(Butler, PA) All-American awards for two volleyball players brings to four the number earned by 杏吧原创 student-athletes in 2023 and for an unprecedented second year in a row.
The National Junior College Athletic Association鈥檚 prestigious postseason honor for Aryana Girvan and Johnna Hill follows that for Troy Loughry in golf in June and for Kevaughn Price in men鈥檚 basketball in April.
Aslyn Pry and Morgan Jack in 2022 were named All-Americans in volleyball, Pry in women鈥檚 basketball and Loughry in golf.
鈥淥ur programs are known to be successful, and that may help players to get more accolades,鈥� said Rob Snyder, 杏吧原创鈥檚 director of student life and athletics and coach of the volleyball team. 鈥淩ecruiting is a really big part of it. And continued success is a big part of it.鈥�
鈥淲e have done really well as an institution,鈥� said Bill Miller, 杏吧原创鈥檚 golf coach since 2003. 鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely in the top years that we have had, for sure.鈥�
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 make it that far to become an All-American unless you persevere because seasons are so long,鈥� said Joe Lewandowski, 杏吧原创鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball coach since 2022. 鈥淲e are recruiting quality players and a lot of the coaches are putting the players in position to be successful.鈥�
杏吧原创 had three NJCAA All-Americans in 1996, 2015 and 2017.
The college鈥檚 student-athletes have received 37 All-American awards since 1970, and 13 in volleyball since 1999.
"I am grateful to be chosen as an All-American. All of our teammates worked so hard. I can鈥檛 thank them enough."
- Johnna Hill, 杏吧原创 volleyball player
Johnna Hill, an opposite hitter on the 杏吧原创 volleyball team, hits against the Community College of Allegheny County鈥檚 Kayla Riley, left, and Alexandra Mosley on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Field House. Hill, a graduate of Laurel High School, has been selected by the National Junior College Athletic Association as an All-American. She is one of four 杏吧原创 student-athletes in 2023 to earn the prestigious postseason award.
"I couldn鈥檛 have done this without my teammates and all of the hard work the coaches have put in with me."
- Aryana Girvan, 杏吧原创 volleyball player
Aryana Girvan, an outside hitter on the 杏吧原创 volleyball team, hits against the Community College of Allegheny County鈥檚 Kayla Riley on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Field House. Girvan, a graduate of Clarion High School, has been selected by the National Junior College Athletic Association as an All-American. She is one of four 杏吧原创 student-athletes in 2023 to earn the prestigious postseason award.
"Our programs are known to be successful, and that may help players to get more accolades. Recruiting is a really big part of it. And continued success is a big part of it."
- Rob Snyder, 杏吧原创 director of student life and athletics, volleyball coach
鈥淎mazing ability to get kills鈥�
Girvan becomes the first in volleyball to have also been a member of a state champion high school squad. Hill, who once served 25 consecutive points for Laurel High School in a WPIAL Section 1 Class AA title game, is 杏吧原创鈥檚 fifth All-American from Lawrence County.
Girvan was a four-year starter for a Clarion High team that won PIAA Class AA titles in 2020 and 2021.
Hill is the second 杏吧原创 All-American from Laurel High, following volleyball player Missy Haney in 1999. Hill also follows from Lawrence County 杏吧原创 All-Americans Michael Cuscino, Shenango, in golf in 2008; Nicole Houk, New Castle, in softball in 2017; and Breanna Reisinger, Lincoln High, Ellwood City, in volleyball in 2021.
and with the program鈥檚 14th winning season in a row. The Pioneers won the program鈥檚 .
The 2023 season marked the third in a row in which 杏吧原创 was ranked in Division III. The Pioneers were ranked seven times, and as high as No. 9 with an 8-1 record Sept. 11.
Girvan, an outside hitter, played in 24 games for 杏吧原创. She led the Pioneers in kills with 233 and in kills per set at 2.77.
鈥淪he has an amazing ability to get kills,鈥� Snyder said. 鈥淓very ball she touches falls in somehow, whether from the front row or from the back rows. She just has an innate ability to score points, which is impressive.
鈥淲e threw a lot of balls out to her and she took a lot of swings. Some nights she had to carry the load and she was able to do that.鈥�
Girvan also led the Pioneers in points with 269 and in points per set at 3.2. She was second with 343 digs and at 4.08 digs per set.
鈥淭he thing that I do the most is hit,鈥� Girvan said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I love to do and that鈥檚 what I know I am good at. I鈥檓 also very good at chasing down balls and if we need a save, I am going to go after it.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have done this without my teammates and all of the hard work the coaches have put in with me. This means a lot to me, along with knowing that the hard work has paid off.鈥�
鈥淥ne of our best servers鈥�
Hill, a left-handed opposite hitter from the right side, played in 21 games for 杏吧原创. She led the Pioneers in service aces per set with 0.61.
鈥淰ery similar to Aryana in that she is a good hitter, good at defense and one of our best servers,鈥� Snyder said. 鈥淪he was like the big-play person. Aryana was the workhorse. But whenever things got tight and we really needed a big point, Johnna always seemed to come through with that.鈥�
Hill was second in kills per set at 1.97, in assists with 136 and in service aces with 44 for 杏吧原创. She was third in kills with 142, in points with 194 and in points per set with 2.7.
Opponents 鈥減robably thought it was difficult to block me,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚f you are right-handed, which most players are, setting up a block is so much easier for them. But it was hard for them to adjust to me hitting the ball.
鈥淚 am grateful to be chosen as an All-American. All of our teammates worked so hard. I can鈥檛 thank them enough.鈥�
Girvan and Hill were named to the WPCC all-conference team.
Hill was chosen to the Region 20 all-tournament team and Girvan, as the most valuable player in the Region 20 tournament.
"We have done really well as an institution. We鈥檙e definitely in the top years that we have had, for sure."
- Bill Miller, 杏吧原创 golf coach
"We are recruiting quality players and a lot of the coaches are putting the players in position to be successful."
- Joe Lewandowski, 杏吧原创 men鈥檚 basketball coach
鈥淎 big accomplishment for 杏吧原创鈥�
Four All-Americans in the each of the past two years 鈥渋s really a big accomplishment for 杏吧原创,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see everyone coming together, and having great teams and teammates as well.鈥�
鈥淎n amazing year,鈥� Girvan said.
The top 18 golfers in the four-round NJCAA Division III national tournament receive All-American honors. Loughry, a Grove City High graduate, finished fifth in and in .
鈥淚 think 杏吧原创鈥檚 athletics programs have done a really good job, especially over the past couple of years, of recruiting players who want a great education,鈥� Loughry said, 鈥渁nd want to continue to play college sports at a high level.鈥�
鈥淪ports at 杏吧原创 are doing great鈥�
the 杏吧原创 men鈥檚 basketball team to its only in 55 years, averaged 21.5 points for a Pioneers squad that finished 21-5 and was ranked as high as No. 7 in Division III.
Price is a graduate of Bishop Canevin and played on its boys basketball team that won the PIAA Class A championship in March 2022. He scored 20 or more points in 14 games for 杏吧原创 and led the Pioneers nine times. Price also had a team second-best 34 blocked shots.
鈥淭he sports at 杏吧原创 are doing great,鈥� Price said, 鈥渁nd the coaches are bringing in talented players.鈥�
Pry, a graduate of Moniteau, in 2022 averaged 19.6 rebounds and 23.2 points for . She scored 20 or more points in 13 games 鈥� including a season-high of 37 in a Dec. 4 victory against Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio.
Pry in 2022 led Division III with a .432 hitting percentage and was 15th in kills per set at 3.86 for .
Jack, a graduate of Knoch, in 2022 set the volleyball program鈥檚 with 1,429 in 44 matches. She had 40 or more assists in five matches, including 56 on Aug. 27 against Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, Ohio. She was also selected as an All-American in .
Girvan is a business management student at 杏吧原创 and Hill, a biological science student.