Blue Ridge coach Lori Zick is balancing her emotions with staying focused as the District 2 Class 2A girls volleyball playoffs begin this week.
The Lady Raiders are the No. 1 seed as they embark on a new challenge in the PIAA’s six-classification format. For Zick, it is the second time she will experience final high school moments as coach and mother, as her daughter Mckenna is the team’s senior setter.
From 2020 to 2023, Zick coached her daughter, Libby, a multi-time Times-Tribune Player of the Year.
“It’s been kind of funny, because I wondered if the first was going to be harder or the second would be, and I am beginning to think it’s the second because of that feeling that it would be over,” said coach Zick, who was The Times-Tribune Girls Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and the Boys Coach of the Year in 2017, 2022, and 2023.
“With Mckenna, there is a feeling of that final game or that final moment where I won’t be coaching her, so that might be a little tougher on me. It has been a great ride, but it has gone too fast. This senior group last got medals when they were freshmen, so we want to get them medals again.”
Playing for her mother, and in the role of setter, has been an unforgettable experience for Mckenna.
“It’s been really special to me,” Mckenna, 17, said. “It made our bond stronger. We made memories that not every kid gets to make as a player in high school. Having my mom as my coach certainly has made it a lot more fun, and it has also made me a better person and player overall.”
Libby was an all-state player. She had a decorated career with 1,813 assists, 829 service points, 305 aces and 486 digs. Following in her footsteps was not going to be easy.
Still, Mckenna handled it well and carved a place in the Blue Ridge history.
She has played since her freshman season, when she had limited action but recorded eight assists, five service points, and four aces.
As a sophomore, Mckenna had 477 assists, 183 service points and 62 aces, and last season, she added 566 assists, 161 service points and 43 aces.
“(Libby) was obviously a great player,” Mckenna said. “Playing as a sophomore was hard to do because Libby ran the team and everyone looked up to her. When she graduated, I had to fill her role and work a lot harder. I had to be a vocal leader on the court. Libby has also helped me be a lot stronger as a player and taught me a lot.”
This season, as a team leader, she has 493 assists, bringing her career total to 1,544. Mckenna also has 131 service points and 41 aces.
“She always knew the role she had to fill in the program, and that would be daunting,” coach Zick said. “She has definitely, as a senior, become a vocal leader. She has really gained confidence and come into her own.”
Mckenna and senior teammates Abigail Gelinger, an All-Region player last season, Lynndee Barbour and Payton Perrington lead Blue Ridge. The Lady Raiders competed in the Lackawanna Division I and have won four straight matches, including a four-set win over North Pocono, the No. 4 seed in the District 2 Class 5A playoffs.
The Lady Raiders defeated No. 2 seed Dunmore twice, 3-0, and swept No. 4 seed Mountain View during the league season.
“This group of seniors, our ‘Core Four,’ is great,” Mckenna said. “We love each other like best friends. That makes our connection on the court so much stronger, and we play so well as a team. It will definitely be sad when we aren’t playing together.”
In the Class 2A first-round matches, fifth-seeded Susquehanna (5-13) plays at No. 4 Mountain View (6-12) on Monday at 6 p.m. The winner advances to face top-seeded Blue Ridge in Wednesday’s semifinal doubleheader.
No. 6 Lackawanna Trail (3-13) plays at No. 3 Elk Lake (7-11) on Monday at 6 p.m. The winner advances to play No. 2 Dunmore in the semifinal.
The championship match is Nov. 4.
Class 6A
Delaware Valley, the 16-time District 2 Class 4A champion, earned the No. 1 seed with a four-match winning streak to close out the regular season.
The Lady Warriors (12-4) also won the District 2-4 subregional title last season, beating Williamsport, the District 4 representative in the final.
Paris Machado, Makayley Hughes and Cece Dickerson were key players in Delaware Valley’s win.
Delaware Valley hosts eighth-seeded Scranton (0-17) on Monday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals. In the other bracket quarterfinal, fifth-seeded Wilkes-Barre Area (5-9) plays at Pittston Area (7-10) on Monday at 6 p.m.
Williamsport is the No. 2 seed and hosts No. 7 Wyoming Valley West (2-12) on Monday at 6 p.m. No. 6 West Scranton (7-9) plays at No. 3 Hazleton Area (11-6) on Monday at 5 p.m.
The semifinals are Wednesday and the final is Nov. 4. Only the champion advances to the PIAA tournament.
Class 5A
There are only four teams in the classification.
Top-seeded Berwick (16-2), the Wyoming Valley Conference champion, will host the semifinal doubleheader Thursday starting at 5 p.m. No. 3 seed Abington Heights (17-1), the Lackawanna League Division I champion, plays the No. 2 seed Dallas (16-1) at 5 p.m. in the first match.
No. 4 seed North Pocono (13-5) faces Berwick in the second semifinal, 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Abington Heights-Dallas match.
The championship match is Nov. 3.
Class 4A
There are four qualifiers, setting up semifinal matches Thursday at top-seeded Crestwood.
Second-seeded Valley View (16-2), the Lackawanna League Division II champion, plays No. 3 Tunkhannock (8-7) at 5 p.m. in the first semifinal.
The second has No. 4 Nanticoke Area (8-8) playing Crestwood (12-3), 30 minutes after the Valley View-Tunkhannock match.
The final is Nov. 5.
Class 3A
The top two seeded teams received byes. Holy Redeemer (14-5) is the No. 1 seed and will host the semifinals Thursday. Mid Valley (13-4) is the No. 2 seed.
In the first-round matchups Tuesday, sixth-seeded Western Wayne (3-16) plays at No. 3 Lakeland (12-4) at 6 p.m. The winner advances to play Mid Valley in the first semifinal at 5 p.m.
No. 5 Lake-Lehman (10-8) plays at No. 4 Montrose (11-5) at 6 p.m. The winner will play Holy Redeemer in the semifinals, 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first semifinal.