Ballyhoovballcrew

PUMPED that the entire crew was in action this past weekend! Congratulations to all of our coaches and players who are making strides from one tournament to the next!

Special shoutouts 🗣
1️⃣7️⃣⚪️ - Silver Bracket Champs 🏅
1️⃣5️⃣🔴 - Silver Bracket Champs 🏅
1️⃣6️⃣⚪️ - 3rd place overall 🥉
1️⃣5️⃣⚪️ - 2nd place overall 🥈
1️⃣8️⃣⚪️ - 2nd place overall 🥈

🦏

❄️ SNOW DAY - DAY 2 ❄️
All practices are CANCELLED for Monday, 2/1. Enjoy!

❄️SNOW DAY❄️
All team practices and Youth League trainings are CANCELLED for today, Sunday, 1/31.
Stay tuned for updates regarding team practices on Monday, February 1.
Stay safe and warm!

Over half of our Ballyhoo Crew brought home medals from the opening MLK Kickoff Challenge this past weekend!
*Not Pictured - 14 Navy - 14 American Bronze Bracket Champions*

U15s-U18s...it’s open gym time! Come join us this Sunday, Nov 1st. See you there! 🦏❤️🏐💙

I spy some alumni! 🖤 Can you find the 3 Ballyhoo 2020 Alumni in this picture? 🦅🏐

TRYOUTS for U12s-U14s are this Saturday and Sunday. Link in bio for tryout information and to register. See you this weekend!! 🦏❤️🏐💙

Free open gyms for U12-U18. Come learn more about our program and meet our amazing coaches and staff! 🦏❤️🏐💙

Huge congrats to Eliana Rodgers (Ballyhoo 16 White) on her verbal commitment to Sacred Heart University! We are so excited for you Eliana! 🦏❤️🏐💙

Alumni Check-In with Julia Rill, rising sophomore outside hitter/libero for Lebanon Valley College. Julia is majoring in biology and hopes to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant in the future. Thanks for checking in with us Julia! 🦏
🏐To be a successful student-athlete, time management is key!! My teammates and I study wherever and whenever we can during season!
🏐The biggest difference between high school and college ball is the travel. Some of our games were multiple hours away, which was a big change from going 20 minutes down the road in high school!!
🏐The best way to train is to get your hands on a ball, the more touches the better (and a little jump training never hurts 🙂!
🏐My favorite Ballyhoo memory was going to the Baltimore aquarium with my team and watching Abby see the sharks 🙂
🏐Lastly, If you are on the fence about playing volleyball in college DO IT!! It could be one of the best experiences of your life!!

Checking in with 2019 Ballyhoo Alum Abby Diehl. Abby is a rising sophomore at York College majoring in Early Childhood Education.

1. What position do you play in college?
I am a setter!

2. What advice would you give for being a successful student athlete?
Make sure you give yourself time to really study and focus on your work, whether that be asking your professors for help or getting some tutoring. Also take the time to really get to know your teammates because they are the group of people you will surround yourself with the most.

3. What is the biggest difference between high school and college volleyball?
I would definitely say the level of competition/ speed and in high school you were playing with your friends and now you’re competing against them. You have to introduce yourself all over again to create a new family.

4. What is the best way to prepare/ train for college vball?
Don’t be nervous. That may be hard at first (it definitely was for me), but you need to be confident in yourself and prove to your new teammates that you deserve to be here just as much as them. Train your body both physically and mentally for this new type of play.

5. What are your favorite Ballyhoo memories? In 2016, at Capital Hill Classic, my team beat the top Metro 16s team. It was so crazy and you would have thought we just won the gold medal in the Olympics. I also loved playing in Florida for Nationals my 16s and 17s year.

6. Any additional thoughts?
Try to stay in touch with your coaches once you start college. They will give some of the best advice and help you in so many ways. I want to give a shoutout to Kelsey Fuller, Tom Hunt, Maggie O’Hearn, and Jason Leppo for truly helping me transition into my freshman year of college. You all have made me feel like I can do anything on and off the court. Love you all💜

Alumni Check-In with Lindsey Keener, Ballyhoo Class of 2019. 🦏🏐

🏐I go to Haverford College. I am a rising sophomore (Class of 2023), and I am a potential Biology or Psychology major with a Neuroscience minor.

🏐What position do you play?
I am an OH/DS.

🏐What advice would you give for being a successful student athlete?
You definitely need to have strong time-management skills to be a successful student athlete in college, because there will be so many different things that want your time. It’s all about finding a balance that works for you and knowing that that may look different for each person. You are totally able to do whatever you’re passionate about if you’re willing to put in the work to balance it all.

🏐What is the biggest difference between high school and college volleyball?
The biggest difference in transitioning to college volleyball for me was the speed of the game and the time commitment. The girls are bigger, stronger, and faster than high school so it can be an adjustment getting used to that. Being on the team is also a year-round commitment, not just when you’re in season, so that is something that was new to me from high school.

🏐What is the best way to prepare/train for college volleyball?
You just have to grind! The summer between high school and my first year of college I would lift and hit my sprints each day and make it down to Ballyhoo whenever I could. You are in total control of how prepared you come into preseason, so if you put in the work starting in the spring/early summer, you are setting yourself up to have a rewarding preseason.

🏐What is your favorite Ballyhoo memories?
My favorite Ballyhoo memory is definitely my entire 16s year where we did a lot of cool things on the court and had a lot of fun off the court too. Beating Metro 16 Travel with this group of girls at the Capitol Hill Classic will forever be a highlight of my club volleyball career.

🏐Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or want to talk about anything! College volleyball is a huge commitment, but it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, even after just one year. So if you decide to play, that’s great!

Checking in with our Ballyhoo Alumni! 🦏❤️💙
Up first... Ally Montour. Ally is a rising sophomore at Eastern University. She is majoring in nursing and a middle blocker on their vball team.

Read on to hear about her college experience, some advice for our Ballyhoo players, and her favorite Ballyhoo memories.

🏐Some tips I have for being a successful student athlete is to have great time management and plan ahead. You have to make sure you schedule time in your day to get homework done, study, etc.. The further you plan ahead, the more organized you will be, and you will have a lot less stress! It gets hard at times but it’s worth it in the end!

🏐The biggest difference between high school volleyball and college volleyball is the game is a lot faster. You see better opponents, better players, better teams, and more. Everyone is a well rounded player at this level so when it’s game time, everyone is ready to compete and get after it.

🏐The best way to train or prepare for college volleyball is to make yourself both mentally and physically present. Physically, you should be active everyday, working on the workouts your school gives you to do for the summer, and trying to add in other workouts that build strength in areas of weakness. Mentally, you want to prepare yourself for anything that might be thrown at you in college volleyball. Whether it be a new style of coaching, new position, or new defense, you have to be mentally ready to accept the change and be willing to adapt to what your team needs you for.

🏐My favorite Ballyhoo memories include meeting life long friends and going to AAU nationals in Florida my 17’s year. All of the tournaments we went to were awesome and really shaped me to the player I am today!

🏐Best of luck to all the Ballyhoo girls on awesome club seasons and successful recruiting!!

Thank you Ally!!

Grand finale in our “Throwback Series”! 🔙 Can you guess this Ballyhoo coach, who was inducted into her college’s Hall of Fame in 2014?
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And the answer is...
13s Coach Liz Zeigler!
🏐Spring Grove High School (1994)
🏐Elizabethtown College Vball Team (1994-1997)
🏐Liz was inducted into Elizabethtown College’s Hall of Fame in 2014!

Home of the free because of the brave. Remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Tune in tomorrow (May 6) as senior, Kam Hepler (Libero-18 White), will be taking over our Instagram account! 🦏❤️🏐💙

Throwback 🔙 Series continues! Can you guess this coach?! She played for Gettysburg High School and then Millersville University.
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And the answer is Lexy Coldsmith!!
🏐Gettysburg High School (2014)
🏐Millersville Vball Team

Our Ballyhoo Throwback 🔙 Series continues! Can you guess this coach?! She played for New Oxford High School and then Central Penn College (where she broke their record for number of kills!)
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And the answer is...
17s Coach Dani Peck!
🏐New Oxford High School (2015)
🏐Central Penn College Vball

Throwback 🔙 Series Ballyhoo Style! Can you guess who this coach is?! ❤️💙
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And the answer is...
18’s Coach Kelsey Fuller!
🏐Red Lion High School
🏐Juniata College Vball Team

Throwback 🔙 Series continues with this Ballyhoo Coach, who was coached in junior high and high school by two other (and older!😆) current Ballyhoo coaches. Can you guess who this coach is?! *Bonus points if you can name the other two Ballyhoo coaches in the photos! 🤔
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And the answer is...
Coach Shannon Werner!
🏐Dallastown High School (1998)
🏐South Pa’s Vball Club
🏐Penn State Vball Team
(Bonus Answers: Sue Saxton coached Shannon in Jr High and Lisa Figadore
coached Shannon in high school!!)

Continuing our Throwback 🔙 Series...Can you guess this Ballyhoo Coach? ❤️💙
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Coach Heather Hildebrand
🏐Susquehannock High School~1994

Celebrating Ballyhoo Senior Natalie Saxton!🎓🦏💖
🏐My two favorite volleyball memories are when all my teammates wore crazy socks for senior night and when Leppo was our setter at the scrimmage tourney my junior year.
🏐The people who have had the biggest impact on me as a player are Jason Leppo, Sonia Guyer, and my mom.
🏐My favorite tournament snack is Cheez-It’s.
🏐My favorite hobbies other than vball are hanging out with my friends and long boarding.
🏐My favorite quote is “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
🏐My best advice about recruiting is to start early and make sure you spend time getting to know the coach and the team. Keep your options open and check out lots of different programs and levels. Also, make sure you like both the school and the volleyball.
🏐I will be attending Eastern University and majoring in Early Childhood Education.
🏐Enjoy the time you have left, because it goes fast. Thanks to all my coaches and teammates. I will miss you! ❤️💙

Celebrating Ballyhoo Senior Peytan Gullickson! 🎓🦏💖
🏐One of my favorite volleyball memories was getting third place at the Baltimore NEQ this year.
🏐The person who has had the biggest impact on me as a player is my middle school volleyball coach. He always supported me and influenced me to keep playing.
🏐My favorite tournament snack is pretzels.
🏐My favorite hobbies other than vball are hanging out with my friends and going to random places.
🏐My favorite quote is “never apologize for being yourself.”
🏐My best piece of advice during the college decision process is to go where you feel like it could be your second home. Also, do not be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone.
🏐I will be attending Slippery Rock University and majoring in Biology.

Continuing our Throwback🔙 Series...can you guess this next Ballyhoo Coach? (Maybe a little easier this time. 😉)
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Coach Brittanie Silk
West York High School (2015)

Celebrating Ballyhoo Senior Aubrey Rentzel! 🎓🦏💖
🏐My favorite volleyball memory is the reverse sweep of South Western at their gym for the division title match.
🏐Jason Leppo and Nate Ocasio have had the biggest impact on me as a player.
🏐My favorite tournament snack is peanut butter crackers.
🏐Other than volleyball, I enjoy spending time outside and traveling.
🏐My favorite quote is, “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”-Muhammad Ali
🏐My best piece of advice during the college process is to choose where you feel at home. You will be spending 4 years there make sure you absolutely love it!
🏐I will be attending Stockton University.
🏐I plan to major in Biology, and I intend to continue on to Physician Assistant school afterwards.
🏐Thank you to all of my coaches and teammates who have helped me become the volleyball player I am today! Also, good luck to all of the other girls and coaches on their upcoming seasons and college decisions!

Celebrating Ballyhoo Senior Eve Brink! 🎓🦏💖
🏐My favorite volleyball memory is competing in the county and district finals, as well as the state quarterfinals with my senior class.
🏐The person who’s had the biggest impact on me as a player is my high school coach, Nate Ocasio. From entering his beach volleyball camp in 6th grade to my last game as a senior, he has pushed and challenged me to be a better player. I can’t thank him for everything he has taught me through the years.
🏐My favorite tournament snack is goldfish and granola bars.
🏐When I’m not playing volleyball or with my friends, I’m most likely taking a nap. 😆
🏐My favorite quote is “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” -Dr. Seuss
🏐My best piece of recruiting advice is to make sure not to settle. Although it feels like everything is moving so fast and you need to make a decision, make sure it’s the best decision for you. You’ll know when a college is the right fit for you, and keep searching until you get that feeling. Look into many different schools, and don’t hesitate to reach out to coaches. Communication is very important. Go where you’re wanted, and know your worth as a player.
🏐I’ll be attending University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
🏐I plan to major in Early Childhood Education (Pre-K through 4).
🏐If anyone, throughout the course of their upcoming season(s), has any questions or concerns regarding volleyball, school, college, or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out. Help is always here!
🏐Thank you girls! I look forward to celebrating you all. Hope to see you soon!!! 🏐🦏

Celebrating Ballyhoo Senior Ali St. Rose! 🎓🦏 💖
🏐My favorite memory is being able to win a bid to USAV Nationals as well as going to Nationals in Indy.
🏐All of the Ballyhoo coaches have had an impact on my life making me a better player and person.
🏐My favorite tournament snack is pretzels.
🏐My favorite quote is “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
🏐My best piece of advice for younger players would be to enjoy each and every moment...good AND bad.
🏐I will be attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
🏐Thank you to all of my coaches and teammates for making my high school career very special. Ballyhoo will always hold a special place in my heart.

Happy Easter Ballyhoo Crew!

Celebrating Ballyhoo Senior Skye Wolfe! 🎓🦏💖
🏐My favorite volleyball memory was finishing 3rd at Baltimore NEQs this year.
🏐The person who’s had the biggest impact on me is my high school athletic trainer, because he never let me give up and got me back on the court again after my knee injury.
🏐My favorite tournament snack is goldfish.
🏐My favorite hobby other than vball is drawing.
🏐My favorite quote is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
🏐The best piece of college advice is to go somewhere that feels like a second home.
🏐I will be attending East Stroudsburg University and majoring in Athletic Training/Pre-Physical Therapy.