For the first time in school history, Holy Redeemer didn’t capture a Wyoming Valley Conference title.
Yet, ask Royal head coach Jack Kablick and he acknowledges there is no real mention of it to begin the 2017 season.
“We don’t talk about it,” said Kablick, as the Royals 100-plus match regular-season win streak was snapped by Delaware Valley in 2016. “It is kind of a strange feeling, though, because this is the first year that we won’t be the defending conference champs.”
That WVC crown may not be away from Wilkes-Barre too long.
Redeemer enters 2017 as the front-runner to bring back the WVC title, and will be the overwhelming favorite in the District 2 Class 2A playoff race to defend its title.
The race for the 3A title? Well, that’s going to be interesting.
Nanticoke, the defending champ, lost key leaders Jenna Lipowski and Courtney Mazonis, but will return Kasey Radginski, Codi Hornlein, Jilann Baron and Alyssa Lewis. Crestwood, the district runner-up, graduated seven seniors.
“I think we are going to be OK,” GNA head coach Debbie Gavin said, “but we are going to need some leaders to step up. We are hoping that we can begin to gel by the middle of the season. We have some nice attackers, and some athleticism with the underclassmen. Like always, it’s going to be one practice at a time, and one match at a time.”
Of course, like most years, the Wyoming Valley Conference will revolve around Pennsylvania Avenue in the city.
Kablick will need to replace Times Leader Player of the Year Amanda Curcio, power hitter Brynn Kukosky and setter Ashley Andrejko.
But the cupboard is far from bare. Back is a stellar junior class led by standout Skylar Osenkarski, who is primed for a breakout season. Last year, Redeemer started six sophomores, and Kablick is hoping that pays off this season.
In 2016, Redeemer advanced to the state semifinals.
“Those six, they got that experience. They know what to expect now,” Kablick said. “I knew we would a little vulnerable early last year, but we were able to pick it up once we started to gain that experience. Those underclassmen grew up – going through the league, the tournaments, the postseason. This year, they are ready. We believe that we have seven quality hitters and a pretty strong back row.”
Who will challenge Redeemer for the conference title besides Nanticoke and Crestwood?
DelVal, the defending champ, lost power hitters Tara Sayles and Hannah Gallagher, but still has Brooke Williams and her 100-plus kills last season
And don’t look too far past Wyoming Valley West. Head coach RJ Tomascik returns five seniors who have been starting for the last three seasons. Included in that group is Gracie Giza, an all-conference selection the last two years.
“There has been less teaching at practice. It’s been more self-running,” he said. “It’s more about fine tuning some of our mistakes. Every year, we kind of set the same goals – double-digit wins, top 5 in the conference and contend with Delaware Valley for the district title. Really, I believe it’s Redeemer and DelVal at the top of the league, and it’s wide open after that for the third spot. You always have that one team that surprises. We are hoping to push toward the top.”
Two teams to keep an eye on are Berwick and Pittston Area.
The Bulldogs, last year’s surprise team, has a quality head coach in Sarah Warner who gets the most out of every player. Berwick lost power hitter Maddie Traugh to graduation, but will return Maddie Pinterich, Elizabeth Plyler and Nicole Sarge. Pittston Area lost Times Leader selection Kirsten Durling, but have plenty of experience returning with Liz Charney, Portia Weidlich and Emily O’Brien.
Sidebar
Wyoming Valley Conference at a glance
2016 Standings
Delaware Valley `17`0
Holy Redeemer `16`1
Crestwood `15`2
Valley West `13`4
Nanticoke `13`4
Berwick `12`5
Pittston Area `10`7
North Pocono `9`8
Meyers `7`10
MMI `7`10
Lake-Lehman `7`10
Hanover Area `6`11
Tunkhannock `6`11
Hazleton Area `6`11
Dallas `5`12
Wyoming Area `3`14
GAR `1`16
Coughlin `0`17
2017 Preseason Top 5
1. Holy Redeemer: The Royals, the defending district’s 2A champ, lost key hitters Amanda Curcio and Brynn Kukosky, but return six juniors that played a key role in last year’s state semifinal run.
2. Delaware Valley: The defending WVC champ, head coach Bridget Crawford has big shoes to replace with Hannah Gallagher and Tara Sayles lost to graduation. Brooke Williams, a power hitter, does return.
3. Wyoming Valley West: This could be the year the Spartans break into the top 3. RJ Tomascik returns an experience group that includes all-league selection Gracie Giza.
4. Nanticoke Area: Never count the Trojans out. Debbie and Jim Gavin always get the best out of their team, and return Kasey Radginski. Nanticoke is the defending district’s 3A champ
5. Crestwood: The negative part is that Mike Williams lost almost his entire squad from last season. But Crestwood never seems to rebuild, and will find a way to compete with the league’s best.
2017 Dark Horse
Pittston Area: If there is one team on paper that could surprise, look no further than the Patriots. Head coach Dani McAndrew lost Kirsten Durling off last year’s squad that barely missed the postseason. But she returns a wealth of experience with Liz Charney, Portia Weidlich, Emily O’Brien and Emma Coles.
3 Players to Watch For
Skylar Osenkarski, Holy Redeemer: There is just something about the junior year at Holy Redeemer where a player breaks out. That will be Osenkarski in 2017. After playing a key role in the state semifinal run last season, expect the junior to be the focal point of a diverse Royal offense.
Gracie Giza, Wyoming Valley West: A two-time Times-Leader first-team selection, Giza finished with more than 200 kills and led the league in blocks with 80 in 2016. A six-foot hitter, she also plays in the back row.
Kasey Radginski, Greater Nanticoke Area: More than just offense, Nanticoke will need Radginski’s leadership in the early season. In 2016, she was fourth in the WVC with 169 kills and added 32 blocks.
