BUTLER TWP - For Butler County Community College's fall athletic program, it's all about reaching state championships - and beyond.

The Pioneer baseball team won its first-ever state title last fall. The golf team finished second in the state tournament.

The women's volleyball team won the state title last year, but fell two wins short of returning to the NJCAA nationals.

"I've put together a tougher schedule this season and it's all geared toward preparing us for nationals," said 10th-year volleyball coach Rob Snyder said. "Because I believe we're going to get there.

"These girls are going to see quality all year long."

Snyder, 151-76 in his career as the BC3 coach, has 11 players on the roster compared to eight last season.

Four of the players were freshmen on last year's 23-6 team: right side hitter Heather Hartman of Mars, outside hitter Katherine Smith of Butler, co-captain and middle-hitter Autumn Burke of Franklin and middle hitter Krista Ebner of Kittanning.

The other co-captain is freshman setter Tawnie Osborne from Calvary Academy. She led Calvary to the National Association of Christian Athletes championship in Tennessee last winter as her team topped a 25-team field.

Former Calvary teammate Stephanie Lawson also is a freshman for the Pioneers.

"Calvary Academy has played in our summer league the past two years and hasn't lost a game," Snyder said. "Tawnie is a natural leader, and your setter should lead things on the court.

"I had no problem with making her a captain."

Osborne has no problem taking on the role, either.

"I'm fine with it," she said. "I play as hard as I can on the court and try to encourage everyone else to do the same.

"I know we have the talent to get to nationals. This team has the ability. If we work hard together and play as a team, I know we can do it."

Other freshmen on this year's volleyball squad are defensive specialists Tara Grossman of Slippery Rock and Jasmin Mehelich of Butler, outside hitter Megan Struble of Purchase Line, outside hitter Angel Shaw of Knoch and outside/setter Brittany Beatty of Saegertown.

"Defense will be our thing," Snyder said. "Our defensive specialists are outstanding. My biggest challenge will be keeping these 11 players happy, because they can all play."

The Pioneers are coming off a 21-8 record last fall that resulted in the program's first-ever state title.Coach Steve Boyd returns just five players from that squad, including starting third baseman Todd Walker (.340), left fielder Joe Rekich (.328) and first baseman Mike Dorondo (.291), all from Butler.Other returnees are pitcher Shane Seybert of Butler and outfielder Derek Carmichael from Union."I feel great about our lineup and our fielding," Boyd said. "We've got some good pitching, too, but we need to find a catcher."We're looking at three guys, Walker, Dorondo and T.J. Bayer (from Butler), behind the plate. They've all caught before, just not recently."The Pioneers' pitching rotation features Mike Finley of Highlands, John Lefevre of Knoch, Josh Sasse of Knoch, Nathan Kurtz of Freeport and Nathan Markle of Moniteau.Lefevre and Markle were two of the best high school pitchers in Butler County last year."Steve Seybert will give us innings there, too," Boyd said. "We're in good shape on the mound."Butler grad Kolby Gregory is at first base, Seneca Valley grad Todd Purvis at second, Sasse or Markle is at shortstop and Bayer or R.C. Funkhouser of Kittanning is at third.Rekich is in left field, Butler grad Steve Scott is in center, Lefevre or Seneca Valley grad Shannon Nagel will be in right.BC3 had a .313 team batting average last fall."We need to mature and come together as a team," Boyd said. "If we do that, and straighten things out behind the plate, there's no reason why we can't make another run at the whole thing."Rounding out the Pioneers' 22-man roster are outfielder Bryan Rhodes of Neshannock, outfielder-pitcher Joe Ference of Seneca Valley, infielder Brandon Grenet of Butler and outfielder Cody Betush of Freeport.

Bill Miller returns for his third year at the helm after guiding the Pioneers to runner-up finishes in the WPCC and the 21-team state meet last year.The team opened this year by winning the seven-team Potomac Invitational last weekend, besting runners-up CCAC-Boyce and Westmoreland by four strokes."We've only got four golfers right now and I'm trying to get two more," Miller said. "You can play six golfers in a match and keep the top four scores, so it's an advantage to have a full team out there."Three of BC3's golfers, Nate Bilski, Travis Shingleton and Matt Edgar, are sophomore returnees from Butler. Bilski made all-conference and all-state last year.The fourth golfer is Chuck Manos, a freshman from Knoch."I'm counting on big things from Nathan," Miller said. "Travis was my No. 4 man last year who I'm hoping is my No. 2 man this year."Edgar was with us two years ago and he's more mature now. He's played more golf and he'll definitely help us."