Mars girls volleyball’s Cecilia Christy named 2-time player of the year: See 2025 Butler County all-stars
Cecilia Christy’s four years at Mars coincided with the girls volleyball team’s best stretch ever.
The Planets made the WPIAL Class 3A tournament all four years, won just their second WPIAL championship and made their first PIAA championship game appearance in 2024, and this year made the WPIAL semifinals and states once again. All the while, Christy, a 6-foot middle hitter, put together consecutive record-breaking years and will graduate as one of the best players in program history.
And to think, she was originally a basketball player with no big dreams for volleyball.
“We’re gonna miss her a lot and her ability to play,” head coach Tami Caraway said. “But she’s a great leader on the court, a great leader off the court.
“She’s grown a great deal, and when she first came to the program, I think she saw herself as more of a basketball player than a volleyball.”
Christy is the Butler Eagle’s Girls Volleyball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The Elon University commit who was voted all-state once again by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association had 320 kills off a next-level .454 hitting percentage, adding 63 blocks. She will graduate with the school records for kills (710), blocks (170) and hitting percentage (.450, more than .150 better than second). Caraway called her an “elite player.”
Christy’s teammates voted for her to win the program’s legacy award, and Caraway noted teammates always appreciated Christy’s leadership — she motivated everyone on the team to be better without yelling, without coming down on others. She was a vocal captain in players-only meetings, and on the court she had an uncanny ability to step up in big moments, Caraway said.
“Her willingness to be what the team needs (at any moment),” Caraway said of what impressed her about Christy.
Christy headlines this year’s Butler Eagle girls volleyball all-stars, including first team and honorable mentions, listed alphabetically:
Camdynn Gonzalez, sr., S, North Catholic: Gonzalez quarterbacked the Trojanettes to the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals, dishing out 543 assists. The all-state first team standout added 165 digs, second on the team, and was also a solid point producer, recording 47 kills and 22 aces.
Kennedy Hummert, so., L, Seneca Valley: Hummert’s 342 digs this season broke the Raiders’ record and earned her all-section, all-WPIAL and all-Big 56 honors at the end of the year. She also had 36 aces and 32 assists.
Raina Lewandowski, jr., OH, Butler: She’s already crossed the 500-kill mark in just two seasons as a starter (three on varsity) and earned WPIAL accolades as all-Big 56 and all-section. She led the Golden Tornado in kills and hitting percentage and was second in serve percentage, blocking and aces. According to her coach, Lewandowski is getting Division I and II interest.
Cameron Mueller, jr., OH, Seneca Valley: Mueller was one of the top front-line attackers in the county and WPIAL this season, breaking the Raiders’ single-season kills record with 294. She also showed her all-around game with 287 digs, 43 aces and 25 blocks, earning all-section, all-Big 56 and all-WPIAL honors. Her career kill mark is currently 601.
Adison Novad, sr., OH, Slippery Rock: A District 10 Region 3 first-team pick, Novad led the Rockets to a perfect region record (16-02 overall) and a District 3 Class 3A semifinal appearance. She finished the year with 252 kills, 221 digs, 58 aces and 21 solo blocks.
Gabi Weidemann, so., S, Mars: Weidemann may one day be ranked the best setter in Butler County history. She reached 1,000 career assists Sept. 2, a mark most seniors don’t reach, and after two seasons she’s at 1,752. She’s got eight of the top 10 single-game assist records in school history, including No. 2 with 58, and her 870 assists this year is second only to her freshman mark of 882. The rest of her current records are too numerous to list here and will surely grow.
Rylee Wooldridge, sr., OH, Mars: Another record-breaking member of the Planets’ core, Wooldridge set program marks in single-season kills (367), kills per set (4.32) and attack attempts (921) and was named all-state first team. She also broke the school record for kills in a match with 30. Wooldridge graduates No. 1 overall in attacks (1,734), kills/set (3.0), serve attempts (799), and is top five in kills (668, second), aces (106, third) and digs (516, fourth), among others. She’s receiving college interest.
Emily Boylan, so., OH, Freeport; Lexi Caldwell, jr., S, Slippery Rock; Addison Corbett, fr., OH, Seneca Valley; Brynn Cornibe, sr., MB, Butler; Maddy Dehart, sr., MH, A-C Valley; Sheridan Gallagher, jr., S, Seneca Valley; Alaina Graham, sr., L, Mars; Lillian Hayden, jr., L, Union; Audra Lazzara, jr., OH, North Catholic; Mikaila Measel, sr., OH, North Catholic; Lyla Runtas, jr., L, Slippery Rock; Regan Schmoll, sr., MB, Karns City
Correction: This story was updated at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, to reflect Audra Lazzarra is a junior and Mikaila Measel is a senior.
