Lady Pirates volleyball looks to build on historic regional run

Last season the Garaway Lady Pirates volleyball team skyrocketed to new heights, reaching the regional championship game, the highest effort ever achieved in the program’s history.

That magical ride set the table for what head coach Jess Schwartz said has already been an adventure because of the hype the run generated.

However, as is the case with a lot of great teams, they tend to lose key talent to graduation, which happened to Garaway, mainly with the loss of All-Ohioan Morgan Schlabach.

While the team returned several key members from last season, it has just one senior, and the Lady Pirates have faced some ups and downs in trying to recapture the magic.

With the Lady Pirates continuing to hover just over the .500 mark, Schwartz said she believes everything is in place for her team to take the next step as the second season approaches.

“We’re coming off such an incredible run last season, and you can really feel the energy and the desire to try to repeat that again and keep the program rolling,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said there were a couple of key players returning from the success story last year and several more who were biding their time. Combine that with several of the team’s members playing critical roles in the Lady Pirates’ softball dash to the state finals last season and there is a lot of momentum hanging around.

“These girls get a taste of success, and they want to be out there competing at a high level,” Schwartz said. “We’ve had some real highlights this season, and we’ve had times when we haven’t put it all together, which parallels with any young team’s challenges. Sometimes we have to learn how to win and whose role is what and how do we fulfill those roles.”

The lone senior is Gina Beachy. She patrols the back row while speedy juniors Charlee Yoder and Audrey Miller give the team all-around players, with Yoder celebrating her 2,000th career assist recently.

Sophomore banger Quinn Schwartz returns after her major role in last year’s frontline success, who has been a focal point of the offense this season.

With 11 sophomores and juniors and the recent addition of freshman hitter Sami Garber, the youth movement is for real.

However, Schwartz said the most important component is the girls continue to learn and develop in defining those roles. With a deep squad that is willing to work hard and scrap for every single point, things are aligning in the right direction.

Schwartz said they have competed well with top-tier teams, going toe to toe with them, but at the same time, the youthful side has reared its head and she’s seen her team struggle against opponents they should be handling.

She said that is typical of any youthful but talented team.

“I love this group; they’re a lot of fun,” Schwartz said. “They communicate well and love playing for one another. It’s just a matter of putting everything together to make it all happen, and I know we can do that.”

The other thing that has happened, thanks to last season’s success, is it has seeped down into the younger programs. On Tuesday, Sept. 23 in a win over Sandy Valley, Garaway celebrated Youth Night with the “scalawags” as they’ve lovingly dubbed the young kids.

Schwartz said the energy that has been generated is exciting, and her high school players recognize they have an obligation to work with and encourage the younger kids to keep the train rolling.