Lady Panthers hope to continue rich volleyball tradition
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Kelsey Maving will try to help extend Sweet Home's section title streak in girls volleyball to three. File photo

Winning a Section VI championship is a tough feat for any high school team but for Sweet Home, it's expected.

The school has a rich tradition of dominating girls volleyball, dating back to the years of coach Sally Kus, who led the Lady Panthers to 20 consecutive section crowns as well as 15 Far West Regional and six New York State championships from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s.

Sweet Home continued the tradition the past two years with back-to-back section titles. Lady Panthers coach Breean Trapasso knows winning a third straight crown will be a challenge.

"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Trapasso said. "Doing something three times in a row is hard enough, even if you have the same team. I don't think it will be impossible, especially if we keep working and capitalizing on what we have, but it will be tough."

Unlike last year, Trapasso doesn't have the team's best hitter, Krista Prentice, an All-WNY outside hitter, or five other seniors, three of them starters, from last year's 13-4 squad. But Trapasso does return arguably the best girls volleyball player in the area in Kelsey Maving. The returning All-WNY selection helped the Western scholastic women's team win a gold medal at this past summer's Empire State Games. Although she's a junior, it's Maving's fifth year on varsity. Primarily a setter in years past, Trapasso said Maving will be used everywhere on the court this season.

"She'll be playing on the outside, on defense, and will set a little bit," said Trapasso. "She's such a good player that she really can do anything. She has good form, power and knows the game."

Other returning players are junior Deborah Conti, an on and off starter at outside or middle hitter last year, junior Ellie Allen, a key middle hitter, senior libero Carol Skoney and sophomore and junior setters, Shannon Memminger and Jill Reeser, respectively. Allen, 5-foot-9, has started the past two seasons and will be the team's go-to hitter, Trapasso said. Skoney is a returning ECIC II first team selection.

New to the team is junior Kayla DiBello, who returns to the court after playing soccer last year, and sophomore defensive player Larissa Svensson.

Sweet Home hosts Frontier in its opener on Thursday.

"We know we have a high reputation to uphold, especially with a two-year repeat in the section," said Trapasso. "Our end goal is a three-peat but we will have to take it one game at a time."
Sweet Home 2007 Schedule
9-6 Frontier........................ 5 p.m.
9-8 at Burnt Hills tourn... 8 a.m.
9-12 at Niagara-Wheatfield.. 4:30
p.m.

9-14 at South ................ 4:30 p.m.
9-15 at Frontier tourn......... TBA
9-17 East ............................ 5 p.m.
9-19 at Iroquois............ 4:30 p.m.
9-21 Lake Shore................ 5 p.m.
9-22 Sweet Home tourn... 8 a.m.
9-25 at W.S. East............... 5 p.m.
9-27 Hamburg.................... 5 p.m.
9-29 at Eden tourn. .......... 8 a.m.
10-4 at Orchard Park ....... 6 p.m.
10-5 at East ....................... 6 p.m.
10-9 Iroquois...................... 5 p.m.
10-11 at Lake Shore ......... 5 p.m.
10-13 at North Ton. tourn. 8 a.m.
10-15 W.S. East ................. 5 p.m.
10-17 at Hamburg ............. 6 p.m.
e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com