![\"Bethlehem](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2025-11-08_7141-BC19.jpg\")
Bethlehem Catholic\u2019s Jocelyn Bell racked up double-digit kills in the Hawks\u2019 3-0 loss to Pope John Paul II in the PIAA-3A quarterfinals on November 8, 2025. (Photo by Joe Evans\/JoeEvansPictures.com)<\/p>\nOn Tuesday afternoon, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference girls volleyball all-star team was announced, and Bethlehem Catholic\u2019s Jocelyn Bell and Piper Ruggiero were revealed as the league\u2019s co-MVPs.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday night, the two showed why they were deserving choices as the league\u2019s best players.<\/p>\n
Bell and Ruggiero were among the standouts as they led the Lady Hawks to a 3-0 sweep (25-23, 25-16 and 25-18) of Allentown Central Catholic in the EPC semifinals at Northampton Area High School.<\/p>\n
Top-seeded Becahi (18-1) will return to Northampton at 7 p.m. Thursday to play No. 2 seed Parkland for the league championship.<\/p>\n
The Trojans (19-1) advanced by beating Liberty in a five-set thriller (30-28, 27-29, 19-25, 25-14 and 15-11). Parkland will be going for its first league championship since 2023.<\/p>\n
The Lady Hawks lost in last year\u2019s league finals to Emmaus in five sets and also fell to ACCHS in five in 2024. They have not won a league title in the EPC\u2019s current configuration.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Catholic\u2019s Jocelyn Bell racked up double-digit kills in the Hawks\u2019 3-0 loss to Pope John Paul II in the PIAA-3A quarterfinals on November 8, 2025. (Photo by Joe Evans\/JoeEvansPictures.com)<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot we want this year in the EPCs and I know I have to pull my weight for my team,\u201d said Bell, who has committed to Fairleigh Dickinson University. \u201cWe didn\u2019t get to play Central this year and it\u2019s always a big game when we play them. I played with a lot of energy tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bell totaled 22 kills and was a force upfront for a Becahi team that was tied at 23 in the first set and got the last two points before quickly getting out to a 6-1 win in the second set.<\/p>\n
Ruggiero set the tone as one of the league\u2019s best setters. She and Bell both repeated as first-team all-league selections.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt great to be co-MVPs with Piper because we\u2019ve been through so much through our volleyball careers; we\u2019ve had such high moments together and we\u2019ve been through some low moments,\u201d Bell said. \u201cWe\u2019ve done everything together \u2026 a setter and an outside hitter and it feels great to share the award with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruggiero agreed, saying, \u201cI\u2019m happy to share with it Jocelyn because I\u2019ve known her since third grade. She\u2019s very special.\u201d<\/p>\n
They both want something more and that\u2019s a league championship. Parkland beat Becahi 3-0 on Sept. 26.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to take a lot to beat them,\u201d Ruggiero said. \u201cThey swept us early in the season and we just have to play Becahi volleyball because when we played them before we weren\u2019t at our best. Now, we\u2019re playing up to our standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bell said, \u201cParkland is a great team with a lot of great energy, and they know how to adapt. We\u2019re a completely different team now than we were earlier in the season. Postseason changes everything and we\u2019ve improved since that first match because our back row and front row are more connected. Last time we weren\u2019t producing a lot with our digs and we weren\u2019t getting kills. When our offense was on, our defense wasn\u2019t, but now we\u2019ve created a lot of unity with our team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parkland prevails<\/p>\n
While Bethlehem Catholic is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A in the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association rankings, Parkland is No. 2 in 6A. The Trojans lone loss was to No. 1 Spring-Ford on Oct. 6. They had won four straight matches by 3-0 scores until Liberty pushed Parkland to the limit on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
After each team won games by two points, Liberty seemed to take command by winning the third set. Parkland, however, wouldn\u2019t quit.<\/p>\n
Alex Serina had 36 assists, Riley Schilling had 18 kills and MJ and Sami Walls and MJ Bhanji had nine kills apiece in a balanced attack. Chloe Coonradt and Zoe Leach combined for 47 digs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing tonight was our mental toughness,\u201d longtime Parkland coach Mike Krause said. \u201cWe could have folded being down 2-1. But you got to win three and we were only down 2-1 and we were off in the first couple of sets in terms of rhythm. We were reacting a little slow and Liberty hits the ball pretty hard. But our girls started clicking together and they were coaching each other in the right way. There was no finger-pointing. They were seeing patterns that Liberty was doing and they picked up on it and they helped each other and relied on each other. Gabby Nissen is the heart and soul of that group. She wants to win and she wants to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Krause said that while his team doesn\u2019t have the star power it may have had in the past, he has a team that really works together and supports one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have anybody who is really going to dominate, but we are so good collectively,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Leach said her team had to stayed focused when Liberty moved in front.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe focused on playing for each other,\u201d Leach, a senior defensive specialist, said. \u201cWe know that all of us can have our moments. We\u2019re all very competitive. We\u2019ve got to channel that energy and we all need to play together. We were focused coming into this one and that\u2019s going to be the key going into the championship match. We have to focus on the little things, starting with the basics, and that will be a huge part of what it will take.\u201d<\/p>\n
EPC all-star teams<\/p>\n
All-EPC first Team<\/p>\n
Jocelyn Bell (Becahi), co-MVP; Piper Ruggiero (Becahi) co-MVP; Sofia Condoulis, Liberty; Rosalia Landino (Emmaus); Briana Bauer (Allentown CCHS); Riley Schilling (Parkland); MJ Bhanji (Parkland).<\/p>\n
All-EPC second team<\/p>\n
Mia Mitch (Liberty); Chloe Coonradt (Parkland); Eva Madeira (Liberty); Emily Tucker (ACC): Madeline Ahner (Becahi); Isabela Kulczycki (Easton); Alex Serina (Parkland).<\/p>\n
All-EPC third team<\/p>\n
Claire Luckenhach (Northampton); Gabby Nissen (Parkland); LaSereon James (Whitehall); Leah Sweetana (Allentown CCHS); Fiona Answini (Emmaus); Maeva Mazza (Pocono Mountain East); Lanie Schenkel (Liberty); Kylie Shereba (Nazareth).<\/p>\n
Monroe County first team<\/p>\n
Mya Williams (Pleasant Valley); Kira Hnat (Pleasant Valley); Madelyn Vargas (Stroudsburg); Maeve Mazza (Pocono Mountain East); Camille Hubbs (Pocono Mountain East); Alyssa Hubbs (Pocono Mountain East); Emma Covino (Pocono Mountain West); Isabella Slizewski (Pleasant Valley); Sasha Slozina (Pleasant Valley); Assunta McCarthy (Stroudsburg).<\/p>\n
Monroe County second team<\/p>\n
Sophia Hillenbrand (Pocono Mountain East); Kaycee Jurasits (Pocono Mountain East); Jaylyn Rowe (Pocono Mountain West); Emmerson Deluna (Pleasant Valley); Lila Borger (Pleasant Valley); Harley Durant (Pleasant Valley); Kendall Runkel (Stroudsburg); Juliette Perich (Stroudsburg).<\/p>\n
Monroe County third team<\/p>\n
Zoe Taylor (ES North); Breyanna Sims (PM West); Hunter Farkas (Pleasant Valley); Gabrielle Moro (ES North); Stasia Wills (ES South); Kayla Colletta (ES South); Alexis McAteer (ES North).<\/p>\n
Northampton County first team<\/p>\n
Jocelyn Bell (Becahi); Piper Ruggiero (Becahi); Sofia Condoulis (Liberty); Madeline Ahner (Becahi); Kylie Shereba (Nazareth); Isabela Kulczycki (Easton); Sira Powell (Freedom).<\/p>\n
Northampton County second team<\/p>\n
Ondine Murabet (Freedom); Claire Luckenbach (Northampton); Alexa Lannon (Easton); Eva Madeira (Liberty); Beth Harvey (Nazareth); Zoey Praedin (Becahi); Lanie Schenkel (Liberty); Christina Kish (Freedom).<\/p>\n
Northampton County third team<\/p>\n
Sage McKenna (Freedom); Grace Wolfel (Northampton); Wildasin McKenzie (Nazareth); Morgan Owstrosky (Becahi); Tessa Lezama (Easton); Anzlea Frailey (Freedom); Cyd Chilson (Northampton); Maddy Taff (Northampton).<\/p>\n
Lehigh County first team<\/p>\n
Rosalia Landino (Emmaus); Briana Bauer (Allentown CCHS); Leah Sweetana (Allentown CCHS); Emily Tucker (Allentown CCHS); Chloe Coonradt (Parkland); Fiona Answini (Emmaus); Riley Schilling (Parkland); LaSereon James (Whitehall),<\/p>\n
Lehigh County second team<\/p>\n
Andraya Flowers (Emmaus); Emma Nesfeder (Emmaus); MJ Bhanji (Parkland); Gabby Nissen (Parkland); Piper Cerimele (Allentown CCHS); Alma Mourmari (Dieruff); Ashlyn Felker (Whitehall).<\/p>\n
Lehigh County third team<\/p>\n
Alex Serina (Parkland); Sami Walls (Parkland); Desiree Cattouse (Dieruff); Chloe Cook (Allentown CCHS); Emily Strobl (Allentown CCHS); Norinellys Rodriguez (Allen); Demilee Nunez (Allen); Makenna Reichenbach (Whitehall); Alyssa Washington (Allen).<\/p>\n
Colonial League finals<\/p>\n
It will be Southern Lehigh facing Notre Dame-Green Pond at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Colonial League championship after the defending champion Spartans beat Lehighton 3-0 and the Crusaders outlasted Northwestern Lehigh 3-2 in the semifinals on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
For Southern Lehigh (28-1-2), Amelia McCoy led the way with nine kills, two blocks and an ace. Cam Tyrell chipped in five aces, two assists and six digs and Sarah Jones had six kills and two digs.<\/p>\n
Casey Lagodney had 16 kills and Addyson Wilson added 10 for the Crusaders (19-7-4). Rachel Fisher and Natalie Lilly had 21 and 20 digs, respectively.<\/p>\n
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