CARDINAL O'HARA 2025 PCL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS
Photo by Zack Beavers for PSD
BY MIA MESSINA
(PHOTOS BY ZACK BEAVERS)
ASTON, PA--It’s hard getting to the top. It’s even harder staying there.
For the Cardinal O’Hara girls’ volleyball team this was no exception on Thursday night when they took on Lansdale Catholic in the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship at Neumann University
The Lions won their second consecutive PCL Championship and their fourth PCL title in five seasons, but the win didn’t come easy for the top-seeded O’Hara.
The 3-2 win was a hard-fought victory for O’Hara who is in its first year under head coach Alexa Garrity.
Garrity, an All-Catholic setter while at O'Hara, took over the helm for long-time coach Bill Collins who retired last season after 16 years as head coach. His tenure included four league titles and 13 District Championships for the Lions.
Despite the changing of guard, O'Hara did not miss a beat when it came to finding their way back to the PCL Championship and ultimately taking home the coveted plaque.
Garrity, a member of the class of 2009, played under Collins and knew exactly what it took to bring her team to that title match.
Senior Michelle Eburuoh, who also earned back-to-back All-Catholic MVP honors, said that Garrity came in with great momentum, understanding what it means to play O’Hara volleyball and to win a PCL Championship.
“She's the one who brought us here and believed in us since day one,” Eburuoh said.
Garrity added that while she knows what it feels like to win PCL Championships, she also knows what it’s like to not win them, and having played under Collins, it was easier to pick up where he left off.
“I kind of knew a lot of his philosophies and momentum,” Garrity said. “And coming in, I think that gave me a little bit of an advantage, just knowing some of these girls and knowing how we play.”
The idea of playing “O’Hara volleyball” Eburuoh said means to play for the name on the front of the jersey and not on the back. Fellow captain Kerigan Patterson said it’s based on the “standard of excellence” the team sets for itself both inside and outside of the gym.
“Every day we always want to be doing our best representing a pair of volleyball inside school on the court, so when we come back together, we can play as a team and a family,” Patterson said.
O’Hara and Lansdale both went 10-1 in the league this season with Lansdale’s only loss coming at the hands of O’Hara in a 3-0 straight set loss. O’Hara lost to Archbishop Ryan 3-1 in the regular season.
PCL Volleyball Championship Highlights by Mia Messina for PSD
After a rocky start to the first set, Lansdale was up by as many as eight points before O’Hara gradually clawed its way back, taking its first lead of the set 23-22. O’Hara took the first set 25-23 after an ace from senior captain Ashlyn Gualtieri on the set point.
O’Hara then took a small lead in the second set before Lansdale quickly tied it for a back and forth set before pulling away with a 17-11 lead. But much like in the first set, the reigning champions weren’t going down easily. Once again, O’Hara took the lead at 23-22 to take the second set 25-22.
O'Hara head coach Alexa Garrity and Senior Captains Kerigan Patterson, Ashlyn Gualtieri and Michelle Eburuoh reflect on the season.
The third set followed a similar pattern with Lansdale taking an early lead. But unlike the first two sets, O’Hara wasn’t able to erase this one, seeing its largest deficit of the match, trailing by 10 for most of the set before Lansdale quickly pulled away to secure the third set 25-12.
Seeking revenge, the Lions came out firing in the fourth set, earning six consecutive points to start the fourth set. This time it was Lansdale’s turn to play from behind, taking the lead at 23-22 before taking the set 26-24.
In the deciding fifth set, O’Hara never let go of their lead. Lansdale tied the game at 7-7, but the Lions responded earning six of the next seven points before taking the match 15-11.
Eburuoh notched 18 kills and eight blocks while Patterson added 11 digs and five aces.
And they did it all in front of an unwavering student section which Gualtieri said it took two student buses to bring in.
“We did a lot of recruiting to get all these people here,” Gualtieri said. “It paid off. When we heard them cheer everyone's energy just lifted up, and we could see, like on the other team's face, that they were kind of brought down, so that it just helps us play better.”
Another key that helped the Lions rise to the occasion was their familiarity with the moment. Having played in the PCL Championship last year, Gualtieri said they also knew what to expect.
“Being in it last year, we were nervous, and I know we were nervous coming in, but we knew what to expect,” Gualtieri said. “It's going to be loud, it's a loud environment, it's close together. And we knew that we needed to play together, which we did.”
Philadelphia Catholic League Volleyball Championship Award Presentation to Cardinal O'Hara. (video/ Mia Messina)
While Eburuoh, Patterson, and Gualtieri are going out on top, Garrity said their impact on the team will outlast them once they’re gone.
“Each one of these girls was super important, obviously, to our success all year long. And I knew in a moment when we needed a big point, one of these three was going to be one of the ones to do it,” Garrity said. “They are going to be very missed next year, and their legacy will kind of live on even after they're gone. We'll be thinking about plays that they've made after they're not here, and I'll be referencing them even when they’re gone.”
Cardinal O'Hara will play for the District XII 4A Championship on Thursday, Oct. 30, at Lincoln High School.
