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Sunday, May 19, 2024 | 11:01am
christopher horner relive
Penn Hills head coach Will Piccolino speaks with Kelsey Hundley during an April 11 game at Norwin.
christopher horner relive
Junior setter Anthony Collins is encouraged about the future of the Penn Hills volleyball team.
Although the Indians didn't get the results they wanted this season, Collins is encouraged by the growth potential of the kids coming through the program.
“They're promising. We had some guys who played on the national team,” Collins said. “We're excited to play with them next year. They're passionate about the sport. They'll work hard in the offseason and we won't have to knock off any rust in the spring.”
Acquiring reinforcements will be important for the national team, which finished with 3 wins and 13 losses overall and 0 wins and 10 losses in Section 3 3A games. The Indians did not have many players with club experience and typically relied on players who started playing the sport in high school to fill out their rosters. Collins started because he had a friend who played as a freshman.
Second-year Penn Hills coach Will Piccolino knows the varsity results are not what this group of players had hoped for. But Piccolino said the Indians hope the foundation they've built for the future will continue to move the program forward.
“We had 14 players on our junior varsity team,” Piccolino said. “They had a good season and their batting average was over .500. That was incredibly optimistic.”
Piccolino was pleased with how they picked up the pace offensively. Penn Hills will return setters Collins and Lucien McCollim this season to help move the offense forward next season.
Piccolino said he, like his players, is still getting used to his role.
“Compared to last year, this year was easier for me,” Piccolino said. “My comfort level was much higher than last year. I was timid about it. This year, when I was being hard on my kids, some parents said, 'Don't worry, kids.' They need it.''
Collins said Penn Hills has been working on adapting to playing different roles during scrimmages.
“This helps different players play different positions,” Collins said.
Penn Hills will also look to the development of several offensive players. Piccolino expects outside hitter Will Clark and outside hitter Calix Clark to help make him more dangerous at the net.
Collins said he is looking forward to seeing what Penn Hills can accomplish next season.
“A good goal would be to win the section and maybe make the playoffs,” Collins said. “We want to have realistic goals. We want to finish our senior season with more wins than losses.”
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