Penn College spotlight on women’s volleyball

With only one returning regular from last year’s team, first-year coach Kyle Hawk is counting on a youth movement that includes five freshmen as he seeks to rebuild the Pennsylvania College of Technology women’s volleyball program.

The Wildcats will open their season at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, in the Lycoming College Tip-Off Classic against the host team. That will be followed by matches against Hartwick College at 6 p.m. on Friday and against Penn State Mont Alto at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

In other fall openers on Friday, the men’s soccer team is at Centenary University at 2 p.m. and the women’s soccer team is at Penn State Altoona at 6 p.m. Previews of those teams will be forthcoming.

Hawk said the foundation that he looks to establish is “built on respect, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence both on and off the court.

“I focus on developing each player’s potential by creating a supportive environment that encourages personal growth and leadership. Respect is fundamental in our program, where everyone’s contributions are valued. I emphasize self-directed learning, guiding players to understand the game and independent decisions. Ultimately, my goal is to help players excel not just as athletes but as individuals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to excellence.

“For me, one of the most important things about coming in and trying to rebuild the program was setting expectations and standards for where we want the program and what we expect from the players. Secondary to that is getting the right athletes here. We have a talented group of girls on the team already, but to continue moving the program in the right direction we need to continue to bring in the ‘right’ athletes. They not only need to athletically be a good fit for the team but need to be a good fit for our team standards and culture.”

Senior Hailey DeBrody of Cogan Station, a 5-foot, 8-inch middle blocker, returns from last season’s squad that finished 4-17. In the experience department, she is joined by senior Jo Hess of Jersey Shore, a 5-3 defensive specialist who played regularly as a freshman and sophomore but missed most of last season with an injury.

Among the freshmen who Hawk believes will contribute immediately are Lana Howard of Liberty, New Jersey, a 5-9 middle blocker who earned all-conference honors twice during her high school career, and Nevaeh Ward of Odenton, Maryland, a 5-5 pin hitter who competed in the last two Micronesian Games for the Marshall Islands.

Juniors on the roster are Kathryn Burnett of Wellsboro, a 5-4 outside hitter/defensive specialist, and Eliza Newcomer of Newell, a 6-foot outside hitter/middle blocker.

Sophomores are Alyssa Armpriester of Mohrsville, a 5-3 defensive specialist, and Jazzlyn Sheaffer of Juniata, a 5-5 outside hitter.

Other freshmen are Kloe Verdi of Port Byron, New York, a 5-7 outside hitter; Ava Harple of Downingtown, a 5-6 defensive specialist; and Jade Williams of Austin, a 5-8 outside hitter.

“We are finishing our preseason, and I think it has gone really well. The team is being asked to learn lots of new things and they are all receptive to change. They come into the gym every session and work hard. They are not just showing up and getting sweaty; they are putting in the work and effort to move the program in the right direction,” Hawk said.

“I think our biggest strength this early in the season would have to be the girls’ commitment and desire to improve not only themselves but their teammates. They come into the gym every practice and strive to leave better than when they got there. Every one of them is willing to put in the work to lay down that solid foundation and move in the program in the right direction,” Hawk said. 

“We are a young team with lots of new players. One of the biggest things we need to work on is having the girls establish a connection with each other on the court. They improved tremendously at this in our preseason session, and with more court time together, I expect that they will look like they have been playing together for years in no time,” the coach continued.

Early success will be measured by Hawk in a number of ways, he said, noting, “What can we take away from a loss? We might go into a gym and lose, but if we played true to our principles and training and got a little better, then in my eyes, we were successful. 

“The ball is not always going to bounce in our favor, but if we can continue to push forward, improve, and strive to lay down a solid foundation to help us get where we want to go every time we step on the court, we can and should feel like we were successful.  

“Team success will hinge on our ability to execute the things we as a team are good at. We have a set of philosophies and principles that we use during our trainings and practices, and if we can stick to those and work to improve on them, success will eventually follow.

“Individually, we must want to put the work in. Being a student-athlete is inherently difficult. School is demanding, as well as the sport they are playing. Our athletes are going to get out of it what they put into it. Learning to balance these will not only help each individual athlete be successful on the court, but in school and in the future as well.

“We have some tough conference and nonconference games scheduled, but if we continue growing and executing in practice, we have a solid chance to win some games this season. I think our opponents might be surprised as the product we are going to put on the court this season will not be the same as it has been in years past.”

In the United East Conference, Penn College will face 10 opponents this season, six of them new to its schedule this year as they were members of the former Colonial States Athletic Conference that joined the UE a year ago, and the Wildcats will look to snap a 46-match conference losing streak that dates to the 2017 season.

The top 12 of 17 UE teams will participate in the single-elimination postseason playoffs Nov. 6-16. Gallaudet University and Cedar Crest College were last season’s divisional champions with Gallaudet claiming the overall title.

Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 0-0
UE: 0-0
Friday, Aug. 30 — at Lycoming College, 4 p.m. (Lycoming leads 3-0)
Friday, Aug. 30 — vs. Hartwick College at Lycoming College, 6 p.m. (first-time opponent)
Saturday, Aug. 31 — vs. Penn State Mont Alto at Lycoming College, 10 a.m. (Mont Alto leads 3-0)
Saturday, Sept. 7 — at Penn State Hazleton, 9 a.m. (Hazleton leads 1-0); vs. Delaware Valley at Penn State Hazleton, 11 a.m. (DV leads 2-0)

OTHER FALL OPENERS
Tuesday, Sept. 3
Men’s/women’s cross-country host Lycoming College, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 6
Men’s tennis at Lycoming College, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 7
Women’s tennis at King’s Invitational Day One, 9 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 9
Men’s golf at Albright College Fall Invitational at Olde Homestead Golf Club, 10:30 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 16
Esports, TBA

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.
For more about the United East, visit the conference website.