Let’s meet the players!

 On December 9th, 36 senior athletes will gather at the gym inside Kiski Area High School for a practice. For some, it will be the final practice of their high school careers. For others, it will be the gateway to the next chapter, college volleyball. They will be graded on a number of skills by our four coaches, Eve Hebrank from Leechburg, Meghan Lucas for Butler, Rachel Carter from Franklin Regional, and Tom Phillips from Freeport. The players will then have a pizza party and have a chance to mingle while the four coaches gather in the “draft room” and select their teams.

The teams will then be announced and the coaches will be able to run a quick “walk through” practice. Afterwards, team uniforms will be distributed, and players and coaches will have team pictures taken. Then everyone will head home to rest and get ready.

Everyone will return to Kiski the next day for what promises to be an fun and exciting day of volleyball competition. A mini-round robin tourney will seed the four teams(2 games to 15) and then the brackets will be set. First round will be one game to 25, and the finals will be best of three to 25. After the championship game a group of judges will determine the MVP of the event.

Today we have the privilege of announcing the athletes who will be joining us in December! We Serve First presents the the 36 senior volleyball players who have been selected to compete in the inaugural We Serve First All-Star Classic!

Addison Gindlesperger

Hampton-Middle Hitter

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Beating Freeport in

the semi-finals of states

Future Plans: Study at a four year college—majoring in

business

Favorite Athlete: Layne Van Buskirk

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Pap

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Alyssa Gallagher—Outside Hitter

Knoch High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Getting a kill off my

sister’s first set to me during summer league and going to

states my freshman year

Future Plans: Attend BC3 in the fall to begin my degree in

sports journalism and play volleyball there. I then plan to

transfer to another school and complete my degree there. I

plan to move south someday.

Favorite Athlete: Sidney Crosby

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Anna Cibik—Libero

Leechburg High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Beating Greensburg

Central Catholic and winning our section for the first time

ever

Future Plans: Attend college to receive a Master’s degree in

early education with a double major in special education

Favorite Athlete: Elli McKissock

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Grandma

Favorite College Team: Pitt Volleyball

Maya Nonnenberg-Libero

Plum High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:Beating TJ in 2021 to advance to the wpial quarterfinals and then advancing to the state tournament.

Future Plans:Going to west virginia university to study economics and college of law

Favorite Athlete:nastia liukin

Person/People You Admire the Most:my dad. he played volleyball and was a volleyball coach. that’s why i wanted to play the sport.

Favorite College Team-pitt

Ava Soilis—Libero

Freeport High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning 3A WPIAL

in 2021!

Future Plans: Attend a 4-year college and study business

and marketing

Favorite Athlete: Paige Bueckers

Person/People You Admire the Most: My parents

Favorite College Team: Nebraska

Ava Whitlinger—Outside Hitter-Apollo Ridge High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Going to watch

IUP volleyball with my teammates

Future Plans: Attend a 4-year college

Favorite Athlete: Lionel Messi

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Grandma Vicki

Favorite College Team: Nebraska Huskers

Avery Bain—Outside Hitter-Burrell High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Getting the winning

kill to qualify for USAV Nationals

Future Plans: Commit to play volleyball at a 4-year college

and attend law school afterwards

Favorite Athlete: Lebron James

Person/People You Admire the Most: My sister Caroline

Favorite College Team: University of Texas Longhorns

Volleyball

Bella Burrell—Setter-Springdale Jr./Sr. High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:

Setting for an entire

varsity tournament in ninth

grade when the varsity setter

got hurt

Future Plans: Attend Penn State and major in biomedical

engineering

Favorite Athlete: Kelsey Sprouse

Person/People You Admire the Most: My parents

Favorite College Team: Penn State

Brinley Toland—Outside Hitter-Apollo Ridge High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:

Making first team all-

section and player of the week

Future Plans: Attend Clemson University to major in health science and eventually become a nurse anesthetist

Favorite Athlete: Paige Bueckers

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Grandfather

Favorite College Team: Don’t have one

Brynn Bires—Middle Hitter

Kiski Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: A one-minute and 18

second rally with Franklin Regional—and KA won the

point!

Future Plans: Attend college to pursue a degree in nursing

Favorite Athlete: Foluke Gunderson

Person/People You Admire the Most: Coach Jodie

McCartney

Favorite College Team: Pitt Volleyball

Carli Ramchandran—Defensive Specialist

Franklin Regional Senior High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:

Future Plans:

Favorite Athlete:

Person/People You Admire the Most:

Favorite College Team:

Cassidy Adams—OutsideHitter

Armstrong Jr./Sr. High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning the section

with my team and advancing to the PIAA playoffs

Future Plans: Attend college to major in nursing and

become a nurse practitioner specializing in dermatology

Favorite Athlete: Jason Nolf

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom

Favorite College Team: Pitt Volleyball

Cassidy Dell—Setter-Freeport High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning WPIALs at

Robert Morris University my junior year and getting to

celebrate with all of my family and friends

Future Plans: To attend an undecided four-year university,

majoring in occupational therapy, and playing volleyball

Favorite Athlete: Travis Konecny

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Dad

Favorite College Team: Penn State

Laci Safranyos-Defensive Specialist Kiski Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:singing on the bus before the highlands match.

Future Plans:attend west virginia university

Favorite Athlete:morgan hentz

Person/People You Admire the MosT:my mom and my uncle steve

Favorite College Team:oregon volleyball

Dannika Susko-Middle Hitter-Plum Senior High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Beating Franklin

Regional my sophomore year to win the section title or

beating Thomas Jefferson last year to secure a spot for

states

Future Plans: To play volleyball in college while majoring in

early childhood education or interior design

Favorite Athlete: Alex Morgan

Person/People You Admire the Most: Taylor Swift

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Ella Evans—Middle Hitter

Franklin Regional Senior High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Going to Vegas and

Arizona for Nationals

Future Plans: Continue playing volleyball in college and

study finance or health administration

Favorite Athlete: Serena Gray

Person/People You Admire the Most: My parents

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Emily Bologna—Outside Hitter-Plum Senior High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning the section

championship in 2021 while also making it to states that

season—it was the school’s first time in the state tournament

in over 25 years

Future Plans: Potentially playing volleyball in college and

studying psychology with an entrepreneur minor

Favorite Athlete: Michael Jordan

Person/People You Admire the Most: My sister Megan

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Eve Johnson—Outside Hitter

Highlands High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Beating our rival

team

Future Plans: Attending a four-year college

Favorite Athlete: Lexi Sun

Person/People You Admire the Most: My parents

Favorite College Team: Nebraska

Lily Atwood-Setter

Armstrong High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:Playoffs, my junior year.

Future Plans:attend westminster college and study secondary education and psychology and continue my volleyball career.

Favorite Athlete:sydney mclaughlin-levrone

Person/People You Admire the Most:my parents

Favorite College Team:penn state

Hadley Hellgren—Middle Hitter-Freeport High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning the WPIAL

back to back at Robert Morris

Future Plans: Going to college for environmental science

and continuing to law school or engineering

Favorite Athlete: Simone Biles

Person/People You Admire the Most: Taylor Swift, Harry

Styles, and Florence Pugh

Favorite College Team: Pitt and Stanford

Janiya Potts—Defensive Specialist-Valley Jr./Sr. High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Making playoffs my

junior year

Future Plans: Attend college for nursing and become a

traveling nurse

Favorite Athlete: Serena Williams

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom

Favorite College Team: Ohio State

Jessica Sullivan—Setter-Deer Lakes High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning the section

with my high school team in 2020

Future Plans: Attend a four-year university and study

marine biology

Favorite Athlete: Michael Sullivan—Pitt Men’s Soccer

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom, Lauren

Sullivan

Favorite College Team: Pitt Women’s Volleyball

Jillian Lewandowski—Right Side Hitter-Valley Jr./Sr. High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: The morning we found out we made playoffs and it was announced on the morning announcement at school—we were all screaming with joy because we never thought we would make it!

Future Plans: Attend Point Park University and major in journalism

Favorite Athlete: Serena Williams

Person/People You Admire the Most: My sister, Emily

Favorite College Team: Penn State Volleyball

Kate Remaley—Middle Hitter-Armstrong Jr./Sr. High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning section

champs my sophomore year

Future Plans: Attend Duquesne University to major in

biotech then pursue and Master’s degree in genetics

Favorite Athlete: Lexi Rodriguez

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom

Favorite College Team: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Kelsey Sprouse—Outside Hitter

Springdale Jr./Sr. High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: My first block has to

be my most memorable moment—feeling the ball hit my

hand and flicking the ball straight down—seeing the other

player’s faces knowing they didn’t expect that

Future Plans: Attend CCAC with a degree in graphic

design—after graduation, I will go straight into looking for

a job

Favorite Athlete: Bella Burrell

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mother

Favorite College Team: Pitt Panther Women’s Volleyball

Lauren Atwell—Middle Hitter

Mars Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Attending and

playing at Nationals in Vegas and Indianapolis

Future Plans: Continuing my academic and athletic career

at Gannon University

Favorite Athlete: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Person/People You Admire the Most: Coaches and family

Favorite College Team: Gannon University

Macy Kubla—Outside Hitter

Leechburg Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Beating GCC my

junior year

Future Plans: Join the Air National Guard before attending

IUP for a degree in business

Favorite Athlete: Valera Vazquez Gomez

Person/People You Admire the Most: My sisters

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Madalyn Polka—Defensive Specialist

Kiski Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning a big game

Future Plans: Attend college to study nursing

Favorite Athlete: Sidney Crosby

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom and Pappy

Favorite College Team: Nebraska Volleyball

Madeline Mastalerz—Middle Hitter

Leechburg Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment:

Future Plans:

Favorite Athlete:

Person/People You Admire the Most:

Favorite College Team:

Madison Friess—Outside Hitter-Deer Lakes High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Winning section in

2020

Future Plans: Attend a six-year university for pharmacy

and play volleyball

Favorite Athlete: T.J. Watt

Person/People You Admire the Most: Family and friends

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Madison Nguyen—Setter

Franklin Regional Senior High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: When Franklin Regional beat Plum at the Dig Pink Match in 2021 and won section champs

Future Plans: To study biology on the pre-medicine track at the University of Washington or the University of Pittsburgh

Favorite Athlete: Serena Williams

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom, Dad and sister

Favorite College Team: University of Washington

Maya Obendorfer—Defensive Specialist-Hampton High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Beating Freeport in

semi-finals to states

Future Plans: Attend a four-year university to study early

education/special education

Favorite Athlete: Gabby Douglas

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Megan Yanief—Outside Hitter

Mars Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: A great team win on

senior night and bonding afterward in the cafeteria

Future Plans: Attending the pre-pharmacy program at West

Virginia—fall 2023

Favorite Athlete: April Ross

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Dad

Favorite College Team: University of Nebraska

Melissa Karastury—Setter

Knoch High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Serving for 18 points

in a section match this season

Future Plans: Attend the University of Pittsburgh or

Slippery Rock University to major in exercise science and

pursue a career in physical therapy

Favorite Athlete: T.J. Watt

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Sydney Joyce—Setter

Kiski Area High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Away game team meals during high school season and traveling to tournaments with my mom during club season

Future Plans: Attend college to major in nursing

Favorite Athlete: T.J. Watt and Travis Kelce

Person/People You Admire the Most: My Mom and Dad

Favorite College Team: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Taylor Barr—Setter

Burrell High School

Most Memorable Volleyball Moment: Finishing 2nd in our

section along with making it to the playoffs my senior year

Future Plans: Attend a four-year college to major in bio-

medical science and pre-veterinary medicine

Favorite Athlete: Simone Biles

Person/People You Admire the Most: My parents

Favorite College Team: Pitt

Lexa Yankauskas-Outside Hitter,

Franklin Regional

Most memorable volleyball moment: Winning our section championship game against Plum my junior year

Future plans: To attend Gannon University to study nursing

Favorite athlete: Madi Kubik

Person you admire the most: My mom

Favorite college team: Nebraska 

We Serve First hopes to create a template in this first year. A fun centered yet competitive volleyball event. One that players will be proud to be chosen for, coaches will enjoy being a part of, fans will excited to witness, and sponsors will be glad they supported. We will learn a lot in this first year and in the years to come we will get better at every aspect. Come out and support these 36 seniors on December 10th for the We Serve First All-Star Classic!