The 2015 SCH volleyball team captains are (from left) junior Catie McDermott and seniors Drew Kevitch and Marissa Pownall.(Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s volleyball team will have a bit of a different look this fall, since the program graduated five players with the Class of 2015. Several of them did not actually see much action last fall due to injuries, but most of them were four-year varsity players.

The Blue Devils had a winning season overall last year, finishing with an 11-9 record. They placed fourth within the Inter-Ac League, and won a first-round match in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools tournament.

One of the 2015 graduates, Brigit McDermott, has moved on to the University of Pennsylvania. She decided to try out for the team there as a walk-on, and she recently received the good news that she will indeed be part of the Quakers’ program.

McDermott’s sister Catie, who is going into her junior year at SCH, is one of the Blue Devils’ team tri-captains this year, along with seniors Drew Kevitch and Marissa Pownall. The third senior on the 2015 roster is the team’s tallest player, hitter Anab Aidid.

McDermott’s junior classmates on this year’s varsity are Ava Tokarek and Alivia Villari. Sophomores Rachel Kazlauskas and Kayla McTamney saw varsity playing time last year, and both were integral parts of the SCH softball team last spring.

Two players stepping up to the varsity squad this fall are junior Katie Suplick and sophomore Clara Domanska.

The Blue Devils will benefit from having a stable coaching situation; head coach Heather Hoehn is entering her sixth year at SCH, and varsity assistant and JV head coach Dara Lyons has been with the program almost as long.