What a weekend for the Northern Cambria girls volleyball team and the Lady Colts’ great fans.
Led by a strong senior group, the Lady Colts defeated Reading Holy Name on Saturday to win the PIAA Class A championship. This is the school’s second title in five years.
The team’s four seniors – Janae Dunchack, Breanna Kochinsky, Ariel Rocco and Jess Rocco – witnessed that first championship run from afar, and decided that they wanted to reach the same lofty goal.
“I remember (the 2005 team) coming to the middle school and walking around with their trophy and thinking, ‘Wow, I wish that would be us some-day,’ ” Kochinsky said Saturday in York.
“This is really great, to share a victory with everyone on the team,” Dunchack said. “We’ve been working together to get to this point the last four years. It’s really great to finally get here.”
Throughout the season, the team has gotten great support from other Northern Cambria students and from the community.
Central York High School must have felt like home with the bleachers filled with cheering fans.
Even fans from other schools got on the Northern Cambria bandwagon as the weekend went on.
“They’re amazing,” Dunchack told The Tribune-Democrat’s Eric Knopsnyder. “They’ve been to every game, painted, cheering.
“They go practice chants somewhere. It’s amazing.
“All the people that woke up at 4 o’clock (Saturday) morning to ride the pep bus – they’re just amazing fans. It’s really great to have them.”
And the winning is just getting started at Northern Cambria, which will likely be among the area’s best teams in basketball and track this year as well.
Don’t be surprised if Northern Cambria raises a few more trophies before the school year is over.
“They have a nice legacy when they leave here,” coach Mike Hogan said.
The Lady Colts’ motto all volleyball season has been: “Take a stand, leave a legacy.”
They spoke it, and then realized it.
“We’re going to be remembered always as a team that won states,” Kochinsky said.
Yes, you are.
Congratulations to the players, coaches, parents and fans on a fantastic accomplishment.
