PIAA girls volleyball season preview 2025: Meet Butler County’s Top 9 players to watch
Girls volleyball is consistently one of Butler County’s most competitive sports. Mars won a WPIAL crown last season, while North Catholic fell just short. Freeport is a perennial contender, as well.
Here are some of the best players the local scene has to offer this season, listed alphabetically.
Ticketed to play in college at Elon, Christy is a steady force for the Planets. She’ll be even more of a leader for the defending WPIAL Class 3A champions this time around.
“She’s gonna probably have to pick up a little bit of offense until some of our younger players feel more comfortable,” Mars coach Tami Caraway said.
A fourth-year starter and Pitt-Johnstown pledge, Cornibe will be a key piece as the Golden Tornado break in new head coach Halee McCance, who replaces longtime coach Meghan Lucas.
Cornibe is a big offensive threat and an adept blocker on defense. She was an All-Big 56 performer as a junior.
Gonzalez has played behind a handful of talented girls with the Trojanettes.
“She had a major impact on a lot of matches with her blocking abilities, and she can also hit pretty well, too,” North Catholic coach Amanda Fetter said. “It’s her turn to take the reins.”
Fetter anticipates Gonzalez, who played outside hitter the past few seasons, taking the lead of the team’s offense as setter this season.
Mueller worked her way into the Raiders’ lineup halfway through her freshman year. Rounding into her junior year, she picked up club volleyball, as well.
“She's always been a big offensive weapon for me, my other big outside,” Seneca Valley coach Brett Poirier said. “She can hit from the right side, hit from the left side. ... She'll definitely be a starter somewhere in there.”
Peffer, a returning captain, has had her tour of the front row over the past few years. She'll likely be in the middle for Poirier's squad this year after manning the right side last season and the left the one before that.
"She's kind of played anywhere I've needed her to play, which she's very versatile and very good at," Poirier said.
Radvan is no stranger to making an impact for the Yellowjackets.
“She was somebody that showed a lot of potential even as a freshman, and she was always in the mix,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said.
Phillips added Radvan was a key component last year, playing mainly in the middle. She’ll bring her hitting talents to her “natural, true position” on the outside this campaign, he said.
Primarily an outside hitter — one who doesn’t back down despite being short for the position — the 5-foot-5 Staab enters this season as the Warriors lone four-year starter.
“She’s an all-around player,” Moniteau coach Kaitlyn Loos said. “She plays every position. ... She is just that girl I can always count on to be exactly where she needs to be when she needs to be there.”
Venesky has moved around with the Gremlins, with an ability to “get the ball over in play, is smart with the ball, at times has an aggressive serve and can play all six positions,” Karns City coach Taylor Callihan said.
Callihan is hoping to see increased consistency out of Venesky.
Weidemann posted just under 900 assists as a freshman, helping lead the Planets to their first PIAA championship game appearance. With a wealth of experience to her credit, she’ll be counted on to help the offense get up to speed.
“For a young hitter, when the ball is there and it’s consistently in the same location, it helps those hitters have the time to take reps at the same ball,” Caraway said.
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