Several area athletes earned statewide recognition for their performances this past fall, as standouts in volleyball, soccer and field hockey were named to their respective Pennsylvania All-State teams.

Volleyball

Area athletes made their mark on the volleyball court this fall, as Pleasant Valley’s Rylee Ruggiero, Panther Valley’s Morgan Orsulak, and Marian’s Alena Lombardo earned All-State recognition from the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association.

Ruggiero, a Class 4A selection, capped a standout career by becoming Pleasant Valley’s all-time leader in kills. She finished with 915 career kills, breaking a school record that had stood since 2003, and totaled 298 kills, 100 blocks, 241 digs and 51 aces this season.

A two-time All-State pick and captain who helped the Bears return to the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 playoffs, she also led the team in digs while continuing to be the go-to hitter in key moments.

“She’s always been known as a great hitter, but she transformed herself into a great all-around player,” said Pleasant Valley head coach Drew Dymond. “She has been and continues to be a role model and inspiration for the younger players in our program.” Ruggiero will continue her playing career at the collegiate level next year.

Orsulak, named to the Class 3A team, closed her career at Panther Valley as the school’s all-time assists leader with 1,417, while also compiling 927 kills, 258 aces, 500 digs and 108 blocks.

A two-time Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Volleyball Player of the Year, she helped lead the Panthers to the Schuylkill League championship and earned Division I Co-Player of the Year honors.

“She had such a great personality and was just a pleasure to have around the program,” said Panther Valley coach Nancy Filer. “She’s a natural athlete, but she also made everyone around her better.

“She really led by example, and the girls followed. They worked well together and fed off each other’s energy, and that’s what makes a volleyball team successful.”

Orsulak will continue her volleyball career at Alvernia University.

Lombardo represented Marian on the Class 1A All-State team after another strong season for the Fillies, who advanced to the District 11 1A final and qualified for the Schuylkill League playoffs.

A two-year captain, she totaled 232 kills and 56 blocks this fall, finishing among the top hitters in Class 1A with a .329 hitting percentage. She was a Schuylkill League and District 11 Class 1A First Team selection and closed her career with 558 kills and 134 total blocks while serving as a key leader for Marian.

“She was such an amazing leader, not just on the court, but off the court,” said Marian head coach Maria Currie. “She always showed up for everyone.”

Soccer

While they didn’t bring home another state championship, both Northwestern soccer teams had successful seasons and were represented on the All-State team put together by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association (PSCA).

For the girls, junior Sophia Schaffer was named to the team, and Logan Mesics represented the boys’ team of All-State players.

The only other Colonial League player named to either team was Saucon Valley’s Elliot Policare, who joined Schaffer on the list of all-state forwards.

On the season, Schaffer scored 57 goals, including two in their PIAA semifinal game against Archbishop Wood, and added 37 assists. In her three seasons of high school soccer, Schaffer has 112 goals and 87 assists for Northwestern.

“Last year we won states and nobody from our team made it, so it was kind of a motivator this year to try to get that,” said Schaffer of the all-state honor.

“I think it could have gone to a lot of girls on my team, so to be able to get that spot, I’m really happy because I know there were definitely a few other girls on Northwestern that could have gotten it.”

Schaffer has already committed to continuing her playing career at the University of Delaware.

Mesics led the team in goals (49) and points (127) and finished third in assists (20) in his senior season. The Muhlenberg College recruit finished his high school career with 87 goals, 60 assists, and 234 career points for the Tigers.

This year’s senior class was a part of two Northwestern Lehigh state championships.

For Mesics, the news of his selection to the all-state team came at a time when he could use a little good news. It came the day after the Tigers were eliminated from the PIAA tournament.

“It was pretty ironic,” said Mesics of the timing. “It was at our banquet, and our coach (Nate Hunsicker) let me know. It was super cool.

“I’m proud that I was able to get that honor. I always looked up to the guys before me that had done it, so it was nice to be able to follow their footsteps and make it.”

While Northwestern was shutout of the all-state team on the girls’ side, the boys had two players – Jake Van Lierop and Jack Mauro – voted onto the team.

The selections at the state level are made from a ranking list of players provided by each league across the state with leagues being allotted a certain number of openings on the team determined by how many head coaches of each league are members of the PSCA.

Field Hockey

Northwestern’s all-state recognition wasn’t limited to just the soccer pitch.

The Tigers also had a number of field hockey players receive recognition.

Hannah Gober was named to the Pennsylvania High School Field Hockey Coaches Association (PHSFHCA) First Team in Division 1A.

Gober scored 25 goals and handed out 15 assists this season. She will be heading to Division 1 Ohio State to continue her academic and field hockey careers.

Also gaining all-state status were Taylor Langley on the Second Team, and Amelia Birch and Haley Kerschner as Honorable Mention selections.

“Just like many area players, Hannah, Taylor, Amelia and Haley have worked very hard during their high school career but also in their clubs to earn this honor,” said Northwestern head coach Lissa Opolsky. “There is a lot of boxes to check to be eligible for consideration and it is a testament to their commitment and our team’s season success.

“We also have earned many on the academic all-state list which is a great accomplishment in the classroom. Overall, there are many deserving players in the area and to be recognized is very rewarding individually but also for our program.”

The Tigers captured league and district championships this past season, and earned a berth in the state tournament.

Compiled by Chuck Hixson, Rod Heckman and Patrick Matsinko