Donnelly true on-court leader for Mars
ADAMS TWP — No one player does it all.
But Mars girls basketball senior Olivia Donnelly is doing a lot of things very well.
She is a team captain. She has played all five positions on the court. She leads the Planets in shooting percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, points per game, deflections, steals and assists entering Mars’ PIAA 5A tournament game against Cathedral Prep on Wednesday night at Sharon High School.
“She is a silent leader,” Mars coach Dana Petruska said. “Olivia is vocal when she needs to be, says what she has to say ... Mostly, she leads by example.”
That example is hard work.
Donnelly is a four-year starter. She led the Planets to their first section title and state tournament win since 2018. When senior teammate Alexa McDole went down with an injury in the third game of the season, Donnelly and 6-foot-2 forward Lauren Atwell were the other senior starters left.
"We’re basically a young team,“ Donnelly said. ”When Alexa went out, that was three starters gone from last year. I knew I had to be more of a leader, but it’s not hard with these girls.
“We all get along. Some of the younger girls on the team refer to me as mom. It’s fun. We enjoy playing together and want to keep going as long as we can.”
Donnelly and McDole have been playing basketball together since sixth grade. They had a pact to win the section title this season, in their final year of Mars basketball.
“It was hard when Alexa got hurt,” Donnelly said. “But it only increased my efforts to help the team win the section. I wanted to do it for the both of us.”
Donnelly is sinking 81% of her free throws this season. She averages 11.3 points per game — a shade ahead of sophomore and co-captain Vita Vargo — and has pulled down 196 rebounds.
She also has 62 deflections, 51 steals and 77 assists.
“Steals and assists are categories point guards usually lead in,” Petruska said. “Olivia has brought the ball up the floor at times. She’s usually my No. 4 on the floor, playing big, but she’s been at all five positions at some point. She is such a versatile player.”
Besides playing for Mars, Donnelly has played for Drill For Skill in AAU basketball for the past three years.
“I’ve always been a guard-forward type, so I’m used to playing a lot of different roles,” she said. “Whatever I can do to help the team, I’m gonna do.“
Donnelly will continue her academic and basketball career next year at John Carroll University. She plans to major in business with an emphasis on sports.
She said she hopes to get into coaching down the road.
John Carroll was 13-13 this season under third-year coach Beth Andrews. The previous four years, the Blue Streaks put together a composite 81-19 record that included four consecutive appearances in the Ohio Athletic Conference championship game, two OAC titles and two trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Donnelly said her only goal in terms of college basketball is to “get better as a person and as a player.”
Petruska is confident she will succeed at the next level.
“Her work ethic will carry her a long way,” the Mars coach said. “Going to a program like John Carroll, she’ll be able to concentrate on one position and her role there. I know she’ll find a way to make it work.
“We’re going to miss her next year. It will be strange being without her. She’s done so much.”
