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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

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Information on Upcoming Hopewell Girls Volleyball Camps

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

This is a reminder that the Hopewell High School Girls Volleyball Youth Camps have been announced. Registration closes on 5/22/26. Please forward to anyone that might be interested.

CHAMPIONS VOLLEYBALL CAMP 2026
FOR: All Girls Entering 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Grades in the 2026-2027 School Year
WHEN: June 15-19, 2026 – 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
WHERE: Hopewell High School Main Gym

COST: $80 per camper (includes camp t-shirt and end of camp pizza party)

OBJECTIVES: Teach and develop the basic skills of volleyball; serving, passing, digging, attacking, blocking, setting. Team defense and offense will be introduced. Conditioning and team building sessions will also be included in camp sessions. “Champions Volleyball Camp” will be organized and conducted by Hopewell High School Head Volleyball Coach, Terry Borkovic. Coach Borkovic will be assisted by J.V. Coach Kallan Parker, and members of the Hopewell Varsity Volleyball Team.

Registration via Google Form: https://forms.gle/2sAYSDcG7DME6mT6A

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VIKING VOLLEYBALL SKILL CAMP 2026
FOR: All Girls Entering 4th and 5th Grades in the 2026-2027 School Year
WHEN: June 18-19, 2026, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
WHERE: Hopewell High School Main Gym

COST: $40 per camper (includes camp t-shirt and end of camp pizza party)

OBJECTIVES: Teach and develop the basic skills of volleyball; serving, passing, digging, attacking, blocking, setting. Team defense and offense will be introduced. Conditioning and team building sessions will also be included in camp sessions. “Viking Volleyball Skill Camp” will be organized and conducted by Hopewell High School Head Volleyball Coach, Terry Borkovic. Coach Borkovic will be assisted by J.V. Coach Kallan Parker, and members of the Hopewell Varsity Volleyball Team.

Registration via Google Form: https://forms.gle/Y4jHiP7JcrDaV5bp8

Send payment via Venmo @Hopewell-LadyVikingsVolleyball and be sure to note the student’s name(s) in the memo.

*If alternate payment arrangements need made, please email hopewellgirlsvolleyball2@gmail.com

**Camp will be limited to assure maximum instruction.**
Please forward to anyone that might be interested.
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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Hopewell Lady Vikings 8th Grade Dominate Central Valley Spikefest

by vikingssportsn
written by vikingssportsn 3 minutes read

The Hopewell Lady Vikings 8th Grade squad didn’t just show up to the Central Valley Spikefest, they took it over.

From the first whistle to the final point, Hopewell went a perfect 7–0, leaving no doubt who the top team in the tournament was.

Pool Play: Early Statement Made (4–0)
*Hopewell came out firing and never let up:

· Match #1 vs New Brighton – 25–12, 25–11

· Match #2 vs Central Valley (White) – 25–6, 25–7

· Match #3 vs Blackhawk – 25–14, 25–14

· Match #4 vs Beaver Falls – 25–6, 25–17

Flat-out dominance.

The Vikings racked up 59 aces in pool play alone, overwhelming opponents with relentless serving pressure and energy. Every rotation brought a new run, and every player contributed.

Bracket Play: Finishing the Job (3–0)
*Hopewell carried that momentum into bracket play and didn’t slow down:

· Bracket Game #1 vs Central Valley (White) – 25–6

· Bracket Game #2 vs Blackhawk – 25–7

· Championship Match vs Quaker Valley – 25–13

In the championship, Hopewell played one of their most complete sets of the season—jumping out early and never looking back.

Standout Performances

-Brooke Otto (#10) was electric from the service line all day, leading multiple matches with double-digit aces and setting the tone for the entire team. On the day: 88 serves, 38 aces, just 3 errors, all while running the offense from her setter position.

-Afton Budris (#8) was a force on the outside, delivering big swings for kills throughout the day, while adding 30 serves and 9 aces.

-Stella Sannan (#9) anchored the back row at libero, controlling serve receive with consistent, high-quality passes and contributing 34 serves and 7 aces.

-Ellie McCoy (#21) turned in her strongest performance of the season at middle, dominating at the net with her blocking and showing growth by placing attacks effectively to the corners.

Complete Team Effort

–Sam Holsinger (#1), Alyssa Phillips (#3), Arionna Shell (#2), Amiyah Shell (#13), and Leah Buettner (#18) all stepped up in a big way.

With key front-row player Ariana Fischer (#16) unavailable, the team didn’t miss a beat. Budris, McCoy, Phillips, and the Shell sisters handled the front row with confidence and physicality.

Buettner made the most of her serving opportunity, delivering 24 serves and 10 aces, while manning her normal back row defensive position as well.

Holsinger and Otto consistently put hitters in position to succeed with strong, steady setting as they’ve been doing all season.

 

The Bottom Line

-This wasn’t just a tournament win… This was a statement.

-A complete team effort built on depth, chemistry, and trust—and a clear sign that the future is very bright for Hopewell Volleyball.

Hopewell Lady Vikings 7th Grade Holds Their Own

To further reinforce just how bright the future is, the 7th Grade team also competed in this tournament, and made a statement of their own.

Facing an uphill challenge, they opened pool play against a slate of strong 8th grade competition in Central Valley Navy, Fort Cherry, and Quaker Valley. While they dropped those first three matches, the scores didn’t tell the full story. This group battled, stayed composed, and proved they weren’t intimidated by older, more experienced teams.

That resilience paid off in a big way.

In their final pool play match, they took on Rochester and delivered a dominant performance, winning 25–11 and 25–13. It was a huge emotional win and a clear turning point for the team.

Riding that momentum, they entered bracket play as the #8 seed and matched up against #9 New Brighton. The confidence carried over, as they secured another hard-fought victory, 25–21.

That win advanced them to the Quarterfinals against #2 seed Fort Cherry. The team came out strong and competed early, but ultimately fell 25–14. Still, there’s absolutely nothing to hang their heads about.

Playing up an age group, this team showed grit, growth, and the ability to compete at a higher level. The progress they’ve made this season has been nothing short of phenomenal, and it’s a glimpse of what’s to come.

 

Final Week of the Season

This week marks the final stretch of the season for both teams.

They’ll hit the road on Tuesday to take on Fort Cherry, before closing things out at home on Thursday (3/26) against Montour.

Do yourself a favor and come out to support them on Thursday.

7th Grade starts at 3:30 PM, with 8th Grade immediately following (around 4:30 PM).

These girls have put in the work all season long and have shown tremendous growth along the way. Let’s celebrate their effort, their progress, and their final match by packing the gym and bringing the energy!

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Hopewell Girls Junior High VolleyballHopewell HS Girls Volleyball

Hopewell High School Girls Volleyball Youth Camp Announced

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

Here’s something that girls in the area that might want to try out for a new sport should consider.

A girls volleyball camp for girls entering 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grade will be held this summer.

Here are all the details and how you can sign your child up.

CHAMPIONS VOLLEYBALL CAMP 2026

FOR: All Girls Entering 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Grades in the 2026-2027 school year

WHEN: June 15-19, 2026 – 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

WHERE: Hopewell High School Main Gym

COST: $80 per camper (includes camp t-shirt and end of camp pizza party)

OBJECTIVES: Teach and develop the basic skills of volleyball; serving, passing, digging, attacking, blocking, setting. Team defense and offense will be introduced. Conditioning and team building sessions will also be included in camp sessions.
“Champions Volleyball Camp” will be organized and conducted by Hopewell High School Head Volleyball Coach, Terry Borkovic. Coach Borkovic will be assisted by J.V. Coach Kallan Parker, and members of the Hopewell Varsity Volleyball Team.

Registration via Google Form: https://forms.gle/2sAYSDcG7DME6mT6A

Send payment via Venmo @Hopewell-LadyVikingsVolleyball and be sure to note the student’s name(s) in the memo.

*If alternate payment arrangements need made, please email hopewellgirlsvolleyball2@gmail.com
**Camp will be limited to assure maximum instruction. **
Please forward to anyone that might be interested
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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Hopewell Junior High Girls Volleyball – Mid-Season Recap

by vikingssportsn
written by vikingssportsn 3 minutes read

8th Grade Team
After dropping their first three matches of the season, the Hopewell Girls Volleyball 8th Grade team has found its rhythm and responded with two straight wins, moving their record 2-3. Showing strong improvement in communication, serving, and overall teamwork, they head into the 2nd half of the season with excitement and high expectations.

Key Contributors for 8th Grade

Ariana Fischer – Middle Blocker & Serving

Brooke Otto – Setter & Serving

Afton Budris – Outside Hitter & Serving

Sam Holsinger – Setter & Serving

Stella Sannan – Libero, Back Row & Serving

Alyssa Phillips – Outside Hitter & Middle Blocker

Amiyah Shell – Outside Hitter & Middle Blocker

Leah Buettner – Back Row

Sierra Perry – Back Row

Ellie McCoy – Middle Blocker

Lily Cain – Back Row

Arionna Shell – Outside Hitter

Riley Yanchik – Back Row

G’lianna Wilcox – Back Row

Kelsey Homick – Back Row

These players have continued to grow and have helped drive the team’s recent momentum with strong serving runs, aggressive net play, and consistent defensive effort in the back row.

The serving quality has dramatically improved this season with only 20 serving errors on 267 attempts. Leading the way is Otto with 66 attempts, 13 aces and only 1 error.

The net front presence has also improved. The blocking/hitting combination of Fischer & McCoy is extremely tough to hit around as teams are finding out. Budris & Phillips are becoming very strong on outside hitting thanks to excellent setting accuracy from Otto & Holsinger. And the back row play has improved quite a bit as the season has progressed from Sannan, Buettner, Holsinger, Fischer, Otto, Perry & Cain.

One of the highlights of the season so far was a statement win over Fort Cherry on Thursday afternoon, a team the program hasn’t beaten in quite some time. The match was a back-and-forth battle that showed the team’s resilience and determination.

· Set 1: 25-23 (Win)

· Set 2: 28-30 (Loss)

· Set 3: 15-9 (Win)

The victory was a major boost of confidence and demonstrated the team’s ability to compete with one of the league’s stronger programs. Below are a few clips from the game showing the team’s excellent communication and ability.

 

Coach Terry Borkovic also shared his thoughts on the team’s progress- “We started off the season a little slow. Recently, the girls are coming together and playing awesome volleyball! The Fort Cherry win gave the girls confidence. Fort Cherry is one of the better teams in the league. I’m excited for the next few weeks. Really proud of these girls.”

With improved chemistry and confidence building each match, the team looks to carry their momentum into the second half of the season and continue developing their game.

 

7th Grade Team

The 7th Grade team is off to a 1–4 start to the season, highlighted by an exciting victory in their opening match vs Avonworth. While the record reflects a challenging first half of the schedule, the team continues to grow each week, showing determination, teamwork, and a strong commitment to improving on the court.

Several players have stepped up and played key roles for the team. Rilynn Davis has been a steady presence at Libero, anchoring the back row with strong defensive play and consistent serving. Adelynn Gray has contributed as both Setter and a back row player, helping keep the offense organized while stepping into multiple roles when needed. In the middle, Isla Rock has brought energy and aggressiveness as a Middle Blocker, while also contributing from the service line.

Kendall Bain has been another versatile contributor, playing Setter and back row while providing strong serving and leadership on the court. Kendall Miller has helped stabilize the back row with reliable passing and serving, while Kaleah Potter and Jayden Kemp have both contributed valuable points from the service line. At the net, Vanessa Kurta has added presence as a Middle Blocker, continuing to develop her role in the front row.

Head Coach Lexi Thompson shared that while the team has faced some tough matches early in the season, the players continue to show a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. “Our season is off to a challenging start with a 1–4 record, but the team continues to show growth, resilience, and improvement. I have a hardworking group of girls who show up ready to improve and compete every day,” the coach said.

The focus moving forward will be on finishing sets and capitalizing on close moments during matches. With the team continuing to gain experience and confidence each week, their hard work and commitment are laying the foundation for a strong finish to the season.

7th Grade Roster:
Rilyn Davis

Adelynn Gray

Isla Rock

Kendall Bain

Kendall Miller

Vanessa Kurta

Kalean Potter

Jayden Kemp

Savi Neophytou

Malena BonAnno

Eva Hein

Callie Sadler

Gia Yurcina

Kyla McNutt

Natalie Benninghoff

Remaining Schedule:

7th Grade – 3:30 PM / 8th Grade – 4:30 PM

Tuesday 3/10 – Away vs Montour

Thursday 3/12 – Away vs Avonworth

Monday 3/16 – Home vs West Allegheny

Tuesday 3/17 – Away vs Quaker Valley

Thursday 3/19 – Home vs South Fayette

Tuesday 3/24 – Away vs Fort Cherry

Thursday 3/26 – Home vs Montour

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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Hopewell Girls 2026 Junior High Volleyball Team Announced

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 2 minutes read

During his long tenure at Hopewell, HC Terry Borkovic has turned the High School Girls’ volleyball team into one of the most consistent and respected programs in the WPIAL.

For 27 consecutive years, the Lady Vikings have made the WPIAL volleyball playoffs and more times than not have been in contention for the section championship.

Under Borkovic’s leadership, Hopewell has become a winning program. It doesn’t matter who graduates because they have players in the wings ready to step in and perform in a manner needed to keep the winning going.

Because of this success, volleyball has become a popular sport in Hopewell as girls growing up, see the success and want to be a part of it.

That was very much evident over the last month as girls in 7th and 8th grade have been working out and competing to make this years’ Hopewell 7th and 8th grade girls’ volleyball team.

Unfortunately, because of the large number of girls that tried out for the team, Coach Borkovic and Coach Lexi Thompson were forced to make approximately 15 total cuts.

For those girls that didn’t make the team, remember that this doesn’t have to be the end of your volleyball career. You’re just in junior high and have a lot of time left to get better.

Remember, Michael Jordan got cut in 9th grade from his high school team and went on to have a pretty good basketball career.

Congratulations to the following girls that made the 2026 Hopewell 7th and 8th Grade JH girls’ volleyball teams.

7th Grade Team:
Savi Neophytou
Malena BonAnno
Eva Hein
Kendall Miller
Callie Sadler
Jayden Kemp
Rilyn Davis
Gia Yurcina
Kyla McNutt
Kalean Potter
Isla Rock
Natalie Benninghoff
Adelynn Gray
Vanessa Kurta
Kendall Bain

7th Grade JH Volleyball Team

8th Grade Team:
Kelsey Homick
Riley Yanchik
Ellie McCoy
Alyssa Phillips
Afton Budris
G’lianna Wilcox
Brooke Otto
Sam Holsinger
Ariana Fischer
Leah Buettner
Lily Cain
Sierra Perry
Stella Sannan
Amiyah Shell
Arionna Shell

8th Grade JH Girls Volleyball Team

Over the next couple of months, these girls will be competing against teams from Avonworth, Montour, South Fayette, Quaker Valley, West Allegheny, and Fort Cherry.

13 matches in total will be played and there are no playoffs in junior high volleyball. They will compete in one 10-team tournament in late March at Central Valley High School.

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Hopewell Vikings Girls Volleyball News

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

To be good at anything, you must invest and put in the time to get better, it doesn’t just happen because you want to be good.

Frankly, it’s one of the reasons the Hopewell HS Girls Volleyball program has enjoyed success over a sustained period of time.

Not only do the girls practice during the season, but they also spend a great deal of time on the volleyball courts in the “off-season”.

A perfect example of that is the number of Lady Vikings that have went out for and made travel volleyball organizations throughout Western Pennsylvania. In fact, a number of those teams will be participating in the Steel City Freeze this Saturday at the Pittsburgh Convention Center.

Here’s a list of the Hopewell players that will be competing, the teams they play for and the times they’ll be playing in case you want to make a trip into the city to check them out.

Cici Smetana and Ava Ray-Renaissance 16 White- Beaver/9 AM, 10 AM and Noon/Court 47 Downstairs

Mikayla Kurta-Ohio Valley Volleyball Company 17 Green/9 AM, 11 AM and 1 PM/Court 26 Upstairs

Tessa Burgess, Sydney Malackanich and Lily Oldham-Renaissance 16 Red-Beaver/9 AM, 10 AM and Noon/Court Ballroom 56

Tegan Murray-Sky Elite 16 Gold/9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM/Court 42 Downstairs

Alya Pisano-Renaissance 18-Beaver/9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM/Court 3 Upstairs

Bella Cipolla-Renaissance 15 Red Beaver/2:30 PM, 4:30 PM, 7:30 PM/Court 15 Upstairs

Abby Babinsack and Liliana Katcher-Renaissance 15 White-Beaver/2:30 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM/Court 21 Upstairs

Good Luck to all!

One other note concerning the girls’ volleyball team to make you aware of, Coach Borkovic plans on having open gym today (Wednesday) from 3-5 PM in Gym A at the Junior High School.

May be an image of volleyball and text that says 'HOPEWELLJ JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 7TH & 8TH GRADE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Be part of something awesome! OPEN GYM 1/20/26 1/28/26 Time & Location 3 to 5pm Junior High School Gym A TRYOUT WEEK Time OPEN GYM 2/2/26 2/3/26 2/4/26 2/5/26 2/6/26 Location 3 to 5pm Junior High School Gym A Teams will be decided on 2/6/26 BE SURE TO CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR ANY UPDATES: MPNM/OSOSOAO/O/O'

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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Attention: Hopewell Girls Volleyball Open Gyms Starting Soon

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

Volleyball season just ended but competitive sports never REALLY have an off-season.

Although it’s not official team practices, off-season workouts are always ongoing.

The girls’ volleyball program is one of, if not the most successful sports team at Hopewell High and the coaching staff is looking for their next wave of talent.

If you’re a junior high student and are looking for a sport to get involved in, the Vikings’ coaching staff is hosting something that you might be interested in.

Any Hopewell Junior High School 7th and 8th grade girl wanting to play volleyball, open gyms will start later this month. There will be a signup sheet by the office if you’re interested in playing.

More specific details will be released by the Coach Borkovic and the coaches.

Check out the graphic below for the dates that have been scheduled.
Please check the Junior High Schedule for any updates – https://hopewell.bigteams.com/…/3646593/seasonid/4962766/
May be an image of volleyball, basketball and text that says 'HOPEWELL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 7TH & 8TH GRADE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL OPEN GYMS Be part of something awesome! OPEN GYM 12/16/25 6/25 12/22/25 1/12/26 1/20/26 1/28/26 to 5pm Junior High School Gym A 5pm Junior High School GymA to 5pm Junior High School Gym A to 5pm Junior High School Gym A 3to5pm to 5pm Junior High School Gym/ A BE SURE to CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR ANY UPDATES: #SHS.BOBOAO// BTS/WAREBOUSOUSASO'
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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Congratulations to Hopewell Girls Jr. High Volleyball on Great Season!

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

The Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball season came to an end yesterday afternoon following a loss to Fort Cherry.

The results of Wednesday’s match were inconsequential because this was a tremendous season of development for both the 7th and 8th grade teams. For these 7th grade girls, this was their first time competing in junior high action and the progress and results that they showed is very encouraging for the future of Hopewell Girls Volleyball.

Hopewell 7th Grade Girls Volleyball Team

Yesterday was the last junior high match for the 8th graders as they’ll take their skills to play for the high school program next season with head coach Terry Borkovic.

“That’s a wrap! Jr. high volleyball season 2025 is in the books,” said Coach Borkovic. “Some will stay with volleyball. Some players will move on to other sports/activities. I wish those girls the best! This team was awesome! Their effort and attitude were outstanding! I enjoyed this season immensely!

Just to put a bow on the season, Fort Cherry is an excellent program and yesterday they put their talent on display.

In the 7th grade match, Fort Cherry won 25-19 and 25-21. Aces for Hopewell were served by Sam Holsinger (2), Brooke Otto (2) and Audrey Budris (1).

In the 8th grade match, the score was 25-9 and 25-20. Aces for Hopewell were served by Bella Cipolla (2), Ava Ray (2), and Abby Babinsack.

Both Hopewell teams had great serving days with only 3 errors each. However, Fort Cherry is just excellent at receiving and turning it around into an offensive play.

Vikings Sports Now wanted to recognize the members of Hopewell’s 7th and 8th grade volleyball teams.

Hopewell 7th Grade Roster: Abbey Przbysz, Afton Budris, Alyssa Phillips, Amiyah Shell, Arrianna Fisher, Arionna Shell, Brooke Otto, Claire Newberry, Emma Goodrum, G’lianna Wilcox, Kelsey Homick, Leah Buettner, Lily Cain, Riley Yanchik, Sam Holsinger, Stella Sannan.

Hopewell 8th Grade Roster: Abby Babinsack, Audriahna Hunter, Ava Ray, Camryn Pedaline, Geanna DiSantis, Gianna Rossi, Bella Cipolla, Jazzmin Mudge, Karley Boring, Kaycee Gini, Liliana Katcher, Lillian Otto, Lily Enders.

 

 

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Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Strong Showing for Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball vs. West Allegheny

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 1 minutes read

Credit and congratulations to the Hopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball program.

The sign of a good program and of players that are putting in the work is getting better every day, every week and every month.

The players on this team are certainly doing that which is an encouraging sign for the future of volleyball in Hopewell.

Getting better isn’t always about wins and losses but that’s an added bonus when that happens.

In their next to last match of the season, the Lady Vikings traveled to take on a solid West Allegheny program, with the 8th grade team winning and the 7th graders losing in a highly competitive 3-set match.

In the 8th grade match, the Vikings won the opening set 25-15, dropped the second one 25-21 before winning the deciding third set, 17-15. Nice job ladies!

In total, Hopewell served 21 aces, led by Abby Babinsack with 8, Lilliana Katcher with 5, Lillian Otto with 4, Ava Ray with 2 and Jazzmin Mudge with 2. Wanted to highlight Mudge because all season, she’s worked hard in practices and has been a tremendous teammate. Yesterday, due to an injury, she was called into action and delivered with 2 important aces. Nice job Jazzmin.

Here is match point of yesterday’s exciting match.

In the 7th grade matchup, West Allegheny took the 1st set, 25-13 with Hopewell responding with a 25-13 second set win. In the 3rd frame, WA got the better of Hopewell, 15-10.

Sam Holsinger, who’s been on fire lately, continued her strong play leading Hopewell with 6 aces. After that, Afton Budris, Brooke Otto and Arionna Shell each served 2 aces, while Amiyah had one.


The final match of Hopewell’s 2025 season takes place at home on Wednesday against Fort Cherry. If you’re able to, stop over to the Junior High to see these teams for the final time this season and congratulate them on a tremendous season! The 7th grade match starts at 3:30 PM, with the 8th graders starting at 4:30 PM.

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Hopewell Girls Junior High BasketballHopewell Girls Junior High Volleyball

Hopewell’s Ava Ray is Small in Size but a Giant in Heart and Compete Level

by Mike Vukovcan
written by Mike Vukovcan 4 minutes read

While size is often a huge factor in sports, it’s not always the determining factor in the success of a team or of an individual player.

More often than not, it’s not the size of player but the size of their heart and willingness to compete.

To borrow a quote from Mark Twain, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

All of that perfectly describes Hopewell Vikings 8th grade athlete Ava Ray.

Anyone that knows Ava, whose nickname is ‘Peanut’, knows that she isn’t physically the biggest athlete but when it comes to her heart, scrappiness and compete level, she’s one of the biggest athletes on the court.

Hopewell’s Ava Ray

Ray is a three-sport athlete at Hopewell, competing on the volleyball court, basketball court and this season, she’ll be competing in Track and Field for the first time.

Vikings Sports Now had the pleasure of speaking with Ray about her Vikings athletic career, as she talked to us about each of these sports.

The first thing I talked to Ava about is the thing that I notice every time I watch her play and that’s her energy level. She told me that she got that mindset from her dad, Ryan, who’s always told her that she’s always going to play with high energy and will have to work and compete harder than the players she’s going up against.

Hopewell’s Ava Ray

“In both basketball and volleyball, I’d say that my quickness on the court is my biggest individual strength,” Ray tells Vikings Sports Now. “People have always asked me, how do I always have so much energy (laughing), I don’t know but I do.

That quickness and energy is always on display on the basketball court as Ray has been the starting point guard for the Vikings Junior High Basketball team for the last couple of seasons.

Ray is your prototypical point guard, in that she is a tremendous defender, handler of the basketball and her court vision allows her to get the ball to her teammates. While those are definite strong points, Ray points to something else that isn’t kept tracked of in the scorebook.

Hopewell’s Ava Ray

“I also think that I’m a good leader and someone that likes to help out my teammates,” said Ray. “If they’re not doing something right or struggling with something, I like to try and talk to them and help them. I’m someone that’s not afraid to speak up.”

The fact that Ray has named captain of the volleyball team for the last two years is an example of her leadership skills.

While I brought up her defense and passing as her strong points on the basketball court, Ray pointed something else out and it’s something that she’s worked very hard on to improve.

“I think my shooting ability is a strong part of my game but as the point guard, I try and do a combination of both passing to my teammates but also shooting the ball. I really like shooting, but I also want to make sure that my teammates get it so that they can shoot too so it’s not just me shooting.”

“I’d rather shoot the ball from the outside than around the basket because it’s hard for me to get around the rim because of my height,” said Ray. “When I’m around the rim, I get blocked a lot (laughing).”

Once of the reasons Ray enjoys shooting from the outside is because of how much she’s improved in that area. The reason for her getting better isn’t by magic or accident, Ray has put in a ton of time practicing in her backyard as well as at the Reign3D Training Academy in Beaver Falls.

“When I’m at Reign3D, I probably take about 100 3-point shots and when I’m in my backyard, I shot 50+ shots.”

We ended our conversation about basketball with Ray telling me that she’s excited for taking her skills to the high school team next season. Despite being a starter the last couple of years, she knows that she’s going to have to prove herself again to the high school staff but she’s looking forward to trying to earn playing time.

Ray will get a chance to improve her basketball skills over the upcoming months as she received an invitation to join the Reign3D AAU Basketball team. Congratulations on that Ava because that’s an impressive accomplishment.

When talking about volleyball, this is a sport that Ava only started playing two years ago but she’s picked it up well.

“I started playing because of my friend, Sydney Malackanich. I would go to her games and watched her play, and it looked fun. I was surprised at how quick I picked up the sport because honestly, I didn’t think that I would be good at it. But I’ve done Ok at it.”

Ray tells me the biggest difference between the two sports and hardest thing for her is in basketball, she’s able to run up and down the court but in volleyball, she has to stay in your position. When you’re the Energizer Bunny, it’s difficult not to be moving all around!

Hopewell’s Ava Ray

Moving around is something that Ray will be able to do in the latest sport that she’s giving a try and that’s Track and Field. After watching her brother, Bryce, excel in the long jump for the Vikings HS Track and Field Team, she wants to give it a try. Like Bryce, she plans on competing in the long jump as well as run the 100M.

Practice for Track and Field will begin for Ray, once her volleyball season ends this Wednesday.

When asked which of these sports she likes the best, Ray couldn’t name one and said she likes them all.

The future of Girl’s Athletics in the Hopewell School District is very strong for the upcoming years and Ray is someone that will be fun to follow!

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