Fisher’s Files: Quaker Valley athletes enjoy fantastic fall

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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Eight varsity sports teams.

Four section championships.

Quaker Valley has had a flourishing fall athletic season, to say the least.

Section titles were won in boys golf and soccer and girls tennis and volleyball.

The league championship in girls volleyball was the first in school history.

Coached by Mike Vavrek, the Quakers racked up a 14-0 record in Section 4-2A.

“Offensively, we have been very good,” Vavrek said. “We’re hitting at a good percentage as a team. Also, we are winning the serving and passing game in our matches.”

The team’s starting rotation in the regular season consisted of seniors Katelyn Clark (MH), Annica Kagle (RS) and Lucy Auth (DS), juniors Molly MacDonald (OH), Nora Hammond (OH), Vanessa Pickett (S) and Carmen Forsythe (DS), and sophomore Mia Gartley (MH).

Tennis title

It had been more than a decade since Quaker Valley won a section crown in girls tennis, but the Quakers, coached by Christi Hays, rolled through league play to claim their first league championship since 2012.

“To say this season from the very beginning back in August to now has been a surprise and a delight would be a complete understatement,” Hays said.

Kirsten Close, a junior and Sewickley Academy transfer, junior Joyce Olawaiye and senior Taylor Martin have served as the team’s co-captains.

Olawaiye, a three-year starter, also is a top athlete on the QV girls track and field team that won the WPIAL Class 2A championship last season.

“I really enjoy playing both sports,” she said.

The Quakers also welcomed back from last year the likes of sophomores Livia Jobbins, Jane Lenhard and Parker Barnes, and juniors Emaan Ashfaq and Keira Cowher, a distant relative of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Jobbins and Barnes also were on the girls track and field team in the spring.

Newcomers to the varsity squad included freshmen Hannah Stein and Noor Ashfaq plus junior Mae Kruawangmon.

“The ladies have all gotten significant playing time, and I would say all of them have shown significant improvement since last season” Hays said. “One of my challenges has been to find enough playing time for each girl and also to find their right roles.”

Soccer success

The boys soccer team captured the 28th section title in school history and qualified for the postseason for the 42nd consecutive year (starting in 1982).

The Quakers finished 11-1 in Section 4-2A, tied for first with Avonworth, and held a remarkable 79-4 scoring edge in league play. The Quakers won 14 of 17 regular-season games by outscoring the opposition 89-9.

“Our lineup changes alot,” coach J.J. Veshio said. “We had numerous injuries this season that forced us to move players around. It’s also common practice to try some players in different spots to see what is most effective as we move into the playoffs.

Heading into the WPIAL playoffs, QV’s starting lineup consisted of senior Kiril Grin, senior Bennett Haas and junior Jack Karwoski as strikers; seniors Cameron Diggins, Nick Allan and Matteo Castellini at midfield; sophomores Sutton Hoehl and Tanner Schultz and juniors Andrew Vescio and Carter Turk on defense; and junior Nathan Pribik at the goalkeeper position.

“Our expectations are always the same,” Veshio said, “to win a WPIAL and PIAA championship, and we will work to achieve them again.”

Golf greatness

In boys golf, the Quakers tied for first place with Eden Christian in Section 9-2A with an 8-2 record.

QV juniors Ethan Dai and Nolan Wagoner competed at the top two positions in the lineup and both repeated as WPIAL qualifiers.

Dai and Wagoner led the way for sophomores Will Newlin, Ryan Dusch and Makenna Kamnikar and newcomers Michael Ponzo, a senior, Henry Zubanc, a sophomore, and El Folabit, a junior.

“The team this year did amazing,” Dai said. “Honestly, everyone performed above expectations, and I believe everyone can improve even more.”

QV posted an 8-2 section and overall record.

“I was so happy for our team to finish tied at the top of our section,” coach Greg Vecchi said. “After losing four terrific golfers (to graduation) after last year, I really didn’t know what to expect from the new and younger starters. They seemed to have worked hard in the offseason.

“We started out slowly (in 2023) but ended up having two of our best rounds late in the season, so that was a big positive.”

Running rewards

And one other note, QV’s boys cross country squad finished as a section runner-up this season. The QV boys logged a 9-1 record to take second place at the all-section meet.

Juniors Clark LaLomia and Jackson Pethel, sophomores Tyler Bell and River Capek and freshman Jonah Montagnese were the Quakers’ top five runners.

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