Rachel Chamberlain, Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Kelly Johnson With a few starting players returning, the Lady Wolves looked to regroup and had a respectable season, qualifying for the playoffs. Ofensively, outside hitter Cora Jekielek led with 171 kills followed by sophomore outside hitter Maya Smith with 107. Middle hitters Mackenzie Blankenship and Serrena Conklin had 99 and 90 kills respectively. Blankenship led with 65 blocks followed by Conklin with 42. Junior Jayna Johnson switched from being an outside hitter to setter where she put up 250 assists and had 41 aces. She split her time with senior setter Aubri Haight who had 172 assists. 2022 Record: 16-3 Head Coach Judy Kessler Ass't Coaches: Shannon Szymanski, Rae El Whitman, Michelle Costanzo, Kelly Johnson The fairy tale season began with a solid, dominating wins over Bradford, DCC, Sheffield, and Ridgway. After a loss to ECC, the Lady Wolves regrouped and won the next six games, giving them an 11-1 record. Facing ECC again, the Wolves really put on a defensive display though they fell short of the win. They then went on to finish their season winning their final four matches. In tournament play, the Wolves finished in the semifinals at AC Valley and Redbank Valley and took 2nd place to Clarion-Limestone at their home tournament. With a 14-2 record, they headed into the D9 AA playoffs for the 9th time in 10 years.
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