New Mission
JEFFERSON TWP — The memories pop up frequently.
The pancake — Knoch's Kerrie Fitzpatrick sliding her hand under a volleyball for a dig in the state title match against Allentown Central Catholic last November in Johnstown.
The rally from 10-7 down in the fifth set.
And the match-winning kill by Sarah Armahizer.
The 24-0 record.
The PIAA 3A championship.
The tears of joy.
The exhilaration.
“If it ever gets brought up, me and Kennedy (Christy) look at each other and smile,” said junior outside hitter Hannah Rowe. “Obviously, we're never going to forget what happened last year — we're going to cherish every moment; No one can take away 24-0 and states — but every team loses players each year and we lost a lot of talented girls. Coach (Diane) Geist has made sure we take positive steps every day.”
Indeed, 2017 is over.
This is 2018 and the dynamic at Knoch is a different one.
Rowe, Christy — also a junior — and Fitzpatrick, the lone senior, are the core now.Gone are six seniors — Armahizer, Carly Bozzo, Abby Pospisil, Bethany Nulph, Rory McCune and Abby Kopac.“It hit us hard in the spring when we went to open gym and the seniors weren't there,” Christy said.Geist has emphasized since the championship banner was raised in the Knoch gymnasium that this team is going to be different.She's tried to tackle head on the urge to reflect on last season, too.“I've been worrying about how to approach this,” Geist said. “Whenever I bring up last year, they're like, 'Aw,' and get teary. I said maybe I shouldn't talk about last year, but they said no. They want to talk about it.”But not too much.Rowe and Christy were standouts last season, teaming with Armahizer, Nulph and Kopac to form a dynamic group at the net.This year, they have become leaders.“I think we realize that last year we had an amazing year and it's sad to see all the seniors go,” Christy said. “But we're moving on and it's exciting.”“We're focused on now,” Rowe added.
And now may be just as good as then, despite thoughts to the contrary.“Even people in our school are saying, 'You're not going to repeat,'” Christy said. “That motivates us.”There are pieces in place.Rowe displayed her raw ability last season at the net. One of the hardest hitters in the WPIAL, the 6-footer didn't always know where it was going.Still, she was good enough to tally 218 kills and become one of the most feared net players in the state.This season, Rowe will rarely leave the court.“I've learned to not always hit it the hardest and pick my spots,” Rowe said. “I'm also excited to play all the way around, to pass and serve. I've been trying to get more consistent as a player.”Rowe also made a very difficult decision toward the end of her sophomore year in school.Rowe also excelled on the track and on the basketball court, but decided to give those two sports up to focus solely on volleyball.“It's what I had to do,” Rowe said. “I'm focusing completely on volleyball and I think that will be really beneficial for me.”Christy also turned in a stellar sophomore season. She recorded 196 kills, 345 digs and 179 service points.A new, faster-paced offense could make Christy even better in 2018.“Especially for me as a middle hitter, I think it fits my game even better,” Christy said.Fitzpatrick was the glue to the offense, setting to Knoch's talented hitters.“I think Kerrie said it best when she said, 'Just because we graduated a lot of seniors doesn't mean we can't get back there,'” Geist said.“Like I said, we're a different team,” Geist added. “We'll set a new mission and see what happens.”
