BRYN MAWR, PA – The Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) girls' volleyball championship took place at the Baldwin School on Friday, and featured two very well acquainted foes. For the fourth consecutive year, the Academy of Notre Dame landed in the PAISAA final only to face Inter-Ac rival, Germantown Academy. This game marked the Patriots third straight appearance in the PAISAA state championship. Unfortunately for GA, the familiar match-up also came with a familiar result.
GA held their ground in the first set, only trailing the Irish 10-14 before Notre Dame head coach, Mike Sheridan, called a time out. From that point on, the Irish kicked it into high gear and the Patriots could not seem to get a handle on ND’s consistently strong serving patterns and defensive returns.
2016 PAISAA Team Introductions
“We just happened to run into a freight train tonight with this Notre Dame team,” said GA head coach, Dan Sullivan. “Mike (Sheridan) told me tonight at the net when I congratulated them, he said ‘I don’t remember us playing this well all season.’ So, I don’t think we played bad, we fought hard but our serve-receive was definitely not up to par. Their serve was strong and that was a big difference. We couldn’t get into system and attack.”
The Irish swept the Patriots in three straight sets 25-14, 25-11, 25-17 claiming their fifth PAISAA title in six years. For Academy of Notre Dame head coach, Mike Sheridan, earning this fourth consecutive title serves as a tribute to the dedication and hard work his team and coaching staff continues to put forth each season.
“It’s a testament to the quality and the commitment of these teams that I’ve had the honor to coach and it’s a tribute to the coaches I’ve had beside me. Last year, I had Helen Milligan as assistant, this year I have Brenda Collins and I’ve had a lot of other coaches working with me. All of that has contributed to our success,” said Sheridan.
After losing eight starting seniors, Sheridan expected this season to be a rebuilding year. However, the illuminating leadership efforts from his few seniors helped to turn the season outlook from a rebuilding year to a championship year.
“Our captains made everyone feel like they were a major part of the team,” said Sheridan.
2016 PAISAA Volleyball Title Final Point
Championship Highlight Video & Award Ceremony
“I think volleyball is so much about camaraderie, it’s about spirit, it’s about energy. Those are things we tried to enforce to the kids, and I think that’s what happened. My seniors made everyone feel a part of the team and that they were contributing to the team and that’s what carried us through to where we got today.”
The Irish’s success can also be attributed to the veteran style of play exhibited from underclassmen starters.
“We have two freshmen who came in this year, Maddie Donaphon and Riley Shaak and then we had Sarah Dodds who came in to serve and Lexi Shreiner on the outside, both sophomores…We are really excited to see the growth and improvement these girls are taking,” said assistant coach, Brenda Collins “Riley is going to be a player you are going to want to watch. She’s a future Division 1 player.”
“Never before did I have two freshmen play on varsity and be starters,” said Sheridan. “To me Riley is one of the ones that brings energy, she plays like a veteran. One of our major voids in losses was in the middle position and she just came in and filled it.”
GA Senior captains reflect on their season & leave advice for returning teammates
ND senior captain Emma Butler reflects on her team’s sensational season
For Germantown Academy, garnering a spot in the PAISAA final was well deserved, as the Patriots tallied a 16-4 overall season record. Coach Sullivan couldn’t help but laud his talented team following the game.
“My seniors are great, my entire team is great. I couldn’t hand-pick a better bunch from the student body and community. They are terrific,” said Sullivan. “Like I just told them at the end of the game, I’m proud to be their coach. They worked hard every day, they were committed 100% and they got better every match.”
Next season, the Patriots hope to continue their tradition of appearing in the PAISAA final, with the goal of walking away with the gold. While coach Sullivan is losing five prominent starting seniors in Emma Rapp, Katie Weiss, Alaina Schumann, Carly Shimota and Abby Starzecky, he will be returning six talented upperclassmen.
“I have a ton of juniors with a lot of experience that are returning. So, next year we will have that maturity, we will have that experience,” said Sullivan. “We also have a young crop of girls coming up that are going to contribute right away as freshmen.”
With the end of every PAISAA tournament, also comes the culmination of high school play for competing seniors. Notre Dame senior captain, Allison Hendrick, left one last note of encouragement for her returning teammates.
“I am extremely proud of my team because GA is one of our biggest rivals and we managed to beat them all three times this season, which was a huge accomplishment for us. I hope my teammates keep up what they are doing, have energy every single game and practice hard but still have so much fun.”
