We Serve First Foundation to host inaugural girls volleyball all-star event

By: Michael Love
Friday, October 28, 2022 | 10:54 AM

Area high school girls volleyball seniors, and the game itself, will be celebrated Dec. 10 as the inaugural We Serve First All-Star Classic will be at Kiski Area High School.

The event will highlight the skills of 38 seniors from 19 high schools from throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley and surrounding communities.

Those schools include Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong, Burrell, Butler, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Freeport, Hampton, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Mars, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, St. Joseph and Valley.

Tim Toy, executive director of the We Serve First Foundation, is excited to bring the volleyball community together for what he said will be a grand night of competition, fellowship and camaraderie.

Toy said the event hopes to follow the postseason celebratory feel as the Cager Classic has done with area boys and girls basketball seniors each March for the past two-plus decades.

“It has worked for them, and we can’t help but think it will work for volleyball, too,” Toy said.

“We’re hoping to highlight these seniors, and maybe some of the talent which is unsigned to colleges might get a look and possibly sign on somewhere at the next level.”

Toy said invitations will be extended to college coaches to attend the games.

The format for the all-star event will be a four-team tournament. Coaches of the four teams — Freeport’s Tom Phillips, Butler’s Megan Lucas, Franklin Regional’s Rachel Carter and Leechburg’s Eve Hebrank — will draft players after a relaxed practice session Dec. 9.

“We hope that will create a fun atmosphere where we really mix up these rosters and have a good time,” Toy said.

First-round games Dec. 10 will start at 4:15 p.m.

Toy said participants will be announced after all of the area teams with eligible seniors have concluded their seasons.

Doors open at 3. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students, and youths age 5 and under are free.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 724-493-5945.

Proceeds for the event will go to support the We Serve First Foundation, established in 2015 by the late Ellen Toy, a longtime youth and high school girls volleyball coach in the area who passed away a few months later in early 2016 after a six-year battle with gastric cancer.

Tim Toy, Ellen’s husband, continues to advance the foundation’s mission to “seek out young athletes with financial burdens, regardless of their age or skill level, and help them find a love for competition in a team sport. This helps these young people develop valuable skills necessary to compete not only in sports but also in life.”

“This is such a great event and an awesome opportunity for all of these area athletes,” Plum girls volleyball coach Kelsey Bonk said. “It is just more great exposure for the girls and also deserved recognition after four years of hard work.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong, Burrell, Butler, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Freeport, Hampton, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Mars, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, St. Joseph, Valley