Parents and players welcome to the 2008 Shanahan Volleyball Season.  We had a very successful season last year, winning our league.    Our goal is to pick up where we left off last year and complete the goals that still need to be achieved:  Bring home a State Title in Volleyball!  We also look to regain our dominance of the District and capture our 5^th straight undefeated Ches-Mont league title. Varsity will be attending three tournaments this year, Pencrest, The "Ford Tough Challenge" at Haverford HS & The "Rally In the Valley" at Cumberland Valley HS.  JV will be going to two tournaments as well, The CR North JV Tournament and the First Annual "Ches-Mont League" JV TournamentVolleyball is demanding physically, mentally and time consuming.  We expect that every player will remember that they are student-athletes and school comes first.  Everyone will be expected to stay on top of her schoolwork and not fall behind.  We don’t want volleyball to interfere with their studies, nor do we want them to be forced to choose between volleyball and studying.We are asking every player to make a commitment to becoming a better volleyball player and commit to challenging themselves every day at practice and in all matches.

REMEMBER the 1% RULE!!!

This season all Ches-Mont matches will have the JV playing first (3:30 away & 3:45 home) with the varsity to follow.

"The Drive For Five"

SHANAHAN WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT

CHES-MONT TITLE!

Beating Avon Grove in 5

For the

NATIONAL DIVISION TITLE

Dig Pink - National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally.

This fall, hundreds of teams from around the country will be participating in the Dig Pink National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally.High School and College teams will be promoting Breast health education in the community as well as raising funds to help eradicate Breast Cancer.Dig Pink attendees will watch the girls compete on the court while contributing to breast health awareness by making a statement and wearing something PINK in the stands. The proceeds from all donations will benefit the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) located in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. 

The Bishop Shanahan High Volleyball team is one of hundreds of high school and college volleyball teams participating in the "Dig Pink National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally". On Monday, October 13th, Shanahan played Villa Maria at home. Several hundred fans saw a classic battle on the court while contributing to breast health awareness by making a statement and wearing something pink. The proceeds from all donations benefit the Side-Out Foundation. Bishop’s Shanahan thanks the community for enabling the team to surpass their fundraising goal by raising $1250 for the Side-Out Foundation.   Donations can still be made though www.shanahan.org under Athletics -Volleyball – click on Dig Pink.

Thursday, October 16, 2008 7:18 AM EDT

By DENNY DYROFF Staff Writer Daily Local

DOWNINGTOWN — One way or another, an impressive winning streak was destined to come to a screeching halt when Bishop Shanahan hosted Avon Grove in a crucial Ches-Mont League National Division volleyball match Wednesday night.

Avon Grove arrived with a perfect record through its first 17 matches and was sitting atop the conference standings. Bishop Shanahan entered the contest, which was the regular-season finale for both squads, with just one conference loss and a string of four consecutive championships.

Shanahan was determined not to allow its string of titles to be interrupted, but the visiting Red Devils were just as determined to keep their 2008 record unblemished.

The match was played at a level equal to the stakes, and the host Eagles prevailed, 3-1. Shanahan opened with a 25-22 win and followed with a 25-19 victory in the second game. The Eagles dropped the third, 15-25, and then rebounded with a 25-23 win in the fourth to claim the match.

The teams finished tied for first place and will meet in a special playoff match Friday at Kennett High School at 4 p.m.

In Wednesday’s match, Avon Grove had more big players, but Shanahan came through with more big plays. Not surprisingly, many of those plays were produced by the Eagles’ big player — Emily Carlin. The entire Shanahan squad played well, but it was Carlin who delivered the key kills that altered the course of the game.

In the final game, the Red Devils fought back from a 17-13 deficit to take the lead at 21-20. A hard-hit, well-placed kill by Carlin knotted the score. The tall junior followed with a two-point service run to move her team within two points of the win but Avon Grove used a kill by Mackenzie Kleespies and a Shanahan miscue to draw even at 23-23.

A Red Devil service error gave Shanahan a shot at match point. On the final play, Kleespies came up with a big swing but it was blocked for a point by Shanahan’s Amanda Nickels and Megan Rogowski.

“Our motto is heart and hustle,” said Carlin. “We knew they were bigger but that we had more heart and more hustle. And, we have two secret weapons — Katie Pisano and Julie Joyce. Katie is really the secret weapon. She does all the stuff that gets no recognition but she is the key to our team.”

In the first two games, Shanahan had all the facets of its game working well. In the third game, it was Avon Grove that was motoring in high gear.

“We played tall in the first two games,” said Shanahan’s Maria Ficca. “We’re just so scrappy – and all our front row people can jump really high. In the third game, Avon Grove came out meaning business. But, we came back in the fourth game.”

Avon Grove took control of the third game with early leads of 4-0 and 10-1 and then kept the pressure in throughout. The Red Devils continued strong play in the fourth but so did their hosts. Statistical leaders for Avon Grove were Devon Camarota with 11 kills and six blocks and Kleespies with 23 kills, 14 digs and five blocks.

“In the first two games tonight, we definitely didn’t play the way we’ve been playing all season,” said Camarota. “In the third game, we adjusted to what they were doing and played really well — the way we should have been playing in the first two games. Shanahan will always be a fighting team. We knew that coming in.”

Gold Medal Squared Team Camp

The 2009 GM2 Team camp will begin Monday August 3rd and run through Thursday August 6th.  Camp will be everyday from 8:30am - 5:30 pm.