EMLENTON — There are times when Josey Terwilliger can feel the fatigue chipping away at her.

When she hunches over to catch a breath and looks at her five teammates on the floor for the A-C Valley volleyball team, that's when the resolve and determination return.

“I'm not just playing for myself,” said Terwilliger, a junior middle hitter who also just so happens to be in the middle of everything for the Falcons. “I'm playing for my teammates.”

Terwilliger played so well for her teammates that she was named Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference Volleyball MVP.

She was also a first-team All-District 9 selection.

“Josey plays the whole way around,” said A-C Valley coach Doug Knox. “She's our best passer. She's one of our best hitters. She led us in digs. She's one of the best all-round players. She's only 5-foot-6 and she's going up against six-footers at the net, but she played her best in the biggest games.”

Terwiller had 233 digs, 212 kills to go along with a 57 percent kill efficiency, and only missed five serves all year for a 95 percent success rate.

“Even though she's undersized, in 11 of our matches this year, she had 10 or more kills,” Knox said.

Terwillger saved her best matches for the toughest for surprising A-C Valley, which reached the PIAA Class A playoffs after a runner-up finish in the district despite losing five senior starters from last year's team.

Terwilliger had 34 kills in two meetings against North Clarion, 24 kills in two match-ups against Clarion and 17 kills in a playoff match against Redbank Valley.

Terwilliger, however, is most thrilled about how her entire team rose the challenge this season.

“I don't even know if I can explain how proud I am,” Terwilliger said. “All they did was play JV last season, but when they came up this year, they played awesome.”

Terwilliger said she never doubted they would.

“I play club season with them,” she said. “I think I always knew we would be really good this year. They're quick learners.”

Terwilliger put them under her impressive wings.

“I had to step it up,” Terwilliger said. “But I also had a lot of support from everyone. Knox, my coach, is an awesome coach.”

Last year, Terwilliger was the young one of a group of experienced players.

This year, her role was completely reversed as the one the younger players on the team looked to for guidance.

She said she learned a lot about leadership from the five seniors — Morgan Cratty, Alyssa Babcock, Kiersten Rothen, Katie Stumpner and Halee Wetzel — she played with last season.

“I mean, I felt a little pressure,” Terwilliger said. “But they taught me how to lead.”

Now Terwilliger, who gave up track and field to focus solely on her first sporting love, wants to be a better volleyball player.

That starts at the net.

“I want to focus on hitting,” she said. “I think I can jump pretty high and that helps (with the height disadvantage). I hit a lot of cut shots to get around the blockers. That takes a lot of practice and I want to get even better at that.”

Terwilliger isn't the only MVP in the family.

The youngest for four, her brother Cole was the KSAC MVP in baseball as a pitcher/first baseman in 2013.

Her other siblings, Reid and Makayli, were also active and successful in sports.

Makayli is a junior on the Grove City College volleyball team.

Josey Terwilliger said she hasn't upped her bragging game.

Yet.

“None of that,” she said, laughing. “But now that you've brought it up ...”