PA girls basketball storylines ’25-26: Butler’s new faces; Karns City’s pace; Mars, Seneca Valley’s big goals
Perhaps no local team lost more talent to graduation than Butler girls basketball.
How the Tornado respond and reload will go a long way to determining if they return to the playoffs. Meanwhile, section and neighboring rival Seneca Valley is ready to defend its section title.
The 2025-26 PIAA basketball season is around the corner, set to tip off Nov. 29. For each Butler County team, the next week is full of excitement and hope for the year to come. And what might their seasons look like?
Here’s what to expect from each team this year:
Butler finished 6-4 (11-11 overall) and second in a tough WPIAL Section 1-6A last season.
It will likely be tougher sledding for the Tornado this year, with multiple key starters graduated. The losses of 1,000-point scorer and West Chester freshman Amelia McMichael, guard Sydney Patterson (Edinboro soccer) and Avery Maier (Westminster basketball) leaves some gaping holes for a roster that doesn’t feel bad for itself.
“I think it’s a new team and it’s a new dynamic,” coach Mark Maier said. “I do think that we’ll be better balanced, you know, from one to 10, but that also might mean we might not have (a go-to scorer).”
Seniors Emily Cornish (guard) and Emily Hoffer (guard/forward) are two players expected to take on more responsibilities, but it will require a group effort to match last year’s playoff berth.
“I’m so excited that I might get to play some more, and I will see us grow as our own individual team,” Cornish said. “However, I’m just excited for everyone.”
– Jake Merda Adams
The Yellowjackets didn’t have much of a rapport with one another last season. It’s a much different story this time around.
“We didn’t have a senior that had played before,” second-year coach Jason Kerr said. “So we went from having zero experience to now returning all five starters. ... From last year to this year, it’s like light-years difference.”
Everyone knows their roles after a 6-17 season, along with what Kerr is trying to put on the floor scheme-wise. Senior point guard Nia DiSanti and junior Lilly Holloway were the team’s top scorers last year. Junior Macy Stivenson and senior Jaisa Gaillot provide a pesky defensive presence.
“We’re a small team. We don’t have much size,” Kerr said. “That group, as well as some others, they all add that toughness and rebounding. They have to.”
Sophomores Sophia Glass, Cecelia Schlegel and Elena Jenkins add to the mix.
– Brendan Howe
Reminiscent of the school’s football team, the Gremlins plan to be predominantly a running team this year. Coach Steve Andreassi believes he has the athletes to turn the strategy into wins.
“We were mostly a halfcourt team last year (23-4, District 9 champions), but we’ll be playing fast,” he said. “Both Naomi Venesky (forward) and Hanna Dailey (guard) are high-energy players. Hopefully, we will be able to generate offense from our speed.”
Venesky and Dailey are two of the Gremlins’ three returning starters. Swing player Hannah Summerville is the other.
Venesky, a senior, averaged a double-double last year of 11.1 points and 10 rebounds for a team that reached the second round of the PIAA Class 3A tournament. Dailey was second on the team in rebounds with an average of six.
“(Naomi) is high-intensity, no matter how the game is going,” Andreassi said.
Sophomores Maddie Mahood and Alivya Farren and freshman Taylor Ritzert are all primed to make strong cases for starting or prominent roles.
“Our concept on defense is anyone can be successful, and we believe we can plug in and play many girls in that regard,” Andreassi said.
– Derek Pyda
The Knights (12-11 last year) are trying to keep their playoff streak of eight years alive, and will be doing so for the first time in a while without Karlee Buterbaugh in the lineup.
So, how will they make it work? Simple: defense. And a team effort.
“We do like to hang our hat on defense,” coach Shane McGraw said. “Hang our hat on defense and defense travels and keeps you in games.”
Knoch — which allowed 46 points per game per MaxPreps last season — likely won’t have a ball-dominant leading scorer this year and instead could have several players average 8-10 points a game. But someone, or multiple players, will have to step up in crunch time.
Jada Burgard, Liv Foster, Neah Ewing and Aubrey Sprencer could take on more responsibilities after Knoch averaged 39.2 points a game a season ago.
“You got to put the ball in the hoop,” McGraw said. “And at times last year we struggled with that. That was our biggest Achilles’ heel.”
– Merda Adams
Zach Stitt does not shying away from competition.
“Our schedule might be a little more difficult than maybe it should be for a team that has a lot of question marks on it right now,” the Planets’ coach said. “But I think the three seniors that we have ... have some pretty broad and wide shoulders.
“They’re gonna pull those younger kids along for the ride.”
Division I commits Cecilia Christy (Elon volleyball) and Alexis Cashdollar (Wake Forest basketball) join fellow senior Mya Moore as key contributors from last season’s 15-12 effort. Mars reached the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals and earned a state postseason berth.
To prepare for the upcoming campaign, the Planets took part in a Fox Chapel fall league, plenty of open gyms and brought freshmen and sophomores to California (Pa.) University for a one-day summer shootout.
“For us right now, the biggest thing is we have a lot of young and inexperienced players around (those) three, so what we’ve tried to focus on ... is how are we developing these kids?” Stitt said.
– Howe
While Dee Arblaster has been head coach of the Warriors since 2015 — and from 1990 through 2001 before that — the current group of Moniteau girls know another coach just a little bit better.
Assistant coach Rick Fleeger has been with Moniteau girls basketball for two decades, primarily working with the elementary and junior high players. But as this year’s varsity players moved up, Fleeger decided to come with them.
“My daughter, Sophia, graduated last year,” Fleeger said. “There was an opening on the varsity staff, and I moved up. I’ve been with this group of players since they were in grade school.”
“His teaching, definitely,” junior forward-center Emily Matz said of Fleeger. “He’s helped develop us as players all along, and that’s going to continue.”
Moniteau is coming off an 8-15 season overall, but 6-4 in league play.
– John Enrietto
Molly Rottmann’s success with the Trojanettes cannot be overstated.
Entering her 28th year at the helm, Rottmann has compiled a 571-162 record with 21 section titles and a record 12 WPIAL championships. Last year, North went 25-5 (13-1 WPIAL Section 1-4A) and made the WPIAL semifinals and state semifinals.
One person has been by her side as an assistant coach each year — her father, Bill Larkin.
“He’s been coaching with me ever since I started in coaching at Montour,” Rottmann said. “I’ve learned so much from him along the way, and having him alongside on the bench has been a total joy.”
But Larkin may not be joining her this year.
“We lost my mother in June, and, of course, that’s had a major impact on our family,” Rottmann said. “Dad may not be on the bench with me this season. That’s yet to be decided for sure, but I know he’ll have positive input regardless.”
– Enrietto
Compensating for the graduated Gracie Cato will be “by committee,” coach Dorothea Epps said.
Cato paced the Raiders in points (16.5) and assists (four) per game in 2024-25, helping the Raiders to their first section title in nearly 50 years and a 15-7 record.
“All the girls have to step up to fill her shoes,” Epps said.
Working in the Raiders’ favor is they have a number of players capable of playing multiple positions, starting with senior Natalie Hambly, a Pitt-Johnstown commit who is equally adept at playing point and shooting guard. She averaged 14.2 points while playing mostly the latter a year ago.
Brooke Dufford, a senior who put up an average of six points and seven boards last season, can play either forward position and in the post. Sophomore Reece McFadden has the ability to play any position.
“Erica Rebovich will also be at the point, depending on our opponent,” Epps said. “We pride ourselves in playing well defensively. The younger players know the expectations, but they don't truly realize what it takes until they experience it during a game.”
– Pyda
Resting on their laurels is simply not an option for the Rockets, who are coming off an 18-8 campaign that included a trip to the District 10 and state playoffs.
“We’re only a year removed from coming off 10-34 (the program’s record the previous two seasons),” second-year coach Jeff Steele said. “We can’t be complacent.”
Slippery Rock is a team of “all guards,” according to Steele. One of them, current senior Madison Romanovich, is the Rockets’ leading returning scorer (16) and rebounder (eight) per game.
Brielle Jordan was the team’s point guard a year ago but should get more chances to score this season with Gia Kovacik moving to that position.
Isabella Drake and Ryleigh Cornelius are strong candidates to start, but the will definitely see expanded roles in the team’s fast-paced game plan.
“We’ll try to create the same tempo (as last year), but will try some different things to maintain that,” Steele said. “Everybody has to elevate their play for us to reach the 51-point threshold, which is our goal every game.”
– Pyda
The Falcon Knights have a pair of senior leaders who can pave the way to a brighter season after last year’s 4-18 effort.
It starts with senior center Maddy Dehart, a four-year starter who averaged a double-double last year with 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds.
“She’s strong inside, but can also go outside and hit the 3 (25 treys last year),” coach Kelli Kifer said. “She doesn’t force things, she is willing to work to get open.”
The team’s other returning starter is point guard Emma Raschiatore.
“We’ve seen the growth in her ability,” Kifer said. “It’s huge for us to see her confidence in breaking pressure and handling defenses.
“The biggest thing that needs to improve for us is our shooting. Everyone on the team needs to be willing to shoot the ball and we’ve worked hard on that in the offseason.”
– Pyda
