History of Penn Highlands Volleyball Club

Penn Highlands Volleyball Club was established in 1997 with the intentions of strengthening the level of high school play in girls’ volleyball in Fayette and its surrounding counties. In previous years, the W.P.I.A.L southwest region teams were consistently defeated by the strong programs in the North, giving them little competition and rarely earning playoff bids.

In the first season of Penn Highlands, the club fielded two teams which were comprised of girls of all ages. Many of the athletes played up in age group in order to field a team. The Penn Highlands teams won very few tournaments in the first few seasons; however, the interest began to grow in the area and the number of teams eventually increased to four.

After its consistent growth from 1997-2001, in 2002, Penn Highlands Volleyball Club nearly dissolved when Geibel Catholic broke off from Penn Highlands Volleyball Club and formed their own high school club. Thanks to club director, Sandy Smith, and two dedicated board members, Rosemary Williams and Jill Enyeart, the club managed to field two teams in the 2002 season, one of which ranked in the top ten Ohio Valley Region club division. This season proved to be the most critical, as great things were about to happen in the upcoming seasons.

By the 2004 season, the club grew to six teams of all age groups. In addition to this positive growth, the Penn State Fayette campus announced the opening of their multi-million dollar Community Center Athletic Facility which gave Penn Highlands Volleyball Club more opportunity to grow.

The most significant growth came about in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Penn Highlands Volleyball Club moved into the Community Center facility and hosted their largest tryouts ever, having over 100 athletes each year of ages 10-18. The club also hosted their own fundraiser tournaments in the new facility, allowing the club to benefit financially from these events. In addition to these improvements, the 2006 season yielded one OVR Champion team, two #1 ranked teams, and one #4 ranked team. In addition to the success in the region, our local high schools have experienced significant successes and improvements over the past years including section champion teams, W.P.I.A.L. champion teams, and many playoff appearances.

The 2007 season marks a year of progression and new possibilities. Penn Highlands Volleyball Club will sponsor nine competitive junior’s teams in age groups ranging from 14-18. This season the club will sponsor two national level teams for the first time in Penn Highlands’ history. These teams are eligible to compete for bids to the OVR Bid Tournament and the Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships.

Throughout the years, Penn Highlands Volleyball Club has made significant advances since its inaugural season and is grateful for the dedication of all those involved in past seasons. Penn Highlands Volleyball Club looks to the future to continue to serve the community and its athletes by educating players and area coaches in the game of volleyball resulting in an advanced level of play in our area.