Trojanette Volleyball

12/10/2017
Citizens Voice - All Stars Kasey Radginski - CONGRATULATIONS!
School: Nanticoke Area
Grade: Senior
Position: OH

Radginski repeats as a CV all-star after finishing fifth in the WVC in kills (173) and sixth in blocks (33). Her 15 kills helped the Trojanettes repeat as D2-4 3A subregional champs.

11/8/2017
Nanticoke Area’s season ends with 3-set defeat
Anthony Bellino - Citizens Voice

Both Nanticoke Area and West York high school had obstacles to overcome before even stepping on the court for the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A girls volleyball tournament on Tuesday.
The Trojanettes were without the services of one of their best — if not the top — players in senior Kasey Radginski, who missed the game with an injury.
West York had to deal with the effects of a three-hour bus ride through traffic and wintry conditions that landed them at Pittston Area High School just 30 minutes before the match was slated to start.
West York, a top-10 ranked team in Class 3A, ultimately shook off the effects of the long ride to dispatch Nanticoke Area in straight sets with scores of 25-11, 25-8 and 25-14 to advance to the state quarterfinals.
“I told them when we were 20 minutes out to get their stuff out and wake up because I knew they were sleeping back there, so it’s a mental focus at this point,” West York coach Joe Ramp said. “We had a great practice last night and that transpired into tonight. So, hopefully, we can take care of business on Saturday.”
Despite playing a roster of only 11, the Bulldogs displayed depth in speed, power and athleticism that the Trojanettes were simply unable to match. West York had five players finish with multiple kills in its victory.
Senior hitter Kate Tate led the way for the Bulldogs, amassing 12 kills and three aces in the victory, while setter Trilby Kite ran her team’s offense almost flawlessly and added six kills. Gianna Krinock, Tesia Thomas and Alayna Harris all added multiple kills for the winner.
“(Kite) does run our offense very well; we have a very athletic team, and it’s sometimes difficult for teams to match up to us — especially with our athletic middles,” Ramp said. “We have high expectations. Last year, we made it to the final four. We lost six seniors. This is a whole new group. At this point, it’s just go have fun.”
After winning the first set, 25-11, West York really found its stride in the second set when Georgianna Kahley rattled off nine consecutive service points to open the set.
“West York is definitely a good team; they had six hitters there, their passing was like perfect every single time,” Nanticoke Area coach Debbie Gavin said. “We played as best as we could tonight. I thought our passes were okay; maybe they could’ve been a little bit better. The speed of the game — I think my kids were a little amazed at — but that’s how it is when you get out of the area.”
Alyssa Lewis and Jilann Barron each had four kills to lead Nanticoke Area. Lewis added two blocks and an ace in the third set, while Codi Hornlein chipped in with two kills. Even in a losing effort, Gavin saw a lot to be pleased with from her young team, which will certainly look to complete a three-peat of District 2 titles come 2018.
“We had a great season to go back-to-back on two championships in a row, and this team was so much more talented I think than most of the teams we’ve really had,” Gavin said. “We have a nice core for next year. We have some great athletes coming up. So, next year, we’re looking forward to maybe doing it again.”
West York 25 25 25 — 3 Nanticoke Area 11 8 14 — 0

11/3/2017
HS Volleyball: Nanticoke Area wins title
Matt Bufano - Citizens Voice

Last year at this time inside Wilkes University’s Marts Center, Nanticoke Area 11th-graders Kasey Radginski, Codi Hornlein and Megan Murphy experienced the euphoria of a gold-medal victory.
Now one year older with only one night to recapture that feeling they had chased all of 2017, Radginski, Hornlein and Murphy did not let the opportunity slip away.
The second-seeded Trojanettes lost the first set then won three in a row Thursday night, beating top-seeded Abington Heights, 3-1, for the District 2 Class 3A girls volleyball championship.
“I’m incredibly proud of everybody — on the court, on the bench, the fans, everybody,” Radginski said between posing for countless photographs with teammates and her second gold medal. “I’m just so proud and thankful for everything and everybody.”
After going back-and-forth in the first set, Abington Heights took control with Jasmine McDuffie’s three-point service run punctuated by a pair of Emma Baker kills, giving the Comets an 18-14 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
McDuffie had 22 digs, while Ashley DeRiso and Adele Hollander had 31 digs apiece for the Comets, who won the first set, 25-17, but dropped the next three.
“They played well, they had a great season,” reflected Abington Heights (16-4) head coach Kendra Hooper. “We came in, we had no idea how far we’d make it, and we made it to the district finals. Can’t really ask for much more.”
In set No. 2, Nanticoke Area cleaned up its mistakes with far fewer errors. The Trojanettes broke a 2-2 tie and led the rest of the way, winning the set, 25-16, and tying the match at 1-1.
“We hit our hiccups every so often with our passing and then we straighten it out,” said Nanticoke Area head coach Debbie Gavin. “But all year, every game, we have come from behind to win. ... They can bounce back. They’re very resilient.”
In set No. 3, the teams tied at points 3, 4, 6, 8 and 11 before a 5-0 Nanticoke Area run capped by Alyssa Lewis and Radginski kills, making it 16-11. Nanticoke Area held on from there for a 25-18 win.
The Trojanettes finished the win with a 25-16 victory in the fifth set.
“It’s very exciting and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of talented kids that we have,” Gavin said.
Hornlein had five digs, while Murphy added 10 digs. Jilann Baron recorded 20 kills, five blocks and four digs. Reilly Miller notched 30 assists.
Radginski finished with 15 kills and six blocks for the Trojanettes (16-3), who qualified for the PIAA state playoffs and will play the District 3 runner-up in the first round Tuesday. The public address announcer stated that match will be 7 p.m. at Pittston Area.
“Kasey did step up today,” Gavin said. “She was hot, she was really good on defense, she kept them extremely honest. Her offense was exceptionally good tonight and her passing really helped us out.”
NANTICOKE AREA (16-3) 17 25 25 25 — 3
ABINGTON HEIGHTS (16-4) 25 16 18 16 — 1

11/1/2017
Jilann Baron’s big night lifts Nanticoke to district final
Tom Fox - Times Leader

Watching Jilann Baron take her warm-up swings Tuesday, one could sense the Nanticoke junior could be in store for a pretty special night.
But not even Baron imagined how big it was going to be.
The junior attacker was a dominating force in the District 2 Class 3A semifinals, finishing with a match-high 21 kills as Nanticoke advanced to Thursday’s title match with a 3-1 victory over Dallas at Clarks Summit Elementary School. Set scores were 25-17, 25-15, 18-25 and 25-17.
Nanticoke, the defending champ, faces off with top-seed Abington Heights, which eliminated Western Wayne in the other semifinal.
“Our coaches told me where to put the ball, and my teammates gave me all the confidence,” Baron said. “There were nerves because this was such a big game for us. I’ve never had this many kills in one game. We are just so excited to be back in the championship game.”
The spotlight belonged to Baron. And it was an array of shots. Cross-court spikes. Short lofts over a Dallas block. Pushing the ball to an open area in the back corner. And taking strategic swings from the back row.
Not too bad for someone who admittedly felt some nervous moments prior to the match.
“Jilann really gave us 200 percent tonight,” Nanticoke head coach Debbie Gavin said. “I love that she is a smart player on the court. She looks around, and knows exactly where she wants to put the ball. She anticipates so well on defense and offense. We couldn’t ask much more from her. She was amazing.”
Baron had five kills alone in the first set, one where the Trojans jumped out to a 10-3 lead on Meghan Duda’s serve.
The junior didn’t cool off much in the second game, either, killing seven shots. And Nanticoke needed each one. Down 9-4 early, Gavin’s group quickly rallied with seven straight points on Alyssa Lewis’ serve, and scored the last five points to win 25-15.
“District playoffs is always so much pressure,” Lewis said. “Having that district experience and having success there last season does help. It makes things a little easier. We had a good week of practice, so I think everyone had confidence coming into this match. We are just excited to play in the district final in front of our home crowd.”
Dallas, which was swept in straight sets by Nanticoke in the last week of the regular season, fought back.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 17-9 lead, and used a 5-0 spurt on Caityln Pike’s serve to pull away for a 25-18 victory in the third set.
Yes, all the momentum of a huge rally sitting squarely on the Dallas’ sideline. But momentum that lasted approximately 90 seconds into the third set.
With Baron, Lewis and Kasey Radginski swinging, the rally was short-lived. With Megan Murphy hitting her spots behind the back line, the Trojans jumped out to a 8-3 lead and grew the advantage to 17-7 on Carly Reakes’ under-hand serve which gave the Mountaineer back line issues with the pass toward the front row.
“I’m proud of how our girls played all season, and how far we’ve come in just three months,” Dallas head coach Michael Shmakov said. “They played with a lot of heart and determination. They played to the best of their abilities. We had that heart, but at the end of the day, it was Nanticoke’s match to prevail.”
Nanticoke’s big three were too much for Dallas to overcome. Baron, Radginski and Lewis combined for 41 kills and 11 blocks. Mountaineer Gianna Musto was strong in the losing effort with a team-best 14 spikes.
“I’m happy to be in the district final again, and hopefully, we can pull it out on Thursday,” Gavin said.

8/29/2017
WVC Volleyball Preview
Citizens Voice

NANTICOKE AREA
Coach: Deb Gavin
2016 record: 13-4

Players to watch: Senior Kasey Radginski was fourth in the WVC in kills (169) and blocks (32) last season at outside hitter. Codi Hornlein and Megan Murphy are the other returning senior starters at outside hitter and libero, respectively.

Coach’s outlook: “We are district champs from last season, but we’re worried about today. Just focus on being better than we were yesterday. The chemistry has to run the right way — we have a little bit of inexperience.”