BUTLER TWP — More than 20 volleyball alumni will be in the Butler County Community College Field House tonight for a scrimmage against the Pioneers’ current team.

Longtime coach Rob Snyder may wish some of them were staying.

The Pioneers open the 2014 campaign with their Early Bird Kickoff Tournament Saturday with nine players — seven freshmen — one returning starter and no libero.

“This is definitely the youngest team we’ve had,” said Snyder, entering his 16th year with a 279-115 won-loss record. “But it’s a very talented group.

“It’s always a struggle to get players here. We did well in that regard early in the year, but we’ve gotten nobody late. This is the first year we haven’t had a defensive specialist, so we’re counting on everyone doing well all-around to be successful.”

BC3 usually is successful. The Pioneers finished 19-8 last season, dropping the conference championship match in five games to Potomac State for the third straight year.

The lone returning starter from that team is sophomore outside hitter Heather Straynick from Butler. The only other sophomore on the squad, Danika Durand from Freeport, is a transfer from Slippery Rock University. She will be the setter.

“She didn’t play volleyball (at SRU) and she was an opposite hitter in high school,” Snyder said. “But Danika is a good athlete, very quick, and I think she’ll adapt well to this position.”

The four freshman starters are Freeport graduates Michaela Bowser (middle hitter) and Alexis Schrecengost (outside hitter), opposite hitter Emily Shorr from Butler and middle hitter Amanda Wensel from West Shamokin.

Other freshmen on the squad are middle hitters Maria Loos from Moniteau and Hannah Sloboda from Portersville, along with outside hitter Kylie Minnich from Ford City.

“Alexis is a big-time player in high school and having three players from a championship program like Freeport is a plus for us,” Snyder said. “Those girls already have a bond and they’re used to winning.”

Most of the players on the team were hitters in high school and “we’re going to have to make some of them passers,” Snyder added. “That might be tricky at first.”

But playing with a small roster isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“You get a few girls on the court playing together for a while, not a lot of shuffling in and out of the lineup, and you develop cohesiveness,” Snyder said. “They get used to playing together.

“It may take a while for this team to jell, but it can be good. Our goal every year is to win everything in the end. That’s not going to change.”

BC3 has won six Region XX championships and played in two NJCAA national tournaments under Snyder.

Assistant coaches this season are Butler graduate Makenzie Huey and Moniteau graduate Mariah Clark.