Lady Cats Claim Their Own 2019 Clarion Volleyball Booster Tournament (09/22/19)

(Above photo submitted) 2019 Clarion Volleyball Booster Champions: (Front) #1 Bobcat Sports Fan Ryan Wiser. Row 1 (L-R) Grace Ochs, Aryana Girvan, Kyara Girvan, Brenna Campbell, Noel Anthony. Row 2 (L-R) Jordan Best, Payton Simko, Kaitlyn Coonstantino, Korrin Burns, Adia Needham, Maddie Schill, Grace Matson

The home team Clarion Area Lady Cats were crowned Champions of highly competitive, high quality 2019 Clarion Volleyball Booster Club Tournament, on Saturday, September 21st.

The tournament in it’s nineteenth season, as it does every year, brought together some of the finest volleyball programs in the state. This year’s line-up included three programs with a PIAA Championship pedigree, Maplewood, the 2017 Single-A Champion, Fort LeBouef, the 2013 Double-A Champion, and the who won the Single-A Championship, also in 2013.

The tournament also included these fine squads: Cranberry, Cochranton, Elk County Catholic, Bishop Carroll, Bradford, Cambridge Springs, Warren and Wilmington.

The Lady Cats sandwiched their day with match-ups with Fort LeBouef and Maplewood.

Clarion lost game one to Fort LeBouef, 17-25 and then would not lose another game through out the tournament.

The Lady Cats downed Bradford 2-0 (25-15, 25-17) and Bishop Carroll 2-0 (25-19, 25-22).

They prevailed over Cochranton in the quarterfinals, 25-8 and over Warren in the semifinals, 25-17, setting up the championship match with Maplewood. Clarion claimed the Championship in two sets, 25-17, 25-21.

Maplewood reached the Championship match, with wins over Elk County Catholic in the quarterfinals and Bishop Carroll in the semifinals.

Lady Cats coach Shari Campbell was pleased with her squad’s performance. “We dropped our first set of the day to Fort LeBeauf but responded well to the challenge.  

“It was a team effort from the serving line and defensively.  The team is buying into ball control on our first contacts which is allowing a very diverse offense to emerge.”

She mentioned some of the Lady Cats who had key roles in the tournament win, “We had great performances from Korrin with 66 kills, 34 digs and twenty-three points from the serving line.  Brenna Campbell recorded 106 assists, 19 digs, 3 blocks, and thirty points.

“Kaitlyn Constantino led the team defensively with 38 digs.  She had 27 kills and twenty points serving. Kyara Girvan had a team high of 40 points from the serving line.  She recorded 29 digs and 4 assists. Maddie Schill was top blocker for Clarion with eight blocks on the day.  She added twelve kills.

“Aryana Girvan Added 8 kills and three blocks. Jordan Best recorded 15 points and ten digs.”

Others contributing to the Lady Cats stats were Grace Ochs with 17 points and two digs and Payton Simko with a kill and a pair of digs.

Coach Campbell mentioned some things about here team’s commitment, saying, “This tournament championship is a great validation of the hard work this team is putting into this season.  I am proud of the grit and hustle that was displayed against some great opponents.  We will take a day to enjoy it, but get back to work to continually learn together and go after the goals.”

As for the work involved by the booster and coaches in pulling off this great showcase of Western Pennsylvania volleyball talent, Coach Campbell said, “We’ve been running this tournament for nineteen years and it’s like a well oiled machine. Our boosters do a great job putting together the concession stand.

“And we have a great coaching staff that helps me run the tournament. Samantha Beichner is able to run the charts so that we can focus on play.”

As to what the tournament brings out in the competitors, “We’ve been bringing in the best teams in Western PA, trying to give them an opportunity to challenge each other.”

And one of the major benefits the teams receive from this high level of competition, “I really think we as coaches enjoy the camaraderie of being able to get our teams able to play some very great volleyball. It gives us, I think, a real direction for later play in the state playoffs.

“A lot of these teams are going to be the getting a seed in their brackets as they move into the state playoffs, in their respective divisions.”

A day of solid, top notch competition, but, “It’s a real friendly competition, pushing each other because these are some great programs.”

As has been a major theme of Clarion Area’s success over the years and I’m sure the other quality program’s in the tournament “to be your best, you have to play the best, ” and this tournament brings out the best in some of the best teams in the commonwealth.

(Thanks to Kim Constantino for her, “as usual” Great Photos!!!! Great job on a great tournament Clarion Area Volleyball Boosters!!!! Congratulations 2019 Clarion Area Volleyball Booster Volleyball Tournament Champions – Clarion Area Lady Cats!!!!)