2009

PIAA AAA 

State Champions!

Parents and players,

Thank you for a tremendous season!

WE DID IT!

We reached our goals of winning our

6^th straight

Ches-Mont Championship!

We regained our dominance of

District 1

by winning our second

District title!

And we also reached our ultimate goal;

Bringing home the

STATE CHAMPINSHIP!

REMEMBER the 1% RULE!!!

"Building Champions One Pass at a Time"

Believe!

STATE CHAMPIONS

By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

Click to enlarge

Photo by Ted Torrance Senior Amanda Nickels (7) and the rest of the Bishop Shanahan volleyball team celebrate after beating Allentown Central Catholic in three games to win the PIAA Class AAA title.

YORK — There were over three years of playing volleyball together pointing to this - more than 1,000 hours of time in a gym whacking away at a round white ball leading up to this - a full season of focused dedication and hard work culminating in this.

At 6:39 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Central York High's gymnasium, Bishop Shanahan setter Katie Pisano's serve dropped to the floor on Allentown Central Catholic's side of the net and the match was over. Bishop Shanahan had won the PIAA Class AAA Girls Volleyball championship.

The Eagles proved that they had the best team in the state - something they had known since back in August - by defeating Allentown Central Catholic 3-0. They accomplished the feat by playing 75 points of "Shanahan Volleyball."

Shanahan held off a late-game surge by the Vikettes to take the opening game of the best-of-five 25-23. The Eagles continued their strong play in the second game and posted a 25-17 victory. They were even more dominant in the third game and finished with a convincing 25-13 win.

It was supposed to be a state championship volleyball match. Instead, it was more like a Shanahan "Block Party" featuring Amanda Nickels, Maria Ficca, Susan Frick, Nicole Lott, Katie Pisano and Emily Carlin. Nickels led the way with 10 blocks followed by Ficca with nine and Lott with eight. The others all contributed blocks at key times throughout the state title match.

"We knew blocking would be the key - that as long as we got touches on the ball, it would be great," said Shanahan coach Greg Ashman. "And with the lineup we have, if they started shutting down any of our girls, we just move it around."

Pisano said, "I thought this match would come to five games. But once we got going, we didn't have any slumps. Our middle blockers were blocking so well and Nicole (Lott) did awesome."

The third game was competitive early in its early stages and still close at 8-8. A four-point service run by Ficca followed by a five-point run by Nickels put the Vikettes on the ropes. Pisano started her serve with Shanahan ahead 20-13, served four straight points and then delivered the message-sending, match-ending, head-spinning,

title-winning ace.

In the first two games, Shanahan held the lead for the majority of the time but ACC was always right there. But, almost every time the Vikettes threatened to snatch the lead or the momentum, they were put in their place by a decisive kill by either Ficca or Carlin.

"Before the match, Maria and I both said - this is it…this is our game…we are in control," said Carlin.

Ficca said, "Me and Emily - this was our match. There was no way we were going to let it slip away after getting this far. We came out so strong tonight. It was great."

Allentown Central Catholic coach Laurie Corcoran said, "Shanahan definitely outplayed us. They came at us really strong with their attack and had the momentum the entire match. I'm proud of our girls. We've accomplished a lot. This year's seniors have two state gold medals and two silver medals. But, Shanahan was the better team tonight."

In the morning semifinals, ACC defeated Hempfield 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 26-24, 24-26, 16-14). In the other semifinal, a showdown between the teams ranked first and second in the state, Shanahan knocked off top-ranked Mount Lebanon 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-18).

"We came out slow in the first game," said Shanahan libero Julie Joyce. "Our passing wasn't where it should have been. Our whole offense was sloppy. In the second game, we picked up our passing. We were able to put the passes on Katie's forehead and run our offense really fast. In the third game, once we got our offense going and started playing 'Shanahan Volleyball', we had things under control."

Nickels said, "Mount Lebanon really reminded us of us. We play a very similar style. So, they did the same things we do and that made them really easy to read. And, we knew their middle hitter (Olivia Gratton) hurt her ankle Friday and was playing injured. We went after her because we knew she was weak."

Mount Lebanon coach Dawn Begor said, "Olivia bring hurt changed our team a bit. We had to run a different offense. Our options were limited so we became very predictable. We lost to a very good team. Shanahan is big and strong - like a lot of teams out west."

Carlin said, "We wanted it so much and we played with so much heart. We came out really strong and stayed strong. Everyone was on -- no one was off. The whole team played great."

NOTES: Carlin was named the MVP of this year's state championship tournament and Joyce was selected as the defensive MVP…Ficca and Pisano were named to the All-Tournament Team….The Eagles' history-making state championship roster also included Cait Watson, Allison Lott, Kristina Dale, Kelly Hutchison, Clare Keating, Summer Jaros, Gabriella Nagy, Nicki Ruszkay, Grace Capuzzi and Natalie Deritis along with assistant coaches Brian Smith, Mimi Deritis, Michelle Lott, Jackie Smith and Pat Rucker…Shanahan became the first team from District 1 other than Villa Maria Academy to win a Class AAA state title….The only other District 1 team to win a PIAA championship has been Merion Mercy Academy in Class AA…On Saturday, Merion Mercy captured its third straight Class AA title….Shananan finished the season with a 27-1 record and its only loss was a five-set nailbiter to Merion Mercy…At this year's Ford Tough Tournament at Haverford High, the Eagles defeated Allentown Central Catholic in the quarterfinals and Merion Mercy Academy in the semifinals…Shanahan pinned losses on three district champions at states this year - Mount Lebanon (District 7), Hempfield (District 3) and Allentown Central Catholic (District 11).

By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

Bishop Shanahan's Emily Carlin was one of the state's top three volleyball players and considered by many to be the best. She was named MVP at the PIAA Class AAA Championships after she led the Eagles to the state title. She is also a finalist for the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.

Not surprisingly, Carlin has been selected as the 2009 Daily Local News Volleyball Player of the Year.

The Eagles' tall outside hitter was an amazingly complete player for a big girl — a hard-hitting force at the net and a standout defensive player. Carlin was one of her team's — and one of the area's — statistical leaders in virtually every category.

Carlin, who will play Division I ball next year, having accepted a scholarship from Radford University, finished the season with 585 kills and 1,368 total attacks - tops for Shanahan in both categories. She also logged 237 aces, 143 blocks, 317 digs and had a hitting percentage of .539.

With Carlin setting the pace, the talent-laden Shanahan team won its sixth consecutive title in the Ches-Mont League National Conference title and followed that with a first-place finish in the District 1 Class AAA playoffs.

"Being out with an injury last year helped Emily mature as a leader," said Shanahan's Greg Ashman, who was named the 2009 Daily Local News Volleyball Coach of the Year. "Last year, she was a leader not on the court. This year, she was a leader on the court."

Two years ago, Carlin, who stretches the tape to just past the six-foot mark, was the only sophomore to be included in the Daily Local News All-Area Team. Last year, she tore her meniscus, had surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and was still on the injured reserve list when the season started.

The multi-sport athlete went through successful rehab, rejoined the team one month into the season and went on to win all-area and all-district honors.

"Emily had a good club season between our seasons at Shanahan," said Ashman. "She got much better with her passing. A big thing was getting healthy. She got her vertical leap back and got stronger in her upper body. And she became a smarter player."

Carlin is a natural athlete who has excelled in high school volleyball, high school basketball, club volleyball, club basketball and high school track and field.

"I played varsity basketball at Shanahan as a freshman and sophomore," said Carlin. "Last year, I broke my wrist on the first day of practice so that was it for basketball. I'm not playing basketball this year, but I do really miss it.

"I'm playing club volleyball again for Synergy. We have a really good team. We've gone to nationals when I was 14, 15 and 16 - to Atlanta, Dallas and Miami . Hopefully, we'll be going again this year."

Carlin's biggest mission this year has been to join with her Shanahan teammates on a successful state championship campaign.

"The first time I really set my goal on winning the state championship was at camp with Shanahan's team back in the middle of August," said Carlin. "He put all the starters on one team. We looked at each other and said - "Oh my God - we're going to win states this year. There are no exceptions.

"The first real highlight of the season was the Haverford Tournament. We had to play Allentown Central Catholic, the defending Class AAA state champion, and then, if we got past them, we had to play Merion Mercy Academy, the defending Class AA state champion. Both games, we fought back from being down and won.

"Our regular season match against Merion Mercy was a definite highlight. We fell behind and then we all fought back with everything we had. Other highlights were beating Council Rock North in the district championship game and, of course, the state tournament. At states, we had to get used to playing at a high level all the time -- and we did."

Carlin was also named to the All Ches-Mont first team, All-District 1 first team and to the All-Tournament team at the PIAA Class AAA Championships.

By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

Greg Ashman has had a taste of perfection at Bishop Shanahan, finishing as undefeated Ches-Mont champions three years ago. In 2009, he surpassed that, winning district and state titles.

There can be no dispute that Bishop Shanahan's Greg Ashman is the 2009 Daily Local News Volleyball Coach of the Year. For the Eagles' veteran coach, it marks the second time in the last four years that he has received the honor - the first being in 2006.

Three years ago, Shanahan finished as undefeated Ches-Mont champion, one of the top four teams in District 1 Class AAA and one of the elite teams in the state. This year's team took it even higher. The Eagles won the Ches-Mont League title, took first in the District 1 playoffs and then capped the season with a state championship.

"We knew right out of the gate that we had the talent to compete at a high level," said Ashman, who had previously coached volleyball at Rosemont College and has been at the Eagles' helm for the last six years. "We had a lot of good hitters. There was Emily (Carlin) and Amanda (Nickels), and we also had Maria (Ficca).

"So to get Maria in there, we concentrated more on a right side attack. We knew there had to be a spot on the court for someone with that kind of talent. And we knew that Susan (Frick) was a hitter that needed to be on the court too."

With power hitters like Carlin, Nickels, Frick, Ficca and Nicole Lott, along with a standout defensive specialist like Julie Joyce and one of the premier setters in the state in Katie Pisano, the 2009 Shanahan squad was a team with no weaknesses. The Eagles were also bolstered by a strong group of reserves that included Grace Capuzzi, Summer Jaros, Clare Keating and Nicki Ruszkay.

"A big key this year was that we were able to avoid major injuries," said Ashman, who competed in football and track at Archbishop Carroll High School in Wayne. "And we had a lot of backup players which helped during the postseason."

Ashman began his coaching career with the women's club team at Millersville University when he and his wife Ann were students there. He now coaches club volleyball and has his own business (GMA Volleyball) which is involved in presenting volleyball camps, clinics and leagues.

Also contributing to the Eagles' success this season were head junior varsity coach Brian Smith and team assistant coaches Mimi Deritis, Michele Lott, Jackie Smith and Pat Rucker.

District 1 Champions

By DENNY DYROFFStaff Writer

LOWER GWYNEDD – There’s an old saying in boxing that states – you don’t slug with a slugger. If your opponent is a powerful puncher, you use a combination of punching and boxing – of offense and defense. 

In Saturday evening’s District 1 Class AAA volleyball championship match, Council Rock North faced Bishop Shanahan – a team known for power hitting and an explosive offense. The North girls tried to go toe-to-toe with the Eagles.

The Indians’ plan met with only limited success – too limited to slow down a Shanahan team that is ranked second in the state with just cause. The Eagles lived up to their slugger reputation and logged a 3-1 victory (25-16, 16-25, 25-19, 25-18) to win their second District 1 title in the last five years.

The Eagles and the Indians both had strength at the net. The big difference was that Shanahan had more. North had 6-2 Bailey Dowd and 6-0 Sarah Kiely. Shanahan had a full complement of hard-swinging veterans, including Emily Carlin, Maria Ficca, Amanda Nickels, Susan Frick and Nicole Lott.

“This was probably the best team we’ve played all season,” said Dowd. “They’re a strong offensive team -- and they do a great job on defense. They’re a hard team play against. We’re a very offensive team and so are they. But, we needed to pick up our defense more to deal with their big hitters.”

Shanahan coach Greg Ashman, whose top-seeded team is now 20-1, said, “Our game plan was to go away from then (Dowd and Kiely). In the second game, we tried to stay there and hit through Bailey. After that game, I told our girls to get back to what we do --and to hit where Dowd and Kiely weren’t.”

The Eagles got back in their groove in the third game and then dominated the Indians for most of the fourth.   “The key today was staying together as a team – and passing well,” said Shanahan libero Julie Joyce.  “Bailey was really good. Once we figured a way around her, we found way to put the ball down.”

Hatboro Horsham defeated St. Basil’s Academy 3-2 in the opening match at Wissahickon High – the district’s third-place consolation match. All four teams will open play in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA tournament on Tuesday.

 Ches-Mont Champions!

By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

Staff photo by Amy Dragoo Bishop Shanahan's Katie Pisano skies for the ball during the Eagles' Ches-Mont championship win.

KENNETT SQUARE — In the world of art in Italy in the 13th century, the name Pisano immediately brought to mind master sculptors - classic artists such as Nicolo Pisano, Andrea Pisano and Giovanni Pisano.

In the world of volleyball in Chester County in 2009, the name Pisano brings to mind another artist - one who has the ability to sculpt masterpiece volleyball matches. That would be Katie Pisano, the ultra-talented setter of Bishop Shanahan's powerful volleyball team.

On Wednesday evening at Kennet High's gym, Pisano and her Eagle teammates produced another work of art when they stormed to a 3-0 win over Unionville in the 2009 Ches-Mont League championship match. Shanahan opened with a 25-11 win, took the second game 25-18 and finished it off with a 25-17 victory.

"Katie Pisano played a really smart game tonight," said Shanahan coach Greg Ashman, whose team is now 16-1. "She ran our offense really well. She passes so well and her sets are where they should be. She is the key to our offense."

Pisano said, "I think our hitters were just finding the court. Unionville was playing more to the line so we went to the middle. Our hitters were hitting really smart."

Shanahan finished atop the standings in the Ches-Mont League's large school division - the National Division - with a perfect slate. Unionville arrived as the champion of the American Division with just one loss in division play.

"Our goal tonight was to eliminate mental mistakes," said Ashman. 'We wanted to get back to good Shanahan volleyball - good serving, good passing and running the offense the way it should be run."

The Eagles had all facets of their game running smoothly. They passed intelligently and effectively. They flexed their muscles at the net with smart and forceful hitting from Maria Ficca, Emily Carlin, Susan Frick, Amanda Nickels and Nicole Lott. With libero Julie Joyce leading the way, they played their trademark style of rugged defense.

"We knew Unionville had a good season so we expected a tough match," said Joyce. "We knew we had to come out strong. They gave us a run for our money. We struggled a little at the beginning with our serve receive but then we settled down. We all played well tonight."

Unionville got more competitive as the match moved along. In the second game, the Indians trailed by just two points late in the game at 19-17 before a three-point service run by Joyce sent the Eagles on their way to the win,

The third game was even closer - for awhile. Midway through, Shanahan held a slim 14-13 lead. Kills by Ficca and Frick and four straight service points by Frick moved Shanahan close to match point before a tip for a point and a pair of kills by Carlin sealed the win.

"Shanahan is a team you need to play a couple times to catch up to their speed and athleticism," said Unionville coach Rob Conti-D'Antonio. "Even with a good scouting report, it's tough to go against them. This is one of the best teams from this area in a long time and, for whatever reason, we didn't come out and execute against them. I do think we competed very hard against them in the third game."

NOTES: Bishop Shanahan capped a perfect division season Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Downingtown East. ... Playing at home on Senior Night, the Eagles were paced by senior Clare Keating with nine kills, two aces and five digs. … Shanahan joined the Ches-Mont League in 2004 and has won a title every year since. … The Eagles started with four consecutive league titles and four straight undefeated seasons … Last year, they lost one division match and then defeated Avon Grove in a special playoff for the National Division title. ... Both Unionville and Shanahan will compete in the District 1 Class AAA playoffs starting next week.

By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

Staff photo by Amy Dragoo Bishop Shanahan's Emily Carlin (44) and Summer Jaros (18) watch the ball fly past during Wednesday's five-set loss to powerhouse Merion Mercy.

DOWNINGTOWN — The epic volleyball showdown between Merion Mercy Academy and host Bishop Shanahan Wednesday night pitted the top-ranked Class AA team in the state (Mercy) against a team that is ranked second in the state in the Class AAA poll.

The match was everything everyone expected - and more. The five-game marathon, which was an all-out war, was easily the "Match of the Year" and maybe even the best area match in the last decade.

The non-league battle of friendly rivals, which Merion won 3-2 (20-25, 26-24, 25-20, 26-28, 15-12), featured a wealth of talent, a mega-dose of intensity and a level of talent usually found only in state semifinal or final matches.

"What a match - probably the best match I've ever been involved in as a coach," said Mercy's veteran coach Rich Johnson. "It was up-and-down and back-and-forth with both teams never giving up. In the fourth game, we had four match points and couldn't put it away. They blocked our best blockers. Both of these teams should go far in states."

The competition, which was the centerpiece of Shanahan's Dig Pink 2009 breast cancer benefit evening, also featured one of the best individual performances by an area player in maybe a decade.

Shanahan's Emily Carlin had been a force throughout the first three games and well into the fourth. In the closing stages of the fourth game with her team trailing 2-1 in games, she took it to a whole other level.

The Bears had a 24-21 lead with Kalen Backe serving for match point, A point on a block by Carlin kept the Eagles alive. Then, Shanahan knotted the score at 24-24 on a kill and another block by Carlin.

Merion Mercy regained the serve. But, instead of getting match point, the Bears got victimized by another Carlin kill. A bit of déejé'vu was next as the Bears got the serve back only to have the Eagles answer with a kill by Carlin.

With the score tied at 26-26, the Eagles took the lead on a point that started with a Carlin serve and ended with a kill by Susan Frick. The next play followed the exact same script and sent the match into a fifth game.

"I told myself - we're not going to lose this game - that we were at least going to five," said Carlin. "We could have used some recovery time before the fifth game. We came out and gave them five points. You can't do that in a 15-point game. That's one-third of the points."

The Eagles fell behind 7-1 in the fifth game and appeared headed for a quick exit. With fierce determination, they fought their way back. They closed to within one point at 13-12 but a pair of kills by the Bears brought the match to an end.

"I don't look at this as a loss," said Shanahan coach Greg Ashman, whose team is now 12-1. "I'm real happy with us being able to play at this level - especially after being off five days. With Shanahan closing because of the flu, we haven't had a practice since a week ago Monday."

Shanahan volleyball is on the USA Volleyball website!

http://usavolleyball.org/news/article/15974

 2009 PVCA Top Ten Girls Poll

Believe!

COACHES 2009 WEEK 8 RANKINGS

FOR GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

   The opinions of 26 high school coaches in the two districts are solicited in hopes of gaining a broad consensus. This poll is submitted to the Pa. Volleyball Coaches Association for their evaluations when arriving at their state wide rankings.

Shanahan
impressive
in victory over Warriors

Thursday, September 10, 2009

By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer

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 Wednesday, October 14th, Shanahan played Merion Mercy Academy (Two time AA State Champion) at homein front of a crowd of 500 people. The proceeds from all donations benefit the Side-Out Foundation. Bishop’s Shanahan thanks the community for enabling the team to surpassing their fundraising goal by raising more than $1600 for the Side-Out Foundation.   Donations can still be made though www.shanahan.org under Athletics -Volleyball – click on Dig Pink.

Keep track of our alumni in their new careers in college volleyball!

2007 Alumni

Kellie Conahan - Millersville University

Ali Huss - Millersville University

Erin Ficca - Washington College 

Kristen Hughes - Denison University

2006 Alumni

Jess Lynch - Immaculata University

2005 Alumni

Kate Conahan - Cabrini

Natalie Amodei - Philadelphia University