The athletes to watch: Plenty of firepower returns to YAIAA girls' volleyball teams

Ashley Patterson and Paige O'Brien know York Catholic is in a rebuilding year.

They lost nine players and their head coach from last year's PIAA Class 2A runner-up squad. Patterson and O'Brien, both senior hitters, join senior setter Beitris Boyreau-Millar as the only returning players with significant varsity experience.

"This is a new year, definitely a rebuilding year," O'Brien said. "We are making new connections, but haven't made any huge changes."

Except at head coach, where Eastern York graduate Shane Gephart takes over for Phil Autry. Gephart, who coaches club volleyball with Autry, knows last year's success puts a target on their backs. Even with a relatively new squad.

"The varsity is a pretty fresh team," Gephart said. "But I think they are going to do great. It's been a bit chaotic at the start, but we are trying to give the girls' as much experience as possible."

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Gephart was hired a short time before practice began, but Patterson said that didn't slow the team's preparation.

"We learned a lot of lessons from last year's seniors, and that helped us get through this," she said. "We've been working on the little things, and not making a lot of changes."

The Irish will find out early on how they stack up against the rest of the division. They are set for a clash against Delone Catholic on Sept. 5.

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The Squires return the Division III player of the year in setter Campbell Chronister. She led the league with 565 assists and had 120 digs, 54 aces and 44 kills. She will be feeding junior outside hitters Denae Bello and Meredith Keefer, both first-team all-stars, as well as middle hitters Kaitlyn Schwarz (all-star honorable mention) and Ella Hughes.

There is plenty of talent spread around the rest of the division, as every team returns at least one all-star.

Divisions I and II should be equally competitive.

Spring Grove returns Division I Player of the Year Mackenzie Boyer, an outside hitter who led the league with nearly 300 kills, with 42 aces and 214 digs. The Rockets also return outside hitter Alyna Zeigler and middle hitter Hannah Baldauf, but their setter was going to be new.

Central York returns setter Taryn Peters, middle hitter Caitlin Munsky and outside hitter Emma Chataginer from last year's team that won the league title and advanced to the state tournament.

Dallastown, which finished second in the division and league tournament, returns a pair of middle hitters in Libby Bloss and Kira Lynch and libero Shea Stevens. First-year coach Jackie Stevens is turning to sophomore setter Belle Criswell to run the 5-1.

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York Suburban and West York shared the Division II title last year, and both return some big hitters. The Bulldogs return middle hitter Faith Walker and outside hitter Leah Bazzle, but with the graduation of MJ Rupp, who will set them? We'll find out Aug. 29 when the Bulldogs host Spring Grove.

York Suburban brings back middle hitter Carrie Stump and outside hitter Colbie McKenna to lead the Trojan offense.

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Players to watch

• Makenzie Adams, New Oxford, sr.

• Payton Bahoric, Dover, sr.

• Hannah Baldauf, Spring Grove, jr.

• Macey Baum, Spring Grove, sr.

• Leah Bazzle, West York, sr.

• Naomi Becker, Hanover, so.

• Denae Bello, Delone Catholic, jr.

• Kayden Bello, Delone Catholic, so.

• Libby Bloss, Dallastown, sr.

• Olivia Bowersox, Red Lion, fr.

• McKenzie Boyer, Spring Grove, sr..

• Beitris Boyreau-Millar, York Catholic, sr.

• Makayla Branham, Littlestown, sr.

• Regina Brodbeck, Northeastern, so.

• MyAnna Brown, Hanover, jr.

• Emma Chataginer, Central York, jr.

• Campbell Chronister, Delone Catholic, sr.

• Haylee Cooke-Jackson, West York, sr.

• Alexiea Cornett, South Western, sr.

• Belle Criswell, Dallastown, so.

• Taylor Crowe, Red Lion, so.

• Avery Culp, Red Lion, sr.

• Cora Diviney, New Oxford, sr.

• Aiva Duerr, York Suburban, sr.

• Aiden Evans, Eastern York, sr.

• Maddie Favorite, Hanover, sr.

• Gabrielle Ferry, Eastern York, sr.

• Emma Flohr, Fairfield, sr.

• Alayna Good, Red Lion, fr.

• Chloe Good, Eastern York, jr.

• Miley Heath, Hanover, jr.

• Emma Helt, New Oxford, sr.

• Meaza Hower, York Tech, so.

• Ella Hughes, Delone Catholic, sr.

• Samantha Hummer, New Oxford, sr.

• Libby Huston, Hanover, sr.

• Emma Jackson, Northeastern, sr.

• Megan Jacoby, Delone Catholic, jr.

• Rowan Johnson, Northeastern, so.

• Briley Jones, Susquehannock, sr.

• Meredith Keefer, Delone Catholic, jr.

• Tiffani King, York Tech, jr.

• Kayla Laird, West York, sr.

• Kira Lynch, Dallastown, jr.

• Isabella MacCall, Littlestown, jr.

• Joclyn Markle, Dallastown, jr.

• Heyla Martin, Bermudian Springs, sr.

• Colbie McKenna, York Suburban, so.

• Ella Means, Bermudian Springs, jr.

• Reece Meckley, Delone Catholic, so.

• Caitlin Munsky, Central York, sr.

• Paige O'Brien, York Catholic, sr.

• Nia Owens, Northeastern, jr.

• Kylee Partilla, Fairfield, sr.

• Ashley Paterson, York Catholic, sr.

• Lucy Peters, Bermudian Springs, jr.

• Taryn Peters, Central York, sr.

• Anna-Marie Petricevic, Susquehannock, sr.

• Gracie Plunkert, Littlestown, jr.

• Madison Redding, Northeastern, jr.

• Marley Rudolph, Delone Catholic, jr.

• Olivia Sanders, Fairfield, so.

• Taylor Sawmiller, Eastern York, sr.

• Miranda Schraudner, Northeastern, jr.

• Morgan Schraudner, Northeastern, jr.

• Reyna Schreiner, Northeastern, sr.

• Kaitlyn Schwarz, Delone Catholic, sr.

• Shea Stevens, Dallastown, sr.

• Riley Stigler, Hanover, jr.

• Taylor Strickhouser, York Tech, jr.

• Carrie Stump, York Suburban, jr.

• Reese Sweeney, Fairfield, fr.

• Lillian Sullivan, South Western, jr.

• Sarah Tarman, Northeastern, jr.

• Nataley Topolski, Red Lion, jr.

• Maddie Wagner, Bermudian Springs, jr.

• Faith Walker, West York, sr.

• Erica Werner, Dallastown, sr.

• Courtney Wolf, Bermudian Springs, jr.

• Alyna Zeigler, Spring Grove, so.

• Aubrey Zeigler, Spring Grove, jr.

Shelly Stallsmith covers York-Adams high school sports for GameTimePA and the USAToday Network. Connect with her by email mstallsmith@ydr.com or on Twitter @ShelStallsmith. 

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: YAIAA girls' volleyball boasts some big hitters this season