Reisinger Leads BC3 To Record 6th Consecutive Conference Title

Butler, PA – Breanna Reisinger had 14 kills, Aslyn Pry 11 and Abby Granato 7 as the ninth-ranked Butler County Community College volleyball team won a Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference-record sixth conference championship in a row Saturday.

BC3 moved to 13-0 with its 11th sweep of the season, beating Penn Highlands Community College, Johnstown, 25-15, 25-19 and 25-11 at BC3’s Field House.

“They’ve done everything they were supposed to so far, and they’ve beaten some really good teams, so we’re happy with our progress,” Pioneers coach Rob Snyder said. “The big thing we are looking forward to now is next weekend.”

The Pioneers enter the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region XX championships next weekend and undefeated for the first time in Snyder’s 22 years as BC3 coach.

BC3 has won the past two Region XX championships and 10 under Snyder.

“We are fortunate to have good talent this year,” Snyder said. “Our season will be judged on how far we go in the playoffs.”

BC3 volleyball players selected to the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference’s all-conference team are, from left, Morgan Jack, Breanna Reisinger, Aslyn Pry and Lainey Tobolewski.

Ellwood City native Reisinger was selected Saturday to the WPCC’s all-conference team, as were teammates Aslyn Pry, Morgan Jack and Lainey Tobolewski.

Jack was among NJCAA Division III leaders in assists and Tobolewski in digs through Oct. 16.

Jack had 29 assists Saturday and Tobolewski, 23 digs.

The Pioneers ran off scoring runs of 11-1 and 7-1 in the third set to record the sweep and the program’s sixth WPCC championship in a row. The streak of WPCC titles passes the conference record of five BC3 won from 2002-2006.

BC3’s Top 10 ranking among 91 NJCAA Division III volleyball programs is its first since 2016. The Pioneers are off to their best start since they began that season 14-0.

Reisinger and Pry led BC3 in kills in the regular season with 107 each.

Both have had 11 or more in three of BC3’s past four games.

“We’ve definitely made a connection working together in front of the court,” said Reisinger, a graduate of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City and BC3 outside hitter. “We call it the dream rotation when we are all up there together. We get lots of points rolling in because we feed off each other’s energy and we want to swing big.”

The dream rotation includes Jack, a setter and Knoch graduate, Reisinger and Pry said.

“We work really well together,” said Pry, a Moniteau graduate and Pioneers middle hitter.

BC3 has been WPCC champs 17 times – nine more than No. 2 Penn State-Altoona, which last won the title in 1997.

Snyder this season “has quite a bit of players to choose from,” Penn Highlands coach Carley Denner said of a 12-member BC3 squad of only first-year players. “He has a big team, so that makes subs easy, and he has a lot of great talent from just the local area, which is great. They adjust. They read the defense so their offense can make the best swings.”

The Pioneers, Penn Highlands, Howard Community College, Columbia, Md., and host Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Md., will compete in the Region XX championships Oct. 23. Semifinals are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and the championship, for 6 p.m.

BC3 did not play in 2020 as a result of an NJCAA decision to postpone athletics with regard to COVID-19.

Jack as of Oct. 16 was fourth in the NJCAA Division III in assists per set with 9.53.

Tobolewski is a libero and Seneca Valley graduate who as of Oct. 16 was first in the NJCAA Division III in digs per set with 8.33.

Players on a BC3 team that recorded the program’s 12th winning season in a row are Madison Raypush, an outside hitter and Knoch graduate; Riley Danner, defender, Knoch; Logan Barnhart, setter, Moniteau; Kylee Bender, defender, Knoch; Granato, outside hitter, Mohawk; Josie Rupp, outside hitter, Redbank Valley; Claire Kile, middle hitter, Harvest Baptist; and Morgan Frishkorn, opposite hitter, Knoch.

BC3 was ranked as high as No. 5 in a 2016 season in which it finished 21-3 and at No. 9.

Penn Highland’s Machiah Holsopple, Emily Bittner and Lauryn Calhoun were also selected Saturday to the WPCC all-conference team. Holsopple, the Black Bears’ leader in kills through Oct. 16, had five Saturday and Bittner, Penn Highland’s leader in digs, had 17.