BUTLER TWP — Rob Snyder waited as long as he could.

But when no one stepped forward to take over the Butler County Community College women's volleyball team, he stepped back into the head coaching position.

"Had anyone else shown interest in coaching the team, I would have been happy to let someone else do it," Snyder said. "But I wasn't going to let the program die."

He has too much invested in it.

In 10 years of coaching BC3 volleyball, Snyder won five conference and state titles, four Region XX crowns and made one trip to the NJCAA national tournament.

He stepped down after the 2005 season "to clear some time." Snyder serves as director of Student Life at BC3 and coaches a highly successful club volleyball team during the spring and summer.

John Rogerson took over the Pioneers program in 2006, winning the conference and state championships. Heather Graham, one of Snyder's former players, coached the team the past two years, but she got married recently and moved to Arizona.

"We posted the opening and found no takers," Snyder said. "Two weeks before the season started, I decided to return as coach.

"We did absolutely no recruiting. I emailed our students to announce a volleyball team meeting and eight girls showed up. I didn't know what to expect. I started preparing myself for a down year."

He's since reversed such thinking.

All 10 of Snyder's players are from Butler County area high schools. All 10 played volleyball in high school.

And all 10 are playing well together.

"I really like this team," Snyder said. "It has the potential to be as good, if not better than, any team we've had here."

Only one sophomore, middle hitter Ashlee Gallagher from Butler, is among the starters.

The five freshman starters are setter Kelli Davis from A-C Valley, opposite hitter Sarah Beals from Seneca Valley, middle hitter Ashley Campbell from Karns City, outside hitter Jamie Antoszyk from Knoch and freshman outside hitter Hillary Pendel from Slippery Rock.

Beals wasn't planning to play volleyball until she saw that Snyder was coaching the Pioneers squad.

"He was one of our coaches at Seneca Valley and we had really good teams there," Beals said. "He called me and talked me into coming back."

Beals suffered a knee injury playing Junior Olympic volleyball in the spring of 2008 and missed her senior season at Seneca Valley. She returned to play for her club team last spring, "but it just didn't feel the same," she said.

Gallagher is friends with former Butler teammate Caitlyn Cress, a freshman libero, and talked her into joining the team. Other players on the roster are freshman defensive specialist Tegan Schellman from Slippery Rock, sophomore middle-opposite hitter Shannon Blauser from A-C Valley and sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Bonzo from Moniteau.

"I didn't know what to expect talent-wise when I first came to practice, but it's been a pleasant surprise," Beals admitted.

Davis and Campbell have been friends since fourth grade. A-C Valley finished 12-4 with Davis as its setter last year, but never won a playoff game during her years there.

"When I found out Ashley was going to the meeting, I decided to go," Davis said. "I didn't decide to play volleyball until I was already here.

"It's amazing how quickly we've come together in practice. I think we can have a winning season ... a very successful season."

Campbell agreed.

"We've gotten used to each other already and we all get along," Campbell said. "We're having a lot of fun and we're winning at the same time."

The Pioneers are 3-2 this season, placing fourth in the eight-team LaRoche Invitational last weekend as the only two-year school in the event.