CRANBERRY TWP — Two weeks ago, members of the North Catholic girls volleyball team held an impromptu team meeting after practice.

The topic: COVID-19 and how to keep the devastating virus from torpedoing their season.

The solution: Having the entire team switch to virtual classes.

“There had been talk all day about people getting tested and contact tracing,” said senior libero Elizabeth Feczko. “If you even sat next to someone in any of your classes who tested positive, you had to quarantine for 14 days.

“It was mandatory. We didn't want to risk that for any of our players. If one player gets it, the whole team is done.”

The decision to go virtual was a unanimous one and the players have been attending classes from home for two weeks.

“We can make that little sacrifice to ensure we can continue to play,” Feczko said. “If we do lose, it will be because the other team is better than us, not because of COVID. Not because our last game was a forfeit.”

North Catholic volleyball coach Amanda Fetter said neither she nor anyone in the North Catholic administration planted that virtual school thought into the players' heads.

They came up with it on their own.

“Some of them are better at adulting than I am,” Fetter said.

So far, the plan has worked.

The 17-0 Trojanettes won the WPIAL Class 2A title Saturday with a 3-1 victory over Elwood City. North Catholic has only lost three sets all season.

For Feczko, who struggled in the WPIAL title match last year against Freeport in a five-set loss, winning the WPIAL this season was vindication.

“Last year WPIALs wasn't the greatest game for me — I take a lot of responsibility for that,” Feczko said. “So coming back and winning this year was a relief for me. It was kind of a redemption.”

North Catholic went on last season to win the 2A state title — something they are striving to do again as the PIAA playoffs continue Saturday.

Not many thought the Trojanettes would be in position to repeat after losing eight seniors to graduation, including 2019 Butler Eagle Girls Volleyball Player of the Year Dominique Felix.

But a talented sophomore class has leapt to the fore, including Feczko's sister, Ally — an outside hitter having a remarkable season, according to Fetter.

“Ally is just having a lights-out year,” Fetter said. “I think internally we had a lot of questions, but we also knew our sophomore class was really talented. My biggest fear all season was they were going to get into a tight situation and panic.”

That hasn't happened.

Most of the girls on the North Catholic roster play club volleyball at the national level, including each of the eight sophomores on the team.

Depending on the rotation, there are five sophomores on the floor with Elizabeth Feczko.

They have all made a significant impact.

Katie McNelly, a 6-foot sophomore, has been particularly strong on defense. The middle hitter is averaging more than three blocks per game.

“That's a big number in high school,” Fetter said. “She defends the part of the court we need her to defend so we can play defense around it. She's playing really, really well.”

North Catholic has always been about banners and bells — putting banners in the gym and ringing the traditional bell after winning WPIAL and state titles.

Elizabeth Feczko, who signed her national letter of intent Thursday to play at Villanova, has one more bell to ring and one more banner to hoist.

“I just think the odds were stacked against us from the beginning with all of our underclassmen and the COVID situation,” Feczko said. “We didn't even know if we would have a season at all.

“Regardless of what happens, winning the WPIAL and making it this far is super special, given the circumstances.”