Expectations at Ephrata

Another girls volleyball season is freshly underway around the Lancaster-Lebanon League, and there’s noticeable excitement surrounding several teams and players.

Nowhere is that anticipation more palpable than at Ephrata, where the Mountaineers return five of seven starters from a team that reached the L-L semifinals and the District Three quarterfinals, falling one win shy of a PIAA tournament berth.

“We’ve been talking about it ever since last year, even though we lost a couple people (to graduation),” senior Taylor Haupt said. “Grace Farlow, Maddie Saylor and Brie Luciano, those were some hard losses for us. But there were some other up-and coming players that we were like, ‘This is going to be a really good year.’ ” Of course, Haupt’s return at outside hitter has a lot to do with those expectations.

Individually, she earned all-section, all-district and Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association all-state honors her junior season.

And recently, Haupt was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Candidate for the 2022 season, one of 300 players across the country to earn the distinction.

“When my coach (Mike Elliott) talked to me about it, that he was putting my name in there, I was like, ‘Thank you so much! It’s 300 people, I don’t know if I’m going to make it,’ ” Haupt said.

“When I heard I got it, I (thought), wow, it really is an amazing accomplishment,” she continued. “I’m thankful for my coach for putting me out there and putting me in situations to succeed.”

In addition to Haupt, Ephrata brings back all-section libero Erin Eby, middles Evelyn Banks and Courtney Smith, and defensive specialist Olivia Horst. Sophomore Sofia Rios gets the nod at setter.

“The front row will be very strong,” Elliott said. “We have a young setter running a fast offense, but she has grown through club volleyball as have the majority of the starting players on the team.”

Ephrata’s chief rival is Elizabethtown, where new head coach Katrina Shelly takes over a squad that last season won the Section Two title, reached the L-L final, took third in districts, and made it all the way to the state quarterfinals.

The Bears lost three starters to graduation including a pair of all-state players, but return all-section middle Liz Kerin, outside hitter Chloe Merkt, setter Hailey Oller, and libero Paige Horst.

Other teams to watch in Section Two include Manheim Central and Lampeter- Strasburg. The Barons return all-state middle hitter Maddie Knier, while the Pioneers bring back all-section honorees Emily Mullin and Jenna Hoover.

Key Dates

The L-L League tournament will once again feature the top two teams from each section. The Section One champion will host the quarterfinals on Oct. 19, with the champions of Section Two and Three awaiting the winners in the semifinals on Oct. 20. The league final is scheduled for Oct. 22.

If the league tournament seems a little condensed, that’s because the District Three tournament is scheduled to begin two days earlier than usual, on Oct. 25. In the meantime, there are several all-day varsity tournaments being held locally throughout the month of September.

Solanco will host its tournament on Sept. 3, Ephrata will host its tournament on Sept. 10, Lebanon and Hempfield will host theirs on Sept. 17, and Manheim Central will host its own Sept. 24.

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