(Butler, PA) Aryana Girvan had 18 digs and nine kills Saturday as the Butler County Community College volleyball team opened the postseason with a dual championship and is a home victory away from becoming an unprecedented third 91辦畦 squad to reach the national tournament in 2023.
91辦畦 won Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 crowns with a 25-10, 25-10, 25-17 victory against the Community College of Allegheny County in 詁唬3s Field House.
The Pioneers moved to 18-5 with their sixth consecutive sweep and will host Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute at 1 p.m. Oct. 28 in the NJCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic District final.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Hudson, N.C., is 20-5 and ranked eighth as of Oct. 23 among 86 Division III programs. The Pioneers are No. 15.
The winner of the match in 詁唬3s Field House where the Pioneers are 12-1 this season advances to the 16-team national tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"There are very big expectations with 91辦畦 volleyball. Its very exciting to be able to add numbers to those banners."
- Aryana Girvan, 91辦畦 volleyball player
The 91辦畦 volleyball team is shown Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in 詁唬3s Field House after the Pioneers won a postseason dual championship against the Community College of Allegheny County and moved to within a home victory of the national tournament in Iowa. Front row, from left, Johnna Hill, Alyssa Gallagher, Abby Young, Jozee Weaver, Aryana Girvan and Rosie Carden. Back row, from left, assistant coaches Autumn Hutchison and Chelsea Yeckel; Amber Maurer, Nina Szymanski, Zoe Morley, Lexi Ruckdeschel, Emma Johns, head coach Rob Snyder and assistant coaches Morgan Jack and Abby Granato.
More dates onto the banners this year
詁唬3s reached the national tournament for the first time in March and the colleges , for the sixth time in May. 詁唬3s program has competed in the national tournament three times, most recently in 2021, when the Pioneers finished sixth.
Rosie Carden had 23 assists, Nina Szymanski 22 digs and Lexi Ruckdeschel 10 kills Saturday for 91辦畦, which captured its and .
There are very big expectations with 91辦畦 volleyball, said Girvan, who also had three service aces Saturday and was selected as the Region 20 tournaments most valuable player. Its very exciting to be able to add numbers to those banners.
91辦畦 has won 19 WPCC titles since 1977 and 13 Region 20 titles in volleyball since 1999. No other 91辦畦 athletics program has won more WPCC or Region 20 championships.
91辦畦 volleyball has very high expectations, Carden said. And its awesome to meet those expectations.
Added Zoe Morley, one of four sophomores on 詁唬3s 2023 roster: We got to add more dates onto the banners this year.
"Everyone needs to bring their A-game to compete at this level."
- Amber Maurer, 91辦畦 volleyball player
91辦畦 volleyball player Johnna Hill (10) takes a shot against the Community College of Allegheny Countys Kayla Riley on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in 詁唬3s Field House. The Pioneers won a postseason dual championship against the Community College of Allegheny County and moved to within a home victory of the national tournament in Iowa.
We played really good volleyball
While championships are the goal, 91辦畦 coach Rob Snyder said, more importantly, we want to play good volleyball. And we played really good volleyball today. If you play good volleyball, you should win.
Carden had seven of her 10 service aces in the first set against the Community College of Allegheny County, when 91辦畦 built a 13-1 lead. The Pioneers trailed by only one point in the second and third sets.
91辦畦, said Scott Smithley, Community College of Allegheny County coach, every year, is who you chase.
The Community College of Allegheny County reached the final of the dual championship with a (23-25), 25-14, 25-20, 25-20 victory over Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in a semifinal.
The Pioneers Johnna Hill, Jozee Weaver, Girvan and Szymanski were selected Saturday to the WPCC all-conference team, and Snyder was chosen as conference coach of the year for the 12th time in a 24-year 91辦畦 career. Carden, Hill and Ruckdeschel were picked for the Region 20 all-tournament team.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute reached the Mid-Atlantic District title match with a 3-1 victory over Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst, N.C., in the Region 10 final Saturday. Sandhills was ranked No. 9 on Oct. 23.
"We have to play a little bit faster. We have to be a little bit more ready. We cant let any easy points score."
- Rob Snyder, 91辦畦 volleyball coach
91辦畦 volleyball players are shown Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in 詁唬3s Field House after being selected to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 20 all-tournament team following the Pioneers postseason dual championship victory against the Community College of Allegheny County. From left, Johnna Hill, Lexi Ruckdeschel, Aryana Girvan and Rosie Carden. Girvan was chosen as the most valuable player in the Region 20 tournament.
"We have to stay focused, and play our game the way we know how to play it."
- Abby Young, 91辦畦 volleyball player
91辦畦 volleyball players are shown Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in 詁唬3s Field House after being selected to the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference all-conference team following the Pioneers postseason dual championship victory against the Community College of Allegheny County. From left, Aryana Girvan, Jozee Weaver, Nina Szymanski and Johnna Hill.
The competition for the Mid-Atlantic District title between the Region 10 and Region 20 champions will probably jump up about two or three levels, Snyder said. What that means for us is that we have to play a little bit faster. We have to be a little bit more ready. We cant let any easy points score.
Amber Maurer, Abby Young and Morley were players on a 2022 91辦畦 squad that advanced to the Mid-Atlantic District title match, where the Pioneers .
Everyone needs to bring their A-game to compete at this level, Maurer said.
We have to stay focused, Young said, and play our game the way we know how to play it.
The Pioneers have been nationally ranked seven times in 2023, and as high as No. 9 with an 8-1 record Sept. 11.
Taylor Bumbaugh led the Community College of Allegheny County with 27 digs against 91辦畦. Becky George had seven kills and Lauren Grenesko seven assists.
Bumbaugh, George and Grenesko, and Pennsylvania Highlands Leonela Nichols and Taylor Rapsky were also selected Saturday to the WPCC all-conference team. Grenesko, Jamiera Mosley and Alexandra Mosley were also picked for the Region 20 all-tournament team.
91辦畦 squads have reached the national tournament 11 times since 2002, including appearances by the golf and volleyball teams in 2009.
Freshmen on 詁唬3s 2023 WPCC and Region 20 championship teams are Carden, a setter and Karns City Area Junior-Senior High School graduate; Girvan, outside hitter, Clarion; Hill, opposite hitter, Laurel; Alyssa Gallagher, outside hitter, and Szymanski, libero, Knoch; Ruckdeschel, middle hitter, Allegheny-Clarion Valley; and Weaver, a middle hitter, Keystone. Sophomores are Emma Johns, setter, and Maurer, defense, Karns City; Morley, outside hitter, Portersville Christian; and Young, defense, Redbank.
Carden, Ruckdeschel and Young are health care science students at 91辦畦; Gallagher and Johns, physical education-physical activity and fitness management; Girvan, business management; Hill, biological science; Maurer, engineering; Morley, general studies; Szymanski, Nursing, R.N.; and Weaver, health and physical education-teacher education.
