BUTLER TWP — What Gabriell Carney does in the fall: volleyball.

In the winter and spring: volleyball.

In the summer: volleyball.

Spare time? After school? Even on vacation — what little of it she has: Volleyball, of course.

The sport commands the complete attention of the Butler senior 12 months out of the year.

“Why?” the 5-foot-11 Carney asks, her smile as wide as her wingspan. “Because I absolutely love it.”

And she’s pretty good at it, too.

Carney is off to a scintillating start for the Butler volleyball team this fall with 56 kills in four matches.

She had 20 Monday as the Golden Tornado fell behind Fox Chapel 2-0, only to rally for a 3-2 win.

Carney added another 13 against a dominating North Allegheny team that used 21 players and is ranked No. 1 in the state.

She’s so good at it, she says, because she plays so much.

Carney estimates she hasn’t had a month off from competitive volleyball in nearly four years.

“I haven’t really had an offseason,” Carney said. “I’m still going. It’s kind of like just one big season.”

Carney plays for Pittsburgh Elite, a Junior Olympic traveling team that has taken her all over the country for tournaments.

She recently came home from Dallas after Elite placed in the Top 50 in a national event.

Carney went right from that into the high school season.

“We play from the end of high school season to the summer,” Carney said. “I have two weeks off the whole year. Every time I play, I love it even more. Every time I touch a ball, I feel like I get better.”

First-year Butler girls volleyball coach Dan Mountain said he has seen few players like Carney.

And Mountain has seen a lot of players in his time as a volleyball coach. He led the Mars girls team to the PIAA Class AA semifinals last season and also coached the Seneca Valley boys team.

“Gabby is definitely one of the best players I have ever coached,” Mountain said. “She is one of the most complete players you’ll see. She’s asked to be one of our best passers, one of our best defensive players and one of our best hitters and blockers and servers.

“And she does it all,” Mountain added. “She’s been a very valuable player for us.”

Carney has been playing volleyball since the fifth grade when she played at Butler Catholic.

She was immediately hooked.

“I just love the competitiveness,” Carney said. “I love being able to come together with a team. Everyone makes a difference on the court. At the same time, people can stand out. There are great passers and great setters and great hitters.”

Carney already has verbally committed to play next fall at the University of Pitt-Johnstown.

Carney had Division III colleges lining up trying to snag her, but she wanted to get a scholarship to play in college and received an offer from Division II UPJ.

“They were the ones who talked to me unexpectedly,” Carney said. “I love the coaches and I love the campus and they have a perfect business program. They have everything I want.”

With that major decision off her shoulders, Carney is focusing on helping her team try to grab what has been an elusive playoff spot out of a very difficult section.

She has become a leader with a blend of charm and tenacity on the court.

“She’s one of the nicest girls you’ll ever talk to,” Mountain said.

“What I like to focus on is supporting people and cheering people on,” Carney said. “If someone is down, you have to pick them up because if one person is down, the whole team is down. You always have to keep the energy up and a smile on your face.”